Course Guide

LAS

Language Access Strategies and Effective Collaboration with Interpreters

[Full Document on Canvas]

Course Guide Contents

Course Description …………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 4

Student Learning Objectives …………………………………………………………………………………………….…. 4

Course Policies ………………………………………………………………………………………………………...... 4

Time Commitment & Recommended Skills ………………………………………………………………………... 6

Technical Requirements ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6

Textbook Info ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7

Strongly Recommended Tools ……………………………………………………………………………………. 7

Weekly Outline …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Announcements …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8

Discussion & Collaborations ……………………………………………………………………………………. 8

Assessment & Grading Policy .…………………………………………………………………………………… 8

Ground Rules & Tips for Success ……………………………………………………………………………………10

Week-by-Week Schedule ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 11

Course Assessment Plan ……………………………………………………………………………………………….13

Course Description

Language and cultural barriers can impede the health of individuals and can be costly for health systems. This course explores language access strategies and the effective collaboration with interpreters across language and cultural barriers in healthcare settings.

Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Identify and analyze barriers to communication.
Explain language access strategies to meet existing laws and regulations.
Demonstrate strategies and techniques for effective collaboration with interpreters.

Course Policies

Weekly learning units are opened on Saturdays and assignments are due on Thursdays by noon. Any peer feedback reviews are due on the following Monday by noon.

1. Course Communication Policy: Given the virtual learning environment, communication can sometimes be a challenge. When we depend on the use of words only, there is a greater risk for miscommunication. Per Meharabian’s Model of Communication, only 7% of communication is interpreted through words, while 38% is through the person’s voice tone, and 55% through the person’s body language. Keeping this in mind, we can take steps to promote effective communication in this online course with your instructor and with your classmates.

When I need to communicate with the entire class, I will post a message in the Announcements Forum. You will also be notified according to how you’ve set up your notification preferences in Canvas. This will help ensure effective communication throughout your learning experience.

When I need to contact you individually, I will either email you at your Canvas Inbox, ccsf.edu address, or give you a phone call. If you require any special accommodations for this class, please contact me as soon as possible to ensure a quality learning experience. Take a moment to fill out the Introductory Questionnaire, so I have all your preferred contact information, and special needs and concerns.

Here are some considerations when you need to communicate with the instructor:

· General Q & A Forum: Please post general questions in the Q & A discussion forum. I will reply to Q & A posts within 48 hours, Mon-Fri, and my replies will be visible to the entire class, but anyone is welcome to jump in to help.

· Email: Please use the Canvas Inbox (preferred method of contact). I will respond to within 24 – 48 hours, Mon-Fri. If you do not hear from me within this time frame, please email me again. If for some reason you are not able to access the Canvas Inbox, then please email me at gtang@ccsf.edu.

· Voice recordings and videos can be used for peer group work and/or peer feedback, and not for specific inquiries for the instructor.

· Keep all communication brief and clear, especially with emails. If you find that writing your communication is difficult, it may be a good time to set up a phone, video, or in-person meeting.

Drop Policy: Please review the college’s policy and timeline for dropping classes. It is important that you follow those guidelines to avoid receiving a failing grade. In addition, course drop policy includes:
- “No-shows” – You will be dropped automatically by the instructor if you miss the first week’s check-in unless you have notified and received approval from the instructor to delay the check-in date.
- You will also be dropped if you missed the due date of the 1^st week of assignments unless you have received approval from the instructor to delay your assignment submissions.
Late Work Policy: The flexibility of an online course is wonderful as you can do work at the comfort of your own environment. However, it can also bring challenges. There are different priorities that we must juggle, such as, family, friends, work, household chores, you name it; life happens.

Blocking out times each week to complete your course work is important and letting your loved ones know can empower them to support you in your learning efforts. As such, timely submission of your assigned work is critical so that you have a greater opportunity to get full credit for your hard work and not fall behind on the content. In addition, being late with your assignments result in missed opportunities for peer reviews and feedback from the instructor.

Ideally, aim to complete your work in advance of the due date, giving yourself some extra time in case of technical issues or other unexpected circumstances, which usually occur when you do things at the last minute. Avoid midnight submissions due to possible extra load on the server at that time and less support options for you.

Note*Only in extenuating circumstances that cannot be avoided, late assignments, discussion participation, and quizzes may be considered, but only if you notify the instructor prior to the due date and only at the discretion of the instructor.

In fairness to ALL students, discussion forum postings, assignments, quizzes, and exams have deadlines. Online courses are NOT self-paced! Due dates help keep you on task and maximize your learning, so please pay close attention to all deadlines as specified in the syllabus and in Canvas. Anything submitted after the due date will be considered late and will NOT be accepted (See above note* for exceptions.)

Time Commitment & Recommended Skills

LAS is an expedited 4-week class that begins on Monday, June 8, 2020 and concludes on Sunday, July 5, 2020. This class will take approximately 13 - 14 hours during each of the 4 weeks for a total of 52.5 hours.

Your time commitment will vary based on your own level of experience with web technologies. I hope that you leave this course with concrete skills, ideas, and content that you will use in your professional work.

This course is fully online and requires some basic technical skills:

· Basic computer skills (word processing, e-mail, file management)

· Basic Internet skills (use of browser, searches, uploading/downloading files)

· Familiarity with discussion boards

· Familiarity with Canvas tips for getting started, by referring to the Canvas Resource page for video tutorials by Lynda.com, and other resources

· An open mind, positive attitude, and willingness to try new things

Technical Requirements

· Recent Mac or PC (not more than three years old) with a current operating system

· Current browser (Chrome or Firefox are preferable)

· Obtain a mail.ccsf.edu email account

· Internet connection, preferably broadband (DSL speeds) – for viewing online videos

· Access to a computer with a camera and microphone for Google Hangouts

Textbook Info

There is no required textbook to purchase for this class. All readings will be available online in Canvas modules or on the web. You can print each module if you wish to have hard copies.

Representative Textbooks and Other Instructional Materials

CHIA Standards and Certification Committee. 2002. California Standards for Healthcare Interpreters: Ethical Principles, Protocols, and Guidance on Roles and Intervention. California Healthcare Interpreting Association.
National Council on Interpreting in Health Care. 2005. National Council on Interpreting in Health Care Standards and Code of Ethics. 2005 National Council on Interpreting in Health Care, Inc.
The National Project Advisory Committee Members. 2013. National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care: A Blueprint for Advancing and Sustaining CLAS Policy and Practices. Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Other resources may be provided by the instructor
Website: National Committee on Quality Assurance
Website: The Joint Commission
Website: Office of Civil Rights, Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Strongly Recommended Tools

You will be exposed to many, many websites and resources in this class. Take time to develop a process for bookmarking these sites for future reference. We suggest using Chrome as your browser and bookmarking the links and resources you want to revisit for the future.

Weekly Outline

This course is divided into three weekly learning Units. Each learning unit will appear in the Modules section of the course. To get started each week, closely review the Overview page at the start of each module, which list the learning objectives and required assignments for the week. A Week-by-Week Schedule of scored activities and assessments is available at the end of this document.

Announcements

This class will be featuring online video and audio announcements as an effort to increase the instructor’s social presence. When I need to communicate with the class between these weekly announcements, I will post a text announcement to the Announcement Forum. I recommend subscribing to the Announcements forum to ensure you receive all the important course information each week.

Discussions & Collaboration

Each of the weekly learning units will provide you with opportunities to interact with your peers, in addition to create content for your language access strategies. Each discussion forum includes clear criteria for your required post and replies, including due dates and a grading rubric.

Assessment & Grading Policy

This course has been designed as an active learning environment to ensure you leave the course feeling confident about your new skills and abilities. Throughout the course, you will be introduced, week-by-week, to the process of developing effective collaboration with interpreters and strategies to promote language access.

Your final grade will be based on your participation in class discussion forums, quizzes, peer reviews, an initial written assignment and a final written assignment. One revision is accepted on the final written assignment after receipt of feedback from instructor and/or peer review. This final written assignment is an opportunity to build upon the initial written assignment, allowing ample time and feedback for you to demonstrate performance improvement.

· Each activity will be scored during the week it is assigned based on the provided rubric. See Late Work Policy section for details.

· There are 208 total points available throughout the course.

· You must obtain at least 145.6 points, or 70% to pass this course.

· There is one extra credit assignment for 5 additional points. You can track your progress in the gradebook on Canvas.

Here is a detailed breakdown of each scored activity:

Because there are several course objectives, I will assess your performance on several measures.

Discussion Forums (25%) We are a learning community in which everyone’s contribution is important to our collective understanding. Discussion forums will provide you with an opportunity to reflect on the topics learned, share your point of view and learn from other’s. These reflection activities foster critical thinking skills. There are four discussion forums with different requirements, such as initiating and replying to posts, peer reviews, and/or evaluating a discussion post using a rubric. The achievable scores from each discussion forum are different, however, the overall achieved score is weighted at 25% of the final course grade.

Quizzes (25% total) You will have five quizzes in this course, at least 1 – 2 quizzes per week. The quizzes will provide an opportunity for you to show what you’ve learned within each topic module. The questions will be in various formats to include multiple choices, matching, and case studies. These quizzes are designed to prepare you for the final written assignment. The achievable scores from each quiz are different, however, the overall achieved score is weighted at 25% of the final course grade.

Written Assignment (50%) You will have two written assignments with one due in the first week and the other due by end of the third week. These written assignments will provide opportunities for you to develop your communication skills using an SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) method, crystalize your point of view through analysis and evaluation of case studies. You can earn up to 30 points on each assignment, a total of 60 points. These written assignments are weighted at 50% of your total grade.

Individual assessment points are noted on the Week-By-Week Schedule and posted on Canvas.

Ground Rules & Tips for Success

· Each of our 4 weeks officially begins each Monday. Each week begins and ends at 12 noon on Monday. You will regularly have assignments to turn in throughout the week. However, I will make your new weekly content available 48 hours early (Saturday morning) to give you some extra time.

o Complete your forum posts as early as possible in the week so to allow classmates to reply within the same week as indicated.

o If you do get behind, please catch up as fast as possible. I may send you a message to encourage you along!

· Pay close attention to your due dates at the start of each content week and mark them somewhere on your own calendar so you don’t lose track of them.

· If this is your first online learning experience, expect to invest extra time to orient yourself to the course design and tools.

· Block out time in your schedule to do the work.

· Consider yourself a member of a community.

· Treat contributions made by other members of the class with respect.

· Contribute regularly to group dialogue, including discussion posts. The contributions of each individual play a role in the collective strength and diversity of our community.

· Check in on class discussions regularly, if not daily.

· Have patience and a sense of humor with technology.

· Keep an open mind.

· Ask for help when you need it, and assist others when possible.

· Read this guide, and any other course material carefully and ask for clarification when needed.

Course Guide

LAS

Language Access Strategies and Effective Collaboration with Interpreters

[Full Document on Canvas]

Week-By-Week Schedule

Week 1:

Unit 0 -1

Unit 2

Week 2:

Unit 3

Week 3:

Unit 4

Week 4:

Unit 5

Unit 6