Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: In the profession of optometry, responsibilities for eye and general health care make Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) essential. Current optometry curricula include isolated teaching and learning strategies that aim to develop the knowledge and skills required for EBP, but a recent study (Suttle, Jalbert, & Alnahedh, 2012) suggests that optometry graduates have not uniformly adopted EBP.
Objectives: Spanning all six Optometry Schools across Australasia, this 2-year project aims to renew optometry curricula at so that graduates have the skills, knowledge and attitude needed for EBP. A specific objective is to examine optometry programs at all Australasian schools to determine which and where various components of EBP are currently taught, at the same time highlighting the best strategies to assist learning and teaching of EBP skills.
Methods: Optometry course convenors were interviewed individually regarding currently used teaching strategies and assessment tasks. Data were categorised according to the evidence-based practice framework of the five principles used in the Sicily statement: ask, acquire, appraise, apply and audit (Dawes et al., 2005).
Results: The survey identified the teaching strategies currently employed by each School to develop the skills and knowledge needed for each of the principles of EBP.
Future directions: The EBP teaching strategies identified as described above will inform the development of teaching and learning materials to be embedded into Optometry curricula. A central online resource is being designed to support these strategies. The online resource will consist of optometry-specific scenario-based materials for teaching EBP including clinically-relevant materials (e.g. hypothetical cases) and self-assessment materials to support learning and teaching of EBP knowledge, skills and attitude.
References
Suttle CM, Jalbert I, Alnahedh T. Examining the evidence base used by optometrists in Australia and New Zealand. Clin Exp Optom. 2012 Jan;95(1):28–36.
Dawes M, Summerskill W, Glasziou P, Cartabellotta A, Martin J, Hopayian K, Porzsolt F, Burlz A, Osborne J. Second International Conference of Evidence-Based Health Care Teachers and Developers. BMC Med Educ. 2005 Jan 5;5(1):1.
Objectives: Spanning all six Optometry Schools across Australasia, this 2-year project aims to renew optometry curricula at so that graduates have the skills, knowledge and attitude needed for EBP. A specific objective is to examine optometry programs at all Australasian schools to determine which and where various components of EBP are currently taught, at the same time highlighting the best strategies to assist learning and teaching of EBP skills.
Methods: Optometry course convenors were interviewed individually regarding currently used teaching strategies and assessment tasks. Data were categorised according to the evidence-based practice framework of the five principles used in the Sicily statement: ask, acquire, appraise, apply and audit (Dawes et al., 2005).
Results: The survey identified the teaching strategies currently employed by each School to develop the skills and knowledge needed for each of the principles of EBP.
Future directions: The EBP teaching strategies identified as described above will inform the development of teaching and learning materials to be embedded into Optometry curricula. A central online resource is being designed to support these strategies. The online resource will consist of optometry-specific scenario-based materials for teaching EBP including clinically-relevant materials (e.g. hypothetical cases) and self-assessment materials to support learning and teaching of EBP knowledge, skills and attitude.
References
Suttle CM, Jalbert I, Alnahedh T. Examining the evidence base used by optometrists in Australia and New Zealand. Clin Exp Optom. 2012 Jan;95(1):28–36.
Dawes M, Summerskill W, Glasziou P, Cartabellotta A, Martin J, Hopayian K, Porzsolt F, Burlz A, Osborne J. Second International Conference of Evidence-Based Health Care Teachers and Developers. BMC Med Educ. 2005 Jan 5;5(1):1.