Blended Learning and Return to Learn Plan

The purpose of the school improvement project was to determine the importance of blended learning, especially in relationship with the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on schools. An extensive review of literature on blended learning is provided, along with a comprehensive Return to Learn created by a task force from Sheldon High School, a public school located in Northwest Iowa. The task force was made up of leaders and administrators collaborated virtually and created plans for the next school year incorporated blended learning. The review of literature provided current research and potential strategies to implement technology. A comprehensive definition of blended learning, along with the various types of blended learning, benefits of blended learning, and implementation steps for blended learning are also included in this review. The Return to Learn plan consisted of three possible options for teaching in the fall based on the health situation of created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The options included on-site learning, hybrid learning, and remote learning, along with remediation strategies for students. Finally, the comprehensive Return to Learn plan included expectations for teachers, students, communication between home and school, the delivery platform for online learning, professional development for teachers, and support for stakeholders

Return to Learn Policies for Sport Related Concussions

This research poster describes the symptoms of concussions and why return to learn policies should be established in colleges. There are currently return to play protocols in place, however the return to learn policies are only suggestions and therefore, are not taken as seriously

Trinity return-to-learn post-concussion protocol assessment

Return-to-learn protocols after concussion have received less attention than return-to-play protocols. Return-to-learn protocols are step by step guidelines for students and teachers to help ease concussed students back into their academic work. At Trinity College, faculty are given information on common effects of concussion and suggested academic accommodations. This study aimed to assess the entire return-to-learn protocol currently in place at Trinity College, with a specific focus on how well known the program is to students and how helpful they have found it, in an attempt to ascertain what aspects of the protocol work well and what could be improved. Faculty were surveyed to gain their input on how the protocol has worked and how cumbersome it was for them; and coaches were surveyed to assess if they had any role in helping their athletes return to the classroom as well as the playing field. Students who have been concussed were also given a series of cognitive measures to determine if particular cognitive profiles led to greater difficulty returning to the classroom. A majority of surveyed students and approximately half of the faculty and coaches were unfamiliar with the protocol. A deficit in executive function was found to correlate with current concussive symptoms. Severity of current concussive symptoms was found to correlate with severity of depressive symptoms. The results of this study suggest that the Trinity College community needs to be better educated on the return-to-learn protocol, extra care should be taken to account for potential rises in depressive conditions of concussed students, and accommodations for executive functions should be regularly provided

The Development of a Return to Learn Protocol for the Anchorage School District

Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Anchorage in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCEEach year in the pediatric population, there are over five hundred thousand emergency room visits for concussion (Meckler, 2014). Children and adolescents who suffer from concussion require longer recovery periods and may experience greater cognitive dysfunction than adults (Marsh, Fraser, & Marsh, 2013). The proper management of the cognitive effects of pediatric concussion is essential, given the large amount of time children and adolescents spend in the academic setting. The purpose of this academic project was to critically appraise the current literature for the highest level of evidence related to the management of the cognitive symptoms of pediatric concussion. The information gained from this critical appraisal of the literature was utilized to develop an evidence-based return to learn protocol for the Anchorage School District; focused on management of the cognitive symptoms of pediatric concussion in the academic setting

Educational Professionals\u27 Current Knowledge of Concussions And Return To Learn Implementation Practice

Purpose of Project: The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge level and return-to-learn concussion management guidelines for secondary school educational professionals. Methods: Surveys were distributed to 1,334 middle and high school educational professionals. Surveys included questions regarding basic demographics, teaching and coaching experience, personal concussion experiences, general concussion knowledge, and knowledge of return-to-learn guidelines. Results: Survey response rate was 15.7% (N=210). The mean teaching experience was 13.9±8.6yr and 46.4% had previous or current coaching experience. Overall 25.8% of respondents had taken a class/clinic on concussion recognition. Of those that coached, only 49.0% took a class on concussion recognition. No significant relationships existed between those who have coached (p=0.87), previous personal concussion history (p=0.19), or those who had a class/clinic on concussion symptom recognition (p=0.57). Educational professionals correctly identified 87.6% of concussion symptoms on average and correctly identified 71.2% of non-concussion related symptoms. Regarding return-to-learn guidelines, 64.4% were uncertain if their school had a written concussion management protocol to assist teachers in the classroom and 88.7% stated they had no additional education on the topic. In addition, only 44.8% were informed if a student had received a concussion. Conclusion: Though knowledge of educational professionals is adequate in identifying concussion symptoms in concussed students, care within the classroom is still under emphasized. Communication is limited and educational professionals are not informed of concussed students needing potential accommodations. Furthermore, there is a paucity of education in management of such conditions within the classroom

Effects Of A Faculty Training Program On Knowledge And Awareness Of Student Concussion And Academic Performance

Concussion and the cumulative effects of repetitive head injury are a growing health concern (Ahmed & Hall, 2017). Although a major emphasis throughout the literature related to concussion is on ‘return to play’, there is a growing body of literature focused on safe return to school following concussion. However, many educators and school personnel are unaware of the potential impact of concussion on academic performance or how to implement return to learn procedures following concussion (Dreer, Crowley, Cash, O’Neill, & Cox, 2016; Wing, Amanullah, Jacobs, Clark, & Merritt, 2015). Although college students may face unique challenges when returning to school following concussion, (Hall, 2015) there is limited literature focused on return to learn for the college student or information on how college faculty should be trained. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a return to learn after concussion educational program on faculty knowledge and attitudes regarding concussion and the effect on learning and return to school. The study utilized a mixed method design, with a pre-test and post-test to measure concussion knowledge before and after a didactic presentation on concussion and academic performance. Semi-structured interviews gathered information on faculty’s perception of concussion and academic performance as well as potential impact on future teaching practices. Overall, faculty reported having limited knowledge prior to the training, and felt that the training improved explicit knowledge of concussion. Following the training, they felt more inclined to be attentive to the needs of students, including looking out for signs of concussion, and that they would be willing to implement or adhere to recommendations for academic accommodations. Lastly, they did not receive specific information from the school about the school’s policies and procedures for concussion and return to learn. Results indicate that a didactic presentation on concussion and academics may be an effective method for training college faculty. Faculty report the importance of carefully observing all student behaviors and being flexible and open to academic accommodations. Training in concussion and other issues related to emotional and mental health may be of benefit for faculty teaching in institutions of higher education

Concussion\u27s impact on learning: The need for return-to-learn protocols for hospital and school collaboration

Over half million children with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) pass through United States emergency departments each year. While there is Return-to-Play legislation in all 50 states, in response to sports-related concussion, there are very few Return-to-Learn protocols in place in the nation’s public schools. Concussion is a mild form of TBI; the vast spectrum of TBI makes it a complex disability, which may involve intensive physical rehabilitation and cognitive therapy. The primary purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the collaboration between educational and medical providers at one high school in Michigan to illuminate the process of school reintegration for students with concussion. The analysis was organized around Duffy’s nested theories of action to understand the communication strategies, decision-making processes, and culture influence on the collaboration between the hospital and school. Data were collected through cognitive interviewing methodology with medical providers, educational personnel, and a TBI teacher consultant from a district agency. Findings reveal there is one directional communication from the medical professionals to the educators via the student, and educators defer to the doctors on how to accommodate the student, implementing recommended environmental accommodations without an educational lens for needed academic supports. Additionally, confused terminology does not provide educators a clear understanding of concussion as a mild traumatic brain injury, the unique healing process, and a new way of learning for each student post injury. This study illustrates the need for a new model of “short-term disability” to activate educational accommodations within the framework of multi-tiered systems of support, shifting the perspective of educational leaders and the current mindset of concussion

Evaluating the Need for Return-to-Learn Concussion Protocols in High School Student-Athletes: An Integrative Review

Over a million high school students are estimated to sustain at least one sports-related concussion annually. Unfortunately, over a third of these student-athletes suffer from post-concussion syndrome, which leads to the question of whether student-athletes are allowed proper time to heal after a concussion or if more can be done to optimize concussion recovery. Proper and optimal recovery post-concussion encompasses both physical and cognitive rest. While concussion management has traditionally focused on the physical aspects of recovery, emphasis has shifted to the cognitive impacts of concussions. There is literature to support that cognitive rest is vitally important, if not equally important, as physical rest after a concussion. Cognitive rest is essential for healing the brain and speeding up recovery post-concussion, while increased cognitive activity post-concussion is associated with longer recovery. Return-to-learn protocols and methodical reintroductions of students into the academic setting are equally vital to allow the brain to recover from sports-related concussions as physical rest and return-to-play protocols. This review’s key focus and purpose is to assess the literature to support suggestions for practice change that involves a mandatory, structured return-to-learn concussion protocol

Policy Recommendations for Concussion Recovery: Using Evidence Based Data for a Safe Return to Learn in Student-Athletes

The return of concussed students and student-athletes to the classroom is commonly referred to as return-to-learn (RTL). RTL, however, is often overshadowed by returning a student-athlete back to athletic competition (return-to-play), with few recommendations and studies evaluating the effect of improper management of recovery from a concussion in an academic setting. Therefore, the research proposed here aims to track how symptom severity, student behaviors, and oculomotor performance formulate our ability to prognosticate how a student will respond to academic stimuli post-injury. This will be achieved by longitudinally tracking student-athletes as they recover from concussion, using a repeated measures design to sample data. The data was analyzed using an analysis of variance mixed effects model to understand the relationship between daily behaviors and symptom prevalence. The study identified overall time, caffeine intake, alcohol consumption, screen time, music listened to, physical activity, sleep duration, step count, and gender as significant factors associated with concussion symptom recovery and classroom management. Linear regression was utilized to correlate RTL recovery time to oculomotor scores, to preliminarily show how these scores can inform medical personnel when a student can return, unrestricted, to the classroom, and the types of accommodations to suggest for use in the classroom during recovery. Additionally, the Rochester Institute of Technology was used as a case analysis of current RTL procedures (athletic and academic management) to find areas of inefficiencies in providing timely and sufficient support to concussed students. The data collected and presented in this study was utilized to develop preliminary, evidence-based RTL guidelines to provide clinicians, athletic training staff, and university stakeholders with policies and practices to better ensure proper care is taken among students recovering from a concussion