How the X-ray Machine Works

 

This exercise was presented during the classroom portion of the Diagnostic Imaging course in the Veterinary Technology program at Mount Ida college during the Spring 2014 semester.

 

Environment Description: This class met for a 50-minute session twice per week. Historically, the format was exclusively lecture-based. Over the two semesters of teaching the classroom portion of the course, I worked to institute some critical thinking and other active learning aspects to the course. The challenge was that the class met in a lecture hall so group work was a challenge.

 

Exercise:  The exercise was presented at the end of the class. The first portion of the class was devoted to a presentation on how the x-ray machine works, specifically how x-rays are produced. Click here to view the presentation slides.  Following the presentation, the students were asked to count off in order to establish groups. Each group was then asked to describe how the x-rays are produced by the machine and come up with a tangible product to explain the process that could be used as a study guide. They were told that any method could be used to explain the process (i.e. diagram. outline) and any materials they wanted to use were allowed (i.e. lecture notes, internet sources).

 

Reflection:  It was interesting that each group approached the exercise in a slightly different manner. One team prepared a diagram of the machine and outlined the process on the diagram. Another team produced a bullet list of the steps involved. What was rewarding with this exercise is that the majority of students were actively involved in creating the final product. There were only a few studens who were quiet or did not seem to participate. Given that this exercise was done early in the semester it gave me some insight into those students who might need extra encouragement to be more vocal during class. When the class was tested on this material, they showed evidence of understanding this topic better than the group from the previous semester.  While I would love to ask students to research this topic and complete this exercise prior to the classroom presentation, there is some concern that, given the complexity of the topic, there may be confusion which could lead to students disengaging. This exercise would be something that I would use in the future.