Appendix B-1.
JoAnna Berger: Unleashing Creativity in Radiologic Technology Education
Jessica Milliman – University of Rochester (2023)
Background information
JoAnna Berger is the clinical coordinator and a full-time tenure track faculty member in the radiologic technology program at Monroe Community College (MCC). JoAnna’s background includes a longstanding career as a registered radiologic technologist, previous experience as a “Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) Expert” in a clinical research role, and advanced education in the field of Healthcare Administration. JoAnna aims to have an inclusive classroom where she can teach in a multitude of different ways and have honest conversations with her students. With a passion for promoting excellence and professionalism in the field of radiologic technology, JoAnna supports the mission statement of MCC’s Radiologic Technology program which states that the program “prepares students to enter the profession as diagnostic radiographers who are professionally competent”.
Key innovations and their value-added
Implementation of Anthropomorphic Phantom Pixies into Radiographic Procedures II. In response to a gap in student ability to clinically apply knowledge and skills from Radiographic Procedures II, JoAnna restructured the course by implementing a practical simulation segment that was previously exclusive to Radiographic Procedures I. This alteration allowed for a broader hands-on approach to the curriculum and ultimately a more comprehensive learning experience.
Diverse Part-Task Trainers for Venipuncture. JoAnna spearheaded an innovative initiative aimed at enhancing representation and clinical competence. As she prepared to deliver the annual venipuncture skill class, JoAnna couldn’t help but observe a significant lack of diversity among the well-worn part-task trainers. Recognizing the importance of addressing this disparity, JoAnna took it upon herself to raise awareness about this gap, gather the necessary resources, and introduce a series of part-task trainers that encompassed a range of diverse skin tones. The implementation of diverse part-task trainers not only improves representation but also enable students to acquire the necessary skills on a range of skin tones. This innovation serves to foster a more inclusive learning environment and give students valuable hands-on experience in placing intravenous lines in patients with a variety of skin tones.
The Skullfie Project. The Skullfie project has been integrated into the Skull Imaging course in the radiologic technology program at Monroe Community College, aiming to address a perceived gap in students’ knowledge and skill sets. In this project students are instructed to take “selfies” in various radiographic positions of the skull and outline and identify the structures and landmarks on their image. This unique project enables learners to establish a direct connection between their own facial features and the radiographic positions of the skull, enhancing their understanding of the course material while enabling them to apply it to real-world situations, bridging the gap between theory and practice.
In-depth story of an innovation: The Skullfie Project
How the idea came about and was evaluated/refined
JoAnna inherited the responsibility of instructing a Skull Imaging course after the course had gone through many changes. The course had been taught by a handful of different instructors over the years and the number of credit hours was adjusted from 3 credit hours to 1 credit hour several years prior to her inheritance of the course, yet no adjustments to the course materials, expectations, or projects had been made. JoAnna frequently interacts with graduates of the radiologic technology program as she visits the local clinical sites as part of her duties as the Clinical Coordinator.
“A large number of techs who graduated in the past few years mentioned that I needed to do SOMETHING about that AWFUL skull project, so I investigated!”
What JoAnna found during her investigation was that the project, originally designed and implemented during the period when the Skull Imaging course was allotted three hours of time, had undergone absolutely no revisions despite the reduction in course time allowance. The original project involved students working in groups and compiling many skull radiographs, taken on anatomic skull models, into a portfolio which would then be presented by the student to the instructor along with a verbal self-reflective critique of the portfolio. Although useful, this original project had become riddled with flaws as it was passed from instructor to instructor and through the course credit hour reduction.
With 21 students currently enrolled in the course and the limited one hour of meeting each week, JoAnna realized that time was a significant constraint that may impede students’ ability to successfully complete the original skull project. Moreover, even if they were able to complete it, they might not gain a proper understanding of the intricacies of skull positioning, but rather only gain frustration and develop a disinterest in the subject.
In addition to the issue of time, JoAnna delved into other possible issues with the project. If she was going to address this problem, she wanted to solve the entire problem. She had heard recent graduates of the program often say that the Skull Imaging class only taught them landmarks, anatomy, and “textbook” positioning, not how to apply those concepts to a living person. When she looked at the original project she identified a potential reason, as the students were only learning the landmarks and practicing positioning on skull models that were only composed of bone, no flesh! No nose, no eyes, no ears, no skin!
With the problem areas identified, JoAnna started the brainstorming process and collaborated with her program colleague in search of possible solutions. She sought to create a project that would be not only educational and engaging, but that would also foster connections between the course material and real-world applications. Additionally, her goal was to create a project that students could access and work on from home, without requiring access to the X-ray labs at the school.
JoAnna developed a set of preliminary instructions for the project, keeping in mind the end goal. She then tasked one of her colleagues to test the project and provide feedback. During the testing process, it was observed that it was easy to get “lost in the image” and focusing on one’s own selfie became uncomfortable and distracting.
Upon receiving the feedback, JoAnna realized the necessity for a solution to this additional problem. After deliberation, she devised a solution wherein the pictures would be inverted and adapted to a color scale reminiscent of an X-ray. JoAnna shared this new idea with her colleague, who deemed it to be an effective way to tackle the “awkwardness” of examining one’s own selfies in detail. The modification was made and JoAnna felt confident moving forward with the innovation.
Planning and gathering the needed resources
When JoAnna began to plan the implementation of the initiative, she knew she needed to gather some resources and supplies. She informed her students that the first part of the project was to submit 10-12 “selfies” and that they would find out the rest of the project in the weeks to come. She needed the pictures in advance because she didn’t want the financial burden of printing 10+ full page selfies using color ink to fall on her students. She also worried that if students made a mistake the first time around, they would need to have another set printed and some may not have been able to afford that. If she had put that responsibility on them, she felt like the results would be inconsistent and skewed. With that in mind, she set up a meeting with the print center, who informed her that she needed to meet with the cost center because the total cost for what she was requesting to have printed was just under $200.
When she met with the cost center, she presented them with the project instructions and presented her “pitch” as to why this project (and using color ink for it) was important enough to fund. Ultimately the cost center approved the printing of the packets for the project with very little pushback and JoAnna returned to the print shop to work with them and ensure the pictures came out as she envisioned.
As a compassionate educator, JoAnna also took into consideration that not all her students may have access to art supplies for the drawing portion of the project. To ensure that all her learners were able to complete the project without any hindrance, she took it upon herself to use her personal funds to purchase colored pencils to distribute along with the project instructions and packets. This removed one more potential frustration for her students allowing them to focus on the task at hand.
Implementing and monitoring the initiative
When the time came to finally roll out the project announcement, JoAnna’s students eagerly awaited the reveal of how their selfies would be used. JoAnna emphasized the need for thoughtfulness and careful work, as each student’s submission would be hung in the classroom at the end of the semester with their markups for peers to learn from. Although JoAnna gave instructions with grading criteria, she did not create a rubric for this project’s debut. She instead decided to view all the submissions before determining her expectations and grading approach. Thankfully, most of the students produced thorough and accurate projects with an appropriate level of effort.
To assess the success of the “Skullfie Project,” JoAnna surveyed some of the students on their impressions and the project’s impact on their developing “X-ray vision.” She also observed students in their clinical rotations practicing skull positioning and was pleased to hear several students reference the “Skullfie Project” when asked how they determined certain anatomic points and projection angles. After carefully reviewing the course evaluations, JoAnna found that almost all students agreed that the “Skullfie Project” helped them improve their skull positioning confidence.
Ensuring long term sustainability
JoAnna had originally planned to oversee this project for many years. However, unexpected life changes have required her to relocate out-of-state before the project can be assigned again. To ensure that the project progresses seamlessly in her absence, she has created highly detailed instructions for the other faculty members involved in the program. The instructions provide a comprehensive timeline, which outlines the estimated faculty time commitment required for each implementation phase. JoAnna discovered that the time commitment was greater than she initially anticipated and wanted to save the next person from experiencing her same frustrations. She has also included a potential rubric and recommended several improvements, including giving students time for revisions and feedback during class time. These measures will enable the project to continue successfully, regardless of JoAnna’s departure.
Observations and lessons learned
Throughout the interview process, I gained valuable insights into the concept of entrepreneurship. One of the most notable observations was that entrepreneurship can be an innate skill for certain individuals, who may not even realize they possess the qualities of an entrepreneur. When I first approached JoAnna for this interview, she expressed doubts about her entrepreneurial abilities, after reminding her of some innovations I had witnessed her spearhead, she was able to recognize her own work as entrepreneurial.
Additionally, I learned that not all innovations need to be complex or expensive. JoAnna’s “Skullfie” innovation, which cost less than $300, was able to solve a significant issue. However, it’s also important to consider that the investment required is not always monetary. JoAnna mentioned that the innovation required a considerable amount of her time, which as an educator, is a precious resource. Therefore, finding time-saving measures can be just as valuable as identifying cost-saving measures.
Along with being an entrepreneurial educator it is important to be a compassionate educator. By compassionately approaching issues your students encounter, you’re better equipped to identify potential roadblocks that might otherwise go unnoticed. A perfect example of this was demonstrated by JoAnna. Her attention to detail and genuine care for her students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds enabled her to expertly foresee and navigate potential issues that might have otherwise hindered the success of the innovation. This level of empathy and foresight is essential for fostering an environment where students feel supported and empowered to succeed.
Finally, this interview reinforced the importance of developing a plan for the sustainability of innovations. JoAnna had initially planned to implement her innovation for several years but found herself handing it over to someone else after only implementing it once. Fortunately, she had taken the time to create detailed instructions for the next instructor, which ensured that the innovation would continue to be implemented even after her resignation from the program. As such, a solid plan for the sustainability of an innovation is crucial to its long-term success.