Instructional Design Evaluation of Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology 350 Course
completed by Kathy Scasino 10/3/2008
Delivery Method:
Leader-led classroom instruction or self-paced computer-based training (CBT), utilizing a DVD
and supporting instructor and learner guides
Audience:
Individuals with no previous knowledge of medical terminology
Course Length:
Six modules @ 15 minutes each
Bookmarking :
No
Branching:
No
Thank you for the opportunity to review the Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology 350 course. This course was designed to
be delivered in a classroom setting or as a self-paced course. An instructor’s guide and learning guide is included with
the DVD. There is no option for printing the lessons from the DVD, but it is not necessary as the learning guide provides
supporting materials including important definitions, tips for scoring 100% on your final exam and worksheets and
exercises to be completed after each lesson.
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If instructor-led, the publisher suggests that the pre-test provided should be taken even though the learner will
do poorly. I agree. A pre and post test will provide a Level 2 evaluation as defined by Kirkpatrick which proves
that learning took place.
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If taken as a self-paced CBT, I recommend assigning a knowledgeable employee to coach the learner. The coach
could administer the pre/post test and also provide support and some level of accountability for the learner. The
self-paced learner will need to be self-motivated to complete the class. A monthly check-in with the coach is
suggested.
The following is based on my own experience as a self-paced learner:
The lessons were deployed via the DVD which worked just like a DVD movie. There was no overall lesson plan or course
map on the DVD itself (although the learning guide does have a table of contents with the learning objectives for each
lesson). You could only return to a lesson by finding that “scene” on the main menu of the DVD. This is not ideal.
The audio and video aspects are well done and pleasing to the eye and ear. The course assumes no previous knowledge
of medical terminology. It utilizes a memorization technique popularized by Dale Carnegie which involves word
association and visual imagery. Dean Vaughan defines it as an “audionym” which translates to “sound name.”
Example: medical term gastro
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Picture a gas truck
Repeat several times “gastro gas truck”
Then picture a stomach replacing the tank on the gas truck
There are appropriate graphics to illustrate the above. This technique will work well for aural, visual and multi-modal
learners. It may be less appealing to read-write learners, which is my preferred learning style. The instructor’s guide
suggests that the learner should not take any notes during the video which may be difficult for some learners. The
bottom line is that I did find the method effective; I completed and tested on the first ten terms and found that the
technique worked for me. Please let me know if you have any additional questions regarding the course content.