18th Annual Physical Therapy Education Leadership Conference

Faculty members from the Programs in Physical Therapy attended the 18th Annual Physical Therapy Education Leadership Conference in Philadelphia, PA. The conference is Co-hosted by the APTA Academy of Education & the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT). Drs. Jean Fitzpatrick, Laurel Daniels Abbruzzese, and Wing Fu delivered presentations at ELC. Below, you'll find a summary of their sessions along with accompanying photos.

Domains of Competence for Physical Therapy: The Full Framework 

Competency Based Education (CBE) is an outcomes-based philosophy and approach to the design, implementation, and assessment of learners that can be applied across a professional continuum and focuses on meeting the needs of patients. A critical component of CBE is the development of a framework to assess competencies. Building the framework of CBE begins with identifying and describing realms of a profession that are essential to the profession’s ability to meet the needs of patients, clients, and society. These realms are referred to as “domains of competence”(DoC). Associated with each DoC are competencies that represent characteristics of a learner at a set point of professional development. In 2019, a work group was tasked by the Educational Leadership Partnership to develop DoC’s for the profession of physical therapy and entry-to-practice competencies for each DoC. The presentation at ELC provided an overview of the domains of competence and associated competencies for those entering clinical practice for the first time. 

Authors: Sara Knox, PT, DPT, PhD, Jean Fitzpatrick Timmerberg, PT MHS, PhD, Traci Lynn Norris, PT, DPT, Steven Bryce Chesbro, PT, DPT, EdD, Peggy Blake Gleeson, PT, PhD, Robert Rowe, PT, DPT, DMT, MHS, and Patricia Bridges.

GRJ Forum Part II - Propelling PT education forward through competency-based education: why, what, and how. 

This was a panel discussion with Dr. Robert Englander, the keynote speaker, Dr. Steven Ambler, and Dr. Fitzpatrick. 

Confronting Historical Injustice - Envisioning an Equitable and Inclusive Future for Physical Therapy Education

Efforts to increase the racial/ethnic diversity of physical therapy practitioners began in the early 1970s. Despite numerous investments, the outcomes have been disappointing. Historical analysis, especially when coupled with present day initiatives, can help to shed light on longstanding barriers to increasing practitioner diversity and offer productive pathways forward. This session includes two oral presentations and ample time for critical reflection and discussion. The first presentation addressed the history and structure of the physical therapy education system and admissions process, and examines physical therapy education in the broader context of exclusionary practices in the history of American higher education, including weed-out courses, the use of basic science prerequisite grades to select students, and the diversionary ambitions of community colleges. The second presentation offers a present day example of a physical therapy education program that is actively evaluating the rationale and fairness of their grading practices. It also explores the history of grading systems over the past century to help understand the purpose and rationale for the 0–100-point scale and the Bell Curve, which are still commonly used in PT education programs. In doing so, this presentation considers the effects of inequitable grading practices and how they contribute to attrition.

Authors: Laurel Daniels Abbruzzese, PT, EdD, Andrew J. Hogan, Kimberly E. Varnado, PT, DPT, DHSc, OCS, FAAOMPT, Shannon Patrick Richardson, PT, DPT

Unveiling the Master Adaptive Learner Model: Consideration of Learner, Environment, and Faculty as Coach

The speed at which change occurs in health care practice demands that physical therapists efficiently incorporate new knowledge and skills, engage continually in deep learning, and demonstrate creative problem-solving. This is termed adaptive expertise. Grounded in the unifying model of the Master Adaptive Learner (MAL), such expertise can be fostered during professional and post-professional education. The MAL model has three major components requiring thoughtful consideration – the learner, the coach, and the learning environment. Despite a sound theoretical framework, explicit application of the MAL model is limited. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate intentional application of the MAL model across the learning continuum in the physical therapy profession. Using case examples, a panel of speakers from 3 institutions will describe development of an assessment tool to evaluate MAL behaviors in learners, use of instructional design to facilitate MAL attributes in the classroom, consideration of the learning environment in post-professional education, and development of faculty as coaches through the MAL lens.

Authors: Catherine Bilyeu, PT, DPT, Wing S. Fu, PT, MA, PhD, Raine Osborne, PT, DPT, EdD, Meghan Thomas Brown Hernandez, PT, DPT.