Commentary

The articles in this section address some of the most pertinent issues related to the current changes in athletic training education. Although each describes an important aspect, the most prominent need of athletic training education programs is that of communication between the athletic training faculty and clinical athletic trainers, especially at the host institution. All other aspects of the curriculum can be impeccable, but the quality of the program is critically diminished if the clinical educators are not an integral part of the planning, development, and implementation process. Consider the example of a stereo system: a $10 000 amplifier, receiver, and CD player will still sound like a $50 system if $50 speakers are used.

Lack of cooperation between the faculty and clinical staff stands to create an “us versus them” mentality that is inherently unhealthy for the profession and potentially disastrous for the institution. It was not too long ago that the academic and clinical staffs were one and the same. The formation of academic programs (and academic departments) for athletic training education, housed in academic departments, and the clinical staff remaining housed in athletics has created a fissure between the 2 groups. Each unit head reports to an administrator on the opposite side of the university structure, and each has unique job responsibilities and criteria for continued employment.

Students are also exposed to a situation in which one group provides knowledge and skills, and the other group is essentially responsible for the students' introduction and socialization to the profession and teaching the students to apply the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom and laboratory to the clinical setting. Perhaps most importantly, clinical instructors must model acceptable professional and ethical behaviors.

Problems can arise when the theories and techniques described by the academic staff are different from the clinical staff and vice versa. Over time, this can magnify the “us versus them” phenomenon and create disunity between the 2 staffs. The responsibility for assuring open lines of communication and bridging any gaps that may form should be the responsibility of the academic staff, especially the program director.

It is interesting to note that Carr and Drummond found that classroom instructors were older and had more experience than clinical faculty. This could be evidence that athletic trainers who have grown weary of the long hours associated with athletics have begun to migrate to the classroom in search of a more acceptable quality of life.

If the above hypothesis is true, then we may be facing a situation in which many of our classroom instructors do not have a formal background in education or educational methods. This situation is not unique, and it is not limited to our profession. Indeed, many colleges use the fact that courses are taught by “experts in their fields” as a marketing tool. However, this technique seems to be most appropriate and most applicable to graduate education.

We often seem to overemphasize the importance of adult learning styles and problem-based learning during the student's undergraduate education.^1,2 Graduating from high school does not make one an adult learner; instead, there is a progression that should be modeled during the undergraduate years. For this reason, undergraduate students should be exposed to the best teachers early in their education, ideally beginning with the first term.

In her article on problem-based learning, Heinrichs used flight training as an example of how these methods have been implemented in another profession. All aspects of pilot training do have a problem-based component (and the problem is always ultimately how to avoid crashing), but the learning and teaching methods are far from those expected of adult learners. Pilot training is awash with the use of memory aids (eg, “BLT and mayo” before takeoff, “GUMP check” before landing), checklists, charts, and other modalities to recall rote knowledge and skills and to maintain consistent procedures.

An unintended comparison is the fact that pilot training is in need of a major overhaul as well, including a single route to the entry level (private-pilot certification). However, the Federal Aviation Administration has finitely detailed the tasks and acceptable tolerances for all of its practical tests. To address these deficits, governmental, professional, and private organizations are increasingly relying on multimedia learning techniques, distance learning, and continuing education.

Although computer technology, computer-assisted learning, and computer and Internet-based multimedia educational tools have been with us for some time now, from the perspective of a consumer and producer of this technology, they have seemed slow to catch on in our profession. With the increased academic demands placed on faculty and students alike, it is logical that these technologies would be a welcome and rational extension of our existing pedagogies.

Improved user interfaces and the ability for computers to display graphic images more rapidly and with enhanced quality have better positioned these technologies for use in health and medical education. Virtual reality is now being used extensively to teach surgical techniques. As virtual-reality technology becomes more commonplace (and therefore lower in cost), many of the concepts used in medicine can easily be applied to athletic training education. Quality technologies can increase the realism and efficacy of problem-based learning approaches.³

For entry-level undergraduate students, we must view computer-based learning resources, including the Internet, as adjuncts to other teaching approaches. We often tend to view the decision to incorporate multimedia technologies, especially those that are computer based, as “one or the other.” A comprehensive, structured, and hierarchic learning approach should rely on both techniques.

Reading this series of articles, I had a flashback to when I was conducting research for my doctoral dissertation. Vivid memories of my gluteal reaction on learning that athletic trainers once hid to prevent other athletic trainers from learning their secret taping techniques rambled through my head. At first, I could not make the connection as to what triggered this thought, as is often the case with me. Then perspective hit: athletic trainers are now helping other athletic trainers perform their jobs better and more efficiently, regardless of workplace setting or job description.