Diplomate in Optometric Education
In May of 2010, the American Academy of Optometry Board of Directors approved the Optometric Educator Diplomate Program. Please direct any questions to the section chair.
Please contact the Optometric Education Section Chair, Dr Aurora Denial, deniala@neco.edu for additional information.
Introduction and Background
Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary defines a diplomate as one who holds a diploma and whose competence has been certified by a board of examiners. While this designation traditionally is used to refer to physicians who are certified in a particular area of clinical expertise, the term is also used to certify competence in a non-clinical area of study or scholarship. The American Academy of Optometry has applied the term in its broader contextual meaning. Therefore, within the structure of the Academy, both clinical specialties and non clinical specialties such as public health and vision science are recognized areas of achievement for the diplomate status.
The Optometric Education Section of the Academy, which contains 424 members, is a leader in optometric education. The mission of the Optometric Education Section is to serve the educational needs of its membership by advancing research, promoting innovation in optometric education, encouraging visionary thinking, supporting ethical practices, and affirming provocative concepts in optometric education worldwide.
In achieving its mission the Section:
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· Initiates forums on research in optometric education.
· Disseminates knowledge of innovation in professional education.
· Serves a visionary role in the advancement of new teaching and learning methodologies.
· Advocates for faculty and students engaged in optometric education.
· Collaborates with other sections in the joint sponsorship of educational programs.
· Enhances the commitment of Academy members to highest ethical and professional standards of optometric education.
The educational process is the core foundation for the sustenance and advancement of the profession. Most optometric educators obtained their faculty positions because of a clinical expertise within the profession of optometry and identify themselves as both educators and clinical specialists. A percentage of optometric educators have identified the educational process as their primary area of focus and specialty. Although this group may also have a clinical specialty, their research, scholarly activities and interests lie in the area of education.
The Granting of Diplomate status in Optometric Education is recognition of a focus and expertise in education beyond the level of teaching responsibilities that are commonly held by most faculty and adjunct faculty. The Diplomate status will recognize advancement in the areas of scholarly activity, educational research, advanced education and the delivery and transfer of knowledge. The Diplomate status will distinguish those individuals who hold a deep commitment and a higher level of training in the educational process.
Criterion for Obtaining the Diplomate in Optometric Education
Step 1.
- Fellow in good standing of the American Academy of Optometry
- Minimum requirement of a completion of an accredited residency program and 3 years of teaching experience or a minimum of 5 years teaching experience.
Step 2.
- Application Form: The application form should explain your desire to become a diplomate and your commitment to the educational process.
Step 3.
- Curriculum Vitae: The curriculum vitae should be as complete as possible and should include information on educational background, professional experience, publications, presentations, teaching responsibilities, administrative responsibilities, organizations, honors and certifications.
Step 4.
Steps (4-1) - (4-5) must be completed before the candidate is eligible to sit for the oral exam/interview. All written material presented must be of publishable quality. In cases where the material has already been published and there are multiple authors, the candidate must be the primary author on the majority (>50%) of the material presented. The candidate must be no lower than second author on the remainder of the material presented.
4-1 : Teaching Case Reports*: Submission of 8 teaching case reports.
The teaching case report is a format to help faculty educate students. The teaching case report should represent a diverse selection and complexity of ocular conditions and be appropriate for students at different stages of education. The teaching case report is a format that is meant to capture the teachable moment(s) common to a clinical, small group discussion or lecture setting. Teaching case reports when possible should represent an actual patient encounter. However, information contained within the case may be altered to enhance the educational process. Candidates, who are not involved in patient care, may use a patient encounter reported by a colleague or a clinical scenario to demonstrate the clinical relevance associated with their teaching. Teaching case reports recognizes the importance of clinicality in the education of optometric students. This format allows for the development and evaluation of teaching methodology within the framework of a clinical presentation. This format also allows for evaluation of the candidate’s communication skills.
The teaching case report differs from a clinical case report in several significant ways. Clinical case reports are typically intended for optometric professionals with experience. The cases presented are usually of unique presentations or rare conditions. The reports reflect cutting edge technology, new treatments or a significant change from traditionally held information about the ocular conditions etiology, presentation or diagnosis. In contrast, the teaching case report is written to help faculty educate students. The cases are intended for optometric educators but also must be appropriate for students at different stages of education. The teaching case report may include some or all attributes of the clinical case report such as new technology but this format is equally valuable when reporting on common optometric techniques and established treatment plans. The two most significant differences between the formats are the teaching case report must outline educational components such as key concepts, objectives and discussion points and presents a discussion sufficient to teach the material.
Teaching case reports should include but are not limited to: background, case description, educational guidelines, including brief literature review, learning objectives, key concepts, discussion points, discussion/conclusion and references.
Background: A brief introduction to the case, intended audience, relevance of case, and background information on the ocular condition/disease presented in the case.
Case Description: The presentation of the case.
Education Guidelines: The information needed to facilitate a discussion of the case. From the students perspective the knowledge base needed to actively participate and benefit from the case discussion. The educational guidelines may include a brief literature review.
Teaching Components: Learning objectives, key concepts, discussion points and the discussion represent the teaching components of the report. This section may include teaching methodology, questions to facilitate discussion, critical analysis of information etc.
Conclusions: Future considerations, impact of the learning experience,
* http://www.opted.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3486, Publication Guidelines, Optometric Education accessed,Dec 2009.
4-2: Demonstration of advanced knowledge in the field of education.
Most optometric educators are chosen for expertise in a clinical specialty and lack formal training in education. The candidate for diplomate must demonstrate advanced and continuing acquisition of knowledge in the field of education. This requirement can be accomplished by acquiring 20 points from the experiences below. An advanced graduate degree (master or doctorate) in education would translate into the required 20 points.
· Educational courses taken at an accredited college or university ( 10 points) per course.
· Attendance at Educational Conferences/Symposium ( 5 points per event)
· Attendance at Optometric Educational Events : World Council on Optometric Education, Optometric Educators Exchange (AOA), Optometric Section Symposium (AAO), Faculty Development Workshops, Educational Events at other Meetings, (2 points per event)
4-3: Demonstration of a Commitment to Educational Research: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
The concept of the scholarship of teaching and learning supports teaching as a worthy subject for research with the goal of producing a public body of knowledge that is reviewed developed and tested for the purpose of increasing effective teaching and student learning.1
Mary Huber and Pat Hutchings in their book Advancement of Learning: Building the Teaching Commons say “Teaching will be advanced when it is seen as intellectual work inviting careful deliberation among those who constitute the professional community and who take responsibility, as professionals in all fields must do, for improving the quality of the enterprise”.2
The diplomate candidate must demonstrate a commitment to educational research that leads to supporting effective teaching and learning with a body of knowledge and evidence. The candidate must submit a research paper on educational research conducted by the candidate. Evidence based teaching and learning can move the profession of optometry and education into the future and the candidate for diplomate must contribute to this process.
References
2. Huber MT, Hutchings P. The advancement of learning: building the teaching commons. San Francisco CA: Jossey-Bass 2005.
4-4: Evidence of scholarly activity.
Each candidate must submit one piece of evidence to support a commitment to educational scholarly activity. The evidence may include: funded educational research grants, educational research paper, the writing or editing of a text book, the writing of a book chapter and optometric educational presentations at a national meeting.
4- 5: Evidence of teaching methodology and style - oral presentation.
Each candidate will be assigned to a 20-30 minute teaching presentation. The presentation will take place at the Academy meeting with an audience of the diplomate examiners for the section. The diplomate panel of examiners will specify three potential topics for presentation and inform the candidate three month prior to the meeting. Candidates will be free to select the final topic. The topics will reflect the candidate’s areas of teaching interest and expertise.
The teaching format (clinical, didactic, lecture, laboratory or small group discussion) can be chosen by the candidate and should reflect the candidate’s actual teaching style. The candidate must also submit a written description and critique of the teaching pedagogy used in the presentation to teach the material. The purpose of the presentation is to gain insight into the candidate’s thought process with regard to the transference of knowledge, teaching methodologies and ability to effectively communicate.
A candidate may request as an alternative to the demonstration of teaching methodology an oral presentation demonstrating knowledge about concepts relevant to professional education (e.g., a lecture & Q/A). This request would be reviewed and decided upon by the diplomate panel of examiners. The diplomate panel of examiners will specify three potential topics for presentation and inform the candidate three month prior to the meeting. Candidates will be free to select the final topic. The topics will reflect the candidate’s areas of expertise. The candidate must still submit a written summary and critique of the lecture presented.
Step 5: Oral Examination / Interview
1. The candidate will sit for an oral examination/interview. The purpose of the interview is to critically review and discuss with the candidate all information submitted and to evaluate the candidate’s knowledge in education and optometry. The candidate will be informed approximately 3 months prior to the examination of the possible areas for discussion.
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