Describes the innovative content and structure of an introductory course on clinical patient care at the Illinois College of Optometry. Critiques its success based on student grades and feedback, concluding that it was successful in imparting skills of data analysis but had minimal impact on students' ability to empathize with patients. (EV)

A workshop to improve clinical optometry teachers' instructional abilities focuses on teachers' problem-solving skills and aims at reviewing basic clinical instruction concepts, introducing students to communication skills, introducing participants to an action-oriented model of clinical teaching, and providing opportunities to practice the…

An inexpensive computer graphics systems (Commodore PET), used as a video aid for teaching students advanced case analysis, is described. The course provides students with the analytical tools for evaluating with graphical and statistical techniques and treating with lenses, prisms, and orthoptics various anomalies of binocular vision. (MLW)

Discusses how the New England College of Optometry has expanded clinical education so graduates are equipped to handle new and advanced clinical and patient-care responsibilities and meet the changing standards of professional entry-level competency. The reform process, third- and fourth-year curriculum components, rotations, and plans for…

Describes development and design of the Comprehensive Clinical Performance Grid for Student Evaluation, created to address concerns about what constitutes a competent practitioner and to provide a useful and consistent student-evaluation tool for clinical optometric education. Development challenges are also discussed, including staff training and…

A review of residency training programs in optometry schools looks at the role of such programs in overall optometric education and a variety of factors in program design. These include the didactic component, faculty resources, residents' instructional activity, facilities, the research component, and use of outcomes assessment for the training…

A discussion of basic and clinical science teaching in optometry in the next decade looks at the changing role of primary care and specialist optometrists, the training needs of current and future faculty, recommended curriculum changes, and decision making about delivery of this training. The roles of graduate training, residencies, and…

Remediation of at-risk senior optometry students is discussed, looking at possible reasons for remediation need and the design of a program to effectively address students' needs, including program design, student evaluation/placement, development of specific skills, and supervision. The South Boston Community Health Center (Massachusetts) program…

A New England College of Optometry (Massachusetts) faculty development program for clinical preceptors provides a forum for administration and clinical faculty to address problems in clinical education and to increase communication between affiliated faculty, program coordinators, and students. The on-site conferences have demonstrated significant…

A proposed optometric faculty evaluation and development program for clinical teachers involves five stages: (1) evaluation by self, peers, and students; (2) evaluation of faculty performance change over time; (3) improvement of evaluation techniques through staged encounters; (4) videotaping of real-life teacher encounters; and (5) group…

An Illinois College of Optometry faculty development project focuses on improvement of classroom teaching methods. Topics that have been addressed to date include improving lecture skills, a lecture teaching lab, case-based laboratories, promoting student problem-solving in clinical situations, effective feedback and supervision, and the student…