FES 3263 Public Safety Educator 

Course:                       FES 3263

Credit Hours:             3

Session:                      Spring 2022 Online

INSTRUCTOR:                   Dennis Mitterer

Email: dmitterer@ufl.edu

Phone: 352-273-1084

OFFICE HOURS:    I can be contacted during normal business hours. I check emails daily and should respond to any requests within 24 hours.

 

COURSE WEBSITE:          http://elearning.ufl.edu

 ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Mitterer's experience in firefighting, EMS and education spans more than 25 years. As Lieutenant of a FD, an EMT and Paramedic, Operations Chief, and educator he has gained invaluable lessons that are incorporated in all his classes. He has earned a Master’s Degree in Management from Penn State University’s Smeal Business College, a nursing degree from Excelsior University, a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Penn State University and has earned the designation as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), and Associate in Risk Management (ARM). He earned his Ph.D. in Leadership and Organizational change from Walden University.

He has many years of higher educational experience guiding adult students through course of study in topics such as, Finance, Accreditation and Auditing, Technology Application, and Strategy Development. Dr. Mitterer also taught courses at Pa College of Health Sciences and was a Faculty Advisor for EMS at Franklin & Marshall College. He taught as an Adjunct Professor for Lebanon Valley College’ master’s program, Immaculata College where he taught; Management, Strategic Planning, Human Resources and Research, and Harrisburg Area Community College where he instructed in the Paramedic program. As a nationally recognized speaker and writer, Dr. Mitterer challenges audiences to think creatively about EMS topics.

Professional affiliations include; American Society of Safety Engineers, American College of Healthcare Executives, National Association of EMS Educators, National Association of EMTs and the Institute for Behavioral and Applied Management.

COURSE COMMUNICATIONS:  Each semester students have many questions regarding course content and procedures. Questions pertaining to the good of all should be posted in the discussion board. Any question that is personal in nature should be sent to me through my email address or the Canvas mail tool. Under Florida law, any written communication created or received through the University of Florida is subject to disclosure to the public and the media, upon request, unless otherwise exempt. If you do not want your message or email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this address.  Instead, contact me by phone.

REQUIRED TEXTS: Alexander, M. (2006). Foundations for the Practice of EMS Education. Brady Publishing.| ISBN-13: 978-0-13-1194359

Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition ISBN 978-1-4338-3273-4

Additional Reading List: Uploaded and available as PDF documents under the "Files" section of the course website. 

• Gurchiek, D. (2014, October 10). "The Five Phases of Preceptorship".
• NHTSA. (2000).  "National Emergency Medical Service Education Standards".
• Touchstone, M. (2010, November 30). "Professional Development Part 12: The Importance of Professional Behavior".

 

Course Description

This course introduces the EMS professional to the education system as it relates to EMS education. Students explore issues in curriculum-development, teaching, program direction, and development.

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills: None

Purpose of Course: This course provides the foundation for the student to gain an appreciation of the education components to teach in the education setting.

 

Course Objectives

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

1. Discuss education as it pertains to EMS.
2. Develop a curriculum.
3. Perform as a program director for an EMS program.

HOW THIS COURSE RELATES TO THE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES IN THE FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES AS A EMERGENCE SERVICE'S EDUCATOR: 

1. The student will interpret and apply the terminology, concepts, methodologies and theories used within the educational profession.
2. The student expresses ideas in a convincing, organized, clear, coherent manner that is nearly error free and uses a style and language appropriate to the emergency services.
3. Submitted written assignments should include such elements as well-crafted paragraphs, a persuasive organizational structure (e.g., introduction, body, conclusion; or introduction, methods, results, discussion), well-supported claims, and appropriate and effective stylistic elements adhering to APA style 7th edition.
4. The student considers the issues from multiple perspectives, logically analyzes evidence from credible, relevant sources, and develops reasoned conclusions.

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

Any and all use of machines that emulate human capabilities (ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion, DALLE, etc.) to perform assignments or other works in the course should be disclosed as it can border on plagiarism. AI-generated information, as long as this use is properly documented in the references and will need to include the prompt and the significant parts of the response. The use of generative AI tools is not permitted in this course for the following activities:

• Completing group work that your group has assigned to you.
• Writing a draft of a writing assignment.
• Writing entire sentences, paragraphs or papers to complete class assignments.

Instructional Methods: The course is designed for individual and group interactivity. It is important to post and respond to discussion questions in the course within the time frame allotted. This provides a learning environment by networking with other students in the course. The assignments are individual-based to give you the opportunity to do a variety of activities, in many cases, similar to what you will be doing in roles of leadership in the emergency services profession.

 

Course Policies

Attendance Policy:  The course is designed in a module format. You should check the site at least once a week. You are required to complete the assignments, including discussion questions, within the time period designated on the module. There will be virtual meetings set up throughout the course. Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found at:  https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx

ASSIGNMENTS & DISCUSSIONS:  All assignments and discussions have a due date. Please be sure to check the dates and times they are due in each module. All due dates are set in order to provide consistency with the discussions and assignment submission. Each module will be opened early so you have time to read the material, formulate and answer discussions and finish and submit the assignment. Each discussion and assignment will be closed one week after the due date.

FINAL PROJECT:  There is a final project for this course. There are no exams or quizzes. The final project will cover all material learned and discussed throughout the course.

MAKE-UP POLICY:  You must contact me, prior to the assignment deadline if you are going to be late on any discussion or assignment to receive credit. In the event of an unforeseen inability to complete an assignment, due to technology, notify me as soon as possible.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS & DISCUSSIONS POLICY: 

• Assignments 48 hours late will receive a 10% deduction in their grade.
• Assignments more than 48 hours but less than 30 days late will receive a 20% deduction in their grade.
• Assignments more than 30 days late but submitted during the semester will receive a 50% deduction in their grade.
• Discussions more than 48 hours late will receive a 25% deduction in their grade.
• Discussions more than 48 hours later will receive a 50% deduction in their grade.

Please note that any student that have less than 75% of their work complete for the semester cannot earn an “I” contract. If you have 75% of the work complete, you can propose an “I” contract to the instructor.

It is your responsibility to keep your instructor informed at all times. The instructor does have the right under extenuating circumstances with proper notification to assist the student by extending the above time requirements.

 

Course Technology:  The course resides in the web-based Canvas learning management system, requiring access to internet. Class meetings require a web camera and mic/audio. If you are not able to use a web camera, you will need to provide audio/mic. You can also call in using a telephone to attend required class meetings. 

If technology help is required, please contact the UF Help Desk at:

• http://helpdesk.ufl.edu
• (352) 392-HELP (4357)
• Walk-in: HUB 132

Any requests for make-ups due to technical issues MUST be accompanied by the ticket number received from the Help Desk when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You MUST email your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make-up.

Other resources are available at http://www.distance.ufl.edu/getting-help for:

• Counseling and Wellness resources
• Disability resources
• Resources for handling student concerns and complaints
• Library Help Desk support

ONLINE COURSE EVALUATION:  Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to provide feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu un GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of the course evaluation results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.

 

UF Policies

 

UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should first register with the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565, www.dso.ufl.edu/drc) by providing appropriate documentation. Once registered, students will receive an accommodation letter which must be presented to the instructor when requesting accommodation. Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.

UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ACADEMIC CONDUCT:  UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment." 

The Honor Code (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor-code/) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor for this class.

From Regulations of the University of Florida, 4.041 Student Honor Code and Student Conduct Code: Scope and Violations:

Plagiarism. Presenting as one's own the ideas, words, or products of another. Plagiarism includes the use of any sources to complete academic assignments without proper acknowledgment of the source. A student shall not represent as the student's own work all or any portion of the work of another. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:

1. Quoting oral or written materials including but not limited to those found on the internet, whether published or unpublished, without proper attribution.
2. Submitting a document or assignment which in whole or in part is identical or substantially identical to a document or assignment not authored by the student.

From Regulations of the University of Florida, 6C1-4.047 Student Honor Code and Student Conduct Code: Sanctions:

For a violation or violations of the Honor Code, a student may receive any of the sanctions that can be imposed for Student Conduct Code violations, including but not limited to conduct probation, suspension and expulsion as well as any educational sanctions. In addition, students may receive the following:

1. Assignment grade penalty. The student is assigned a grade penalty on an assignment including but not limited to a zero.
2. Course grade penalty. The student is assigned a grade penalty in the entire course including but not limited to an 'E'.

Cheating: is a broad term that includes the following:

• • Giving or receiving help from unauthorized persons or materials during examinations.
  • The unauthorized communication of examination questions prior to, during, or following administration of the examination.
  • Collaboration on examinations or assignments expected to be individual work.
  • Fraud and deceit, that include knowingly furnishing false or misleading information or failing to furnish appropriate information when requested, such as when applying for admission to the University.

CLASS DEMEANOR OR NETIQUETTE: All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email messages, threaded discussions and chats.

When communicating online, you should always:

• Treat everyone with respect, even in email or in any other online communication.
• Use clear and concise language.
• Remember that all college level communication should have correct spelling and grammar.
• Avoid slang terms such as “wassup?” and texting abbreviations such as “u” instead of “you”.
• Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman and use a size 12 or 14 pt. font.
• Avoid using the caps lock feature AS IT CAN BE INTERPRETTED AS YELLING.
• Be cautious when using humor or sarcasm as tone is sometimes lost in an email or discussion post and your message might be taken seriously or offensive.
• Be careful with personal information (both yours and other’s).

When posting on the Discussion Board in your online class, you should:

• Make posts that are on topic and within the scope of the course material.
• Take your posts seriously and review and edit your posts before sending.
• Be as brief as possible while still making a thorough comment.
• Always give proper credit when referencing or quoting another source.
• Be sure to read all messages in a thread before replying.
• Don’t repeat someone else’s post without adding something of your own to it.
• Avoid short, generic replies such as, “I agree.” Include why you agree or add to the previous point.
• Always be respectful of others’ opinions even when they differ from your own.
• When you disagree with someone, you should express your differing opinion in a respectful, non-critical way.
• Do not make personal or insulting remarks.
• Be open-minded.

Should you have any complaints with your experience in this course please visit http://www.distance.ufl.edu/student-complaints to submit a complaint.

 

Grading Policies

Course grades are on a point system. A grading rubric for the final project is under the Resource Tab within the course.

Late Assignments and Discussion Posts:

• Assignments 48 hours late will receive a 10% grade deduction.
• Assignments more than 48 hours, but less than 30 days late, will receive a 20% grade deduction.
• Assignments more than 30 days late, but submitted during the semester, will receive a 50% deduction.
• Discussions up to 48 hours late will receive a 25% grade deduction.
• Discussions later than 48 hours will receive a 50% grade deduction.

See current UF grading policies.

TOTAL	320 POINTS
Assignment	Points
Introduction	10
Discussion Participation; 15 points each discussion	105
Homework Assignments; 15 points each assignment	105
Final Project; comprehensive and applied	100

GRADING SCALE:

A   = 93.0 to 100%     C   = 73.0 to 76.9
A-  = 90.0 to 92.9       C-  = 70.0 to 72.9
B+ = 87.0 to 89.9       D+ = 67.0 to 69.9
B   = 83.0 to 86.9       D   = 63.0 to 66.9
B-  = 80.0 to 82.9       D-  = 60.0 to 62.9
C+ = 77.0 to 79.9       F   = below 60  

 

Course Schedule

Week 1	Introduction
Week 2	Institutions, Settings, and Types of Programs Qualities, Competencies, Roles, and Responsibilities of EMS Educators
Week 3	The Traits and Needs of Learners The Psychology of Learning
Week 4	Overview of the Educational Planning and Curriculum Development Processes  Determining and Communicating Educational Needs
Week 5	Developing Instructional Objectives Packaging the Program
Week 6	Program Evaluation  Educational Measurement
Week 7	Student Evaluation and Remediation
Week 8	Selection of Materials and Media
Week 9	Lesson Planning
Week 10	Spring Break
Week 11	Methods of Instruction
Week 12	Classroom Management
Week 13	Considerations in Laboratory and Clinical Teaching
Week 14	Roles and Responsibilities of Key Institutions and Personnel
Week 15	Professional Development
Week 16	Final Project

Disclaimer: This syllabus represents the current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. Such changes, communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.