In Athletic Therapy classrooms, there are many ways to implement technology to enhance student learning. A student can watch a video of a real injury, work through possible diagnoses, and then explain what information they would need before deciding what to do next. Students can also record themselves performing a clinical test, review that footage afterwards, and provide a self-critique or reflection on their technique. They could also practice using technologies that produce objective data, such as force plates, and think about how these tools can be integrated into clinical practice. For Dr. Colin King, these activities are part of a larger shift in Athletic Therapy education.
“The post-secondary experience of just sitting in a lecture hall and having someone talk and pass on their expertise to students - that whole model is really starting to fall by the wayside,” he said. In a professional program, where students are preparing to work with real people in real situations, information alone is not enough. Students need to practice decision-making, develop clinical judgment, and learn how to apply what they know. This is where case-based learning and technology can come in.
Dr. King began his career at Acadia University as a clinical Certified Athletic Therapist working with varsity teams while teaching. Acadia’s Bachelor of Kinesiology Athletic Therapy Option is one of CATA’s accredited programs, preparing students to meet the entry-level competencies required to pursue certification as Certified ATs. As teaching became a larger part of Dr. King’s work, so did his interest in exploring how students learn.
His work centres on helping students move beyond memorizing information. A written case study can be useful, but it also leaves significant gaps. Students may have to imagine what an injury looked like or make assumptions about the circumstances around the scenario. Multimedia technology can give them something more authentic to work with.
A video of an incident, for example, can show the specific mechanism of injury. From there, students can build a list of possible concerns, consider what might make one diagnosis more likely than another, and decide what they would assess next. It gives them a chance to practice their clinical reasoning before they are responsible for a patient in a clinic or on the field.
Technology also prepares students for the tools they may encounter once they are practicing Certified Athletic Therapists.
“What we really try to focus on is teaching students how to use technologies that they’re going to be using as Certified ATs,” he said. “As Certified ATs, we use a lot of different technologies to gather objective data and try to encourage students to be able to make decisions for return to play, progressions, and rehab by using them.”
At Acadia, students are exposed to tools such as balance testing, force plates and NeckCare, a system that can provide objective measures of proprioception and range of motion. The goal is not simply to show students how the equipment works. They also have to think about the information it gives them and how it could affect care.
“When people are exposed to a new technology, they often get hyper-focused on how to use it,” he said. “What many people don’t do is go to that next step.”
For a clinician with a force plate system, that next step might be asking whether the data helps guide return-to-play decisions or progression through rehabilitation. For a student, it could mean recognizing when an objective measure adds useful context and when clinical judgment still needs to lead.
“How can I actually use this in a clinical setting to allow me to do something that I couldn’t do without it?” he asked.
The same principle applies when resources are limited. Not every program has expensive equipment, and not every Certified AT will work in a fully equipped clinic. Students may be treating an athlete on the road, in a hotel, or with very little more than basic supplies. Programs can still teach the same underlying concepts with inexpensive equipment, free apps, accessible case-based tools, or shared resources from other healthcare programs on campus.
“I think the most important thing is to go beyond just learning how to use that technology,” he said. “Really think about how you can use it in a way that benefits the patient, the student, whoever it may be, in a way that you couldn’t without that technology.”
That is where technology has the most value in Athletic Therapy education: when it gives future Certified ATs another way to think carefully, learn from experience, and make decisions that serve the person in front of them.
Certified Athletic Therapists combine clinical expertise, critical thinking, and the tools available to help people return to the activities that matter to them. Find a Certified Athletic Therapist near you and follow CATA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to learn more about Athletic Therapy.
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“The post-secondary experience of just sitting in a lecture hall and having someone talk and pass on their expertise to students - that whole model is really starting to fall by the wayside,” he said. In a professional program, where students are preparing to work with real people in real situations, information alone is not enough. Students need to practice decision-making, develop clinical judgment, and learn how to apply what they know. This is where case-based learning and technology can come in.
Dr. King began his career at Acadia University as a clinical Certified Athletic Therapist working with varsity teams while teaching. Acadia’s Bachelor of Kinesiology Athletic Therapy Option is one of CATA’s accredited programs, preparing students to meet the entry-level competencies required to pursue certification as Certified ATs. As teaching became a larger part of Dr. King’s work, so did his interest in exploring how students learn.
His work centres on helping students move beyond memorizing information. A written case study can be useful, but it also leaves significant gaps. Students may have to imagine what an injury looked like or make assumptions about the circumstances around the scenario. Multimedia technology can give them something more authentic to work with.
A video of an incident, for example, can show the specific mechanism of injury. From there, students can build a list of possible concerns, consider what might make one diagnosis more likely than another, and decide what they would assess next. It gives them a chance to practice their clinical reasoning before they are responsible for a patient in a clinic or on the field.
Technology also prepares students for the tools they may encounter once they are practicing Certified Athletic Therapists.
“What we really try to focus on is teaching students how to use technologies that they’re going to be using as Certified ATs,” he said. “As Certified ATs, we use a lot of different technologies to gather objective data and try to encourage students to be able to make decisions for return to play, progressions, and rehab by using them.”
At Acadia, students are exposed to tools such as balance testing, force plates and NeckCare, a system that can provide objective measures of proprioception and range of motion. The goal is not simply to show students how the equipment works. They also have to think about the information it gives them and how it could affect care.
“When people are exposed to a new technology, they often get hyper-focused on how to use it,” he said. “What many people don’t do is go to that next step.”
For a clinician with a force plate system, that next step might be asking whether the data helps guide return-to-play decisions or progression through rehabilitation. For a student, it could mean recognizing when an objective measure adds useful context and when clinical judgment still needs to lead.
“How can I actually use this in a clinical setting to allow me to do something that I couldn’t do without it?” he asked.
The same principle applies when resources are limited. Not every program has expensive equipment, and not every Certified AT will work in a fully equipped clinic. Students may be treating an athlete on the road, in a hotel, or with very little more than basic supplies. Programs can still teach the same underlying concepts with inexpensive equipment, free apps, accessible case-based tools, or shared resources from other healthcare programs on campus.
“I think the most important thing is to go beyond just learning how to use that technology,” he said. “Really think about how you can use it in a way that benefits the patient, the student, whoever it may be, in a way that you couldn’t without that technology.”
That is where technology has the most value in Athletic Therapy education: when it gives future Certified ATs another way to think carefully, learn from experience, and make decisions that serve the person in front of them.
Certified Athletic Therapists combine clinical expertise, critical thinking, and the tools available to help people return to the activities that matter to them. Find a Certified Athletic Therapist near you and follow CATA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to learn more about Athletic Therapy.