KIN 511 is the first course that new graduate students entering the Master’s of Athletic Training program take upon arrival to OSU. We cover the basics of athletic training as an allied health profession, instruct students in simple skills to use once they begin working in their practicum sites, and we set the tone for faculty expectations of student’s engagement in the program and profession.
The development of KIN 511 – Intro to Athletic Training as a hybrid course isn’t taking the “normal” hybrid format. Due to the nature of this course in the curriculum schedule (first!) KIN 511 will run during the first 4 week summer session. The course will meet for two weeks solely online and then two weeks we will meet f2f each day for 3 hours (in addition to continued online materials). This unique schedule has offered some interesting challenges in terms of content delivery and how best to plan orientations and labs through the 2 weeks when students are not on campus.
During weeks 1 and 2 the students will be immersed in online content such as videos, short recorded lectures, discussion boards, assignments, and quizzes. They are strongly encouraged to recruit family or friends to begin practicing the lab materials that are presented in the videos and are informed that they will be tested in an oral practical on these skills once we meet in the classroom. Each assignment
During weeks 3 and 4, KIN 511 students will continue working through online modules that continue with the flipped classroom concept by delivery of lectures and videos through Canvas. The f2f class periods will be devoted to hands on skill practice and labs from the online content previously delivered with time set aside at the beginning and end of each meeting to clear up any “muddy points”. We will also need to conduct oral practical skills checks to test for competency as our students progress from this course into clinical assignments.
I believe that the hybrid organization of the course will improve upon the lecture heavy delivery that has been utilized in the past. The new format should allow students more time and space, if needed, to work through course content and to arrive on campus with a clear understanding of the basic knowledge that is necessary to jump into their graduate studies. The f2f time that we have scheduled allows for so much more hands on learning that we’ve ever devoted in this course. I’m really hopeful that we will find some bright spots with the new course structure and that both students and faculty walk away from the first session feeling like it was a strong start.
