Quality Assurance in Radiation Therapy Syllabus for 2015-2016
Return to Syllabus List

Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

N/A

Student Withdrawal Procedures

N/A

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

RADT-1142-001 Quality Assurance in Radiation Therapy

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: RADT 1205 or instructor consent

Course Description

Theory and application of various instruments used in the direction and analysis of therapeutic ionizing radiation with special emphasis on procedures that provide consistency, uniformity and quality within the department.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

\N

Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(1 sem hr; 1 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\  

\

\ Principles and Practices of Radation Therapy (most recent edition.) Leaver and Washington;

\

\ Study Guide (compiled by Tackitt)

\

\ Radiation Therapy Study Guide and Exam Review-Levy

Supplies

Computer access, high speed Internet access. Microsoft Word access (or other compatible word processor). Audio podcast access. Clip-able Web Cam (no embedded laptop camera), computer microphone and headphone (or other audio access ability for

Student Performance

\  

\

\ COURSE DESCRIPTION:

\

\ A study of those principles and procedures which provide consistency, uniformity and quality within the radiation therapy department.

\

\  

\

\ COURSE GOALS:

\

\ To give the student the necessary skills and practice in the performance and understanding of a Quality Assurance program in the radiation therapy department.

\

\  

\

\ COURSE OBJECTIVES:

\

\  

\

\ After studying the material presented in this course, the student will be able to do the following with an overall minimum 80% accuracy as evaluated by the faculty in the program:

\

\  

\

\ 1.         Have an understanding of the documentation processes involved in radiotherapy

\

\ 2.         Assess the general conditions of the treatment room and the treatment accessories.

\

\ 3.         Perform quality assurance checks as prescribed by guidelines set forth in text.

\

\ 4.         Demonstrate an understanding of the underlying principles behind the quality checks.

\

\ 5.         Demonstrate an understanding of the brachytherapy source inventory

\

\ 6.         Demonstrate an understanding of how various combinations of quality assurance tests can be    performed most effectively. 

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Class Policies:

1. Attendance:  Regular and consistent involvement with online lessons and textbook materials is necessary for satisfactory achievement.
2. Technical difficulties: 
3. Technical difficulties:  Go to page 4 of the Orientations for the course, copy and paste that information into a document or other way to archive technical support and contact information. Also, if you experience technical difficulties please immediately call AC help at 806.371.5000.  Additionally, copy/paste technical information from orientation section into a document or other tool that you can have on-hand in case of technical difficulties.  Please also immediately email your instructor and notify him/her about these difficulties.
4. Remediation Requirements: Any time a student does not pass a regular exam (worth 100 or more points), the student will be required to meet with the instructor for grade discussion. Students will have the opportunity to review all exams with the instructor. Repeat exams will be scheduledr. Any exam not passed must be repeated prior to the next exam for that course. The repeat exam must receive a grade of at least 90% (85% if there is any substantial mathematics in the exam. Student must show all work on any mathematics or the question will be counted as incorrect). Failure to receive the required grade on the repeat exam will result in a 3% course grade reduction for each occurrence. Failure to take the repeat exam prior to the next regular exam (or Final Exam, in the case of the last regular exam of the semester) will result in a 10% course grade reduction.
5. Cyber bully:  Disorderly conduct, such as verbally abusive or intimidating emails, or the subjection of another person to inappropriate, abusive, threatening, or demeaning actions will be subject to disciplinary actions.  Students who behave in a disorderly fashion may be required to withdraw from the course.
6. Cheating:  Honesty and ethical behaviors are imperatives in any career.  Therefore, cheating will not be tolerated.  Amarillo College’s “Student Code of Conduct” will apply to all work in this course.  Cheating on a test includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

• Copying from another student’s paper.
• Using test/study/related materials not authorized by the person administering the test.
• Collaborating with or seeking aid from another person during a test without permission from the test administrator.
• Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting, in whole or in part, the contents of an unadministered test.  
  • Test questions are reviewed and are available to students within a particular class, but may NOT be shared with anyone not in the class…ever! 
• The unauthorized transporting or removal, in whole or in part, of the contents of the unadministered test.
• Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for one’s self, to take a test.
• Bribing another person to obtain an unadministered test or information about an unadministered test.
• Note: Violation of any aspect of a cheating policy, even sharing exam questions after graduation, is seen as a violation of the ARRT Code of Ethics, and may result in suspension or loss of ARRT certification.

 

If you have any questions about what constitutes your own work, ask the instructor. Note: Radiation Therapy courses utilize “SafeASsign” plagiarism detection tools.. Plagiarism is considered as cheating.

Mandatory proctoring of major exams:  All major section exams will be given online and these exams must be proctored.  Therefore, students will be required to either 1) use webcam software that records them while taking exams, 2) or other approved testing site.  For either of these options, students will be required to show official picture identification prior to the start of the exam.  Note: Final Exams MUST be taken at an approved testing site, NOT via webcam on a personal computer (exception: spring 2016, Final Exam will be in-person in class only).

Final exam date/time is non-negotiable and Final Exams CANNOT be made up if missed!*

*Unless there is documentation of an extraordinary circumstance (e.g. extreme illness /hospitalization etc. Matters of scheduling convenience, in particular, will never be considered as an exception.

 

6.  Please note that embedded webcams cannot be used, since they do not give good scans of the testing environment.  An external (clip-able) webcam is required for the webcam testing option.
7. Exam testing procedures:  Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor will be utilized for each exam. The following table lists conduct requirements for online exams, as well as consequences for conduct violations:

Exam conduct requirement	Consequence for violation of exam conduct
Valid photo ID shown	A zero will be given for the exam until student identity is confirmed by a valid photo ID (not required Spring 2016).
Correct placement of webcam	A 30 percentage point penalty will be given for incorrect webcam placement.  See the instructional video in the course website for a demonstration of correct webcam placement.
Complete environment scan	A 30 percentage point penalty will be given for an incomplete or insufficient scan of the testing environment.  See the instructional video in the course website for a demonstration of how to completely scan your testing environment.
Microphone turned on and recording	A 30 percentage point penalty will be given for an exam taken without the microphone being turned on and recording throughout the entire exam.
Sufficient lighting of the testing environment	A 30 percentage point penalty will be given for an exam taken without enough lighting for the instructor to assess the testing environment.
Student remains in webcam view during exam	A student who leaves the webcam view during an exam for any reason will receive a zero for that exam.
No unauthorized materials near desk area	A student who has any unauthorized materials (books, notes, blank paper, phone, another computer, etc.) near the testing area will receive a zero for that exam.
No talking with others during the exam or playing of music or other audio recordings.	A student who has any music or audio recordings playing during exams, or who talks with anyone for any reason during the exam, will receive a zero for that exam.
The exam is taken in an approved  proctored environment	Any exam taken without either the webcam software or in the Amarillo College Science Testing Center will receive a zero.

 

Consequences for violating the above requirements will be suspended on the syllabus quiz (if applicable), so that instructors can educate students about proper testing behavior.  This suspending of consequences is done as service to students to prevent unintentional or honest mistakes during subsequent exams.  Consequences will be suspended only on the syllabus quiz.

Any student who thinks that a penalty was misapplied can request that the penalty be reviewed according to the grievance procedure listed below.    

8. Grievance procedure: If a student is having a problem with the course policies or the instructor, he or she should first try and resolve any such problems with the instructor. If the problem is not resolved, the student may proceed to the Radiation Therapy Department Chair (Tony Tackitt); the Health Sciences Dean (Mark Rowh), the Vice President for Academic Affairs (Dr. Deborah Vess), and the College President (Dr. Russell Lowry-Hart), in that order.
9. State law on dropping courses:  Effective with the Fall 2007 semester, Texas law mandates that students may only drop or withdraw six (6) times in their entire college career. If you transfer to another Texas school, you do not start over; so, if you drop four classes at AC, then you only have two drops left. If you drop before the census date, then that does not count in the six drop status. As I understand the law, if you use six drops and decide to try to drop a seventh class, you cannot do so.

Also See Attendance policy.

Grading Criteria

 

A=93-100%                B=86-92%                  C=80-85%                  F=79 and below

                        A "D" is not possible in this class

Grading is on a total points system

Section Exams (approximately 5 exams):  100 points (unless otherwise stated)

Activities: various points as described in Section Lessons

Final Exam: 300 points

Note: a student must pass at least two regular exams during the semester in order to be eligible to take the final exam. If the student does not pass at least two tests, the student will not take the final, and will automatically receive a failing grade for the course.

Students can access their individual activity/exam grades and their overall course average at any time using the "My Grades" tool found in the course left menu.  Students are advised to doublecheck the math by dividing the number of points earned into the total points available at any particular point in time x 100 to obtain a running course percent average.

All final exams for all courses in radiation therapy are comprehensive in nature with respect to the contents of each course, and must be taken in person on campus.

Section examinations, If taken online, may typically not be made up (If exams are given face to face, then the attendance policy above will take precedent). Students will be given a timeframe described on the course calendar In which to complete each activity or examination. If a student experiences problems with their computer or Internet provider, or if the student is out of town, they can access the online course from any computer equipped with Internet service, including public libraries, Internet cafés, or at any of the student accessible Amarillo College computer labs located both on West Campus and Washington Street Campus (open hours vary for each facility, check the orientations for a link to the library hours). Students are advised not to wait until the last minute to take their exams or complete their activities.

Attendance

Student success in this course is largely dependent upon personal self-discipline. It is advised that you log into the course at least three times each week, daily is even better. Begin your login by checking with the course calendar, e-mail, and any discussion posts.  "Netiquette" policies described in the orientations are vital to rapport and safer communications.

Any late graded activity will be scored as a zero. If there are technical concerns relating to an exam, the instructor must be contacted immediately.

It should be noted by the students that online courses often involve quite a bit more time commitment on the part of the student then do face-to-face classes.  The student should be prepared for the extra time necessary for online coursework.

Final exam date/time is non-negotiable and Final Exams CANNOT be made up if missed!*

*Unless there is documentation of an extraordinary circumstance (e.g. extreme illness /hospitalization etc. Matters of scheduling convenience, in particular, will never be considered as an exception.

 

Note-the online course will record and track your grades. The student is expected to check their grades regularly. If there is any discrepancy between the grade you receive and the grade you expect to see, please contact the instructor.

Calendar

Additional Information

Posting of student radiation exposure records:

Student radiation exposure records data is posted on a bulletin board outside of the Program Director’s office.  Only the most recent record is posted—however, it includes cumulative dose records. Past records may be requested by contacting the institutional Radiation Safety Officer.  If students are enrolled comply online, the report will be converted to pdf format and will be emailed to students or posted on the course web page within one week of receipt of the report.

The following is a list of texts resources available for temporary “checkout” from the Program Director:

• The Physics of Radiation Therapy—3^rd Ed.  Khan
• Principles and Practices of Radiation Therapy—3^rd Ed.  Washington & Leaver
• American Cancer Society Textbook of Clinical Education—various editions
• Fundamentals of Sectional Anatomy—Lazo
• Tabors Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary-- various editions
• Technological Basis of Radiation Therapy—Levitt and Tapley 2^nd Ed.
• Ethical and Legal Issues for Imaging Professionals—Towsley-Cook, Young, 2^nd Ed.
• Medicolegal Issues for Radiographers—Parelli, 3^rd Ed.
• Patient Care in Radiography—Elrich, Daly 7^th Ed.
• Radiation Therapy Planning—Bentel, 2^nd Ed.
• Supportive Care in Radiotherapy—Faithfull, Wells

Also, Make use of the AC online library, at http://www.actx.edu/library/index.php

You’ll need your college ID# and login (this same you use to register each semester)