Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) student and GW alum, Kelly Ritter, MSHS, MLS(ASCP)CMSMCM, conducted a project to improve student performance and the quality of feedback within an undergraduate microbiology course. The project for the DHSc program–including data collection, evaluation plans, and implementation reports–contributed to her winning the “Star Professor” award for providing outstanding student support at Tyler Junior College.
"Students that were inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society nominated me as someone who made a difference in their lives. It is an incredible feeling, knowing that the learning strategies I introduced made a difference in student success, and may establish a strong foundation of learning in their future healthcare programs," said Ritter.
A certified microbiologist and professor at Tyler Junior College in Texas, Ritter also serves as an online adjunct instructor in the Biomedical Laboratory Sciences Department at GW. She is also an Advisory Board member for the Medical Laboratory Sciences program and the Molecular Diagnostic Sciences program at the George Washington University.
“Kelly successfully designed a program by collaborating with interprofessional stakeholders to foster improvements in healthcare education,” says Lisa Paganotti, PhD, PA-C, assistant professor of the Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education program.
The DHSc project resulted in improved exam scores by nearly 25% and a decrease in the semester drop rate from 10% to 5.6%.
“Being able to effectively analyze needs and gaps, design a program, and design an evaluation methodology to understand whether your program is working is a critical leadership skill,” says Joyce Maring, EdD, DPT, professor of the Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education program.
Ritter plans to implement learning strategies in various course units, and monitor the satisfaction rates on institutional end-of-term evaluations, final course grades, and total drop rates.