Integrating clinical education into the curriculum development process.

Abstract

Radiologic technology education consists of three components--didactic, laboratory, and clinical. For effective education to take place and for each program to meet its goal of preparing practitioners who have a firm theoretical foundation and are proficient technologically in radiologic technology, the three components must be integrated. Integration facilitates the transfer of theoretical and practical knowledge into the intellectual, psychomotor, and affective skills necessary for patient care. The totality of the integrated educational experience makes the competent professional. Integration of the educational components is best achieved by a systematic approach to curriculum development. The steps in the curriculum development process consist of (1) the formulation of a philosophy; (2) the establishment of competencies; (3) the identification of resources; (4) the development and sequencing of courses; (5) the identification of teaching strategies; and (6) evaluation. When the clinical component of the educational program is weighted appropriately and well-integrated into a systematic process of curriculum development, student learning is maximized and graduate professional performance is enhanced.