Course Syllabus


Print Syllabus
Course ID: SPA205
Title: Spanish for Medical Interpretation I
Modality: Internet
Credit Hours: 3.00

Course Section Information

Institution: Rio Salado College

Section: 10711

Term: Fall 2014

Start Date: 11/24/2014

Weeks: 12

Last date to withdraw: None

Instructor: Elida Testai

Course Materials

IMPORTANT NOTE: You will need a computer microphone or headset to record oral assignments online.

The workbook listed below is not required. However, it is recommended for SPA205, and will be a valuable resource for SPA206 as well.

TitleHuman Anatomy Coloring Book
Author:  Margaret Matt and Joe Ziemian
ISBN: 9780486241388

Course Description and Competencies

Official Course Description
Introduction to Spanish interpretation for medical interpreters. Covers code of ethics, national standards and medical interpreter's responsibilities as well as cultural awareness and legal issues. Interpretation for first responders included.
Official Course Prerequisites
SPA202 or permission of Department or Division. Completion of prerequisites within the last three years is required.
Official Course Competencies
  1. Differentiate between a translator and an interpreter.
  2. Explain the National Code of Ethics for Interpreters in Health Care.
  3. Summarize the National Standards of Practice for Interpreters in Health Care.
  4. Identify the responsibilities of a medical interpreter.
  5. Describe a patient's history in Spanish.
  6. Summarize the importance of retaining the patient's style when interpreting.
  7. Explain the Interpretative Theory of Translation.
  8. Summarize the importance of using the appropriate words when interpreting between a patient and medical provider.
  9. Explain linguistic schema.
  10. Summarize the importance of cultural awareness for medical interpreters.
  11. Describe legal issues related to medical interpretation.
  12. Interpret information provided by a first responder in Spanish.

Course Requirements

To be eligible for a passing grade, you must:

  • Complete all graded assessments
  • Submit assignments that are your own independent work
  • Earn at least 60% total on the written sections of the exam
  • Earn at least 60% on the oral exam

Due dates can be found in the Gradebook linked on the left menu. Assessments are to be submitted only once. Resubmissions without instructor approval may result in a grade of zero.

This course can benefit students who do not need a letter grade for college credit, but who have the time and wish to pursue the disciplined study of Medical Interpretation. If you do not need the letter grade, we strongly recommend that you take this course on a Pass/No Pass (P/Z) basis. By opting to enroll in this course for a P/Z grade, you can fully participate in the learning process without having to focus on the demands, details (and possibly the worries) that accompany a letter grade. More information about enrolling yourself with the P/Z option follows in the Final Grade Options section of this syllabus.

Remember that this is a three credit-hour class. As such, you will need to dedicate significant time to this course. Plan to spend at least three hours on course content and at least six hours on homework for a total of at least nine hours each week.

Grading Procedure and Scale

Grading Procedure

There are 400 possible points for this course:

Assignments Points
Pre Self-Assessment 10
Weekly online assessments 200
At-Home Midterm Exam 80
Post Self-Assessment 10
At-Home Final Exam 100
Total Points 400

Grading Scale

To be eligible to pass this course, you must complete all graded assignments, you must submit assignments that are your own independent work, and your score on the final written and oral exams must be at least 60%. In addition, the final course grade will be determined by the following scale:

360 - 400 points = A (90% - 100%)
320 - 359 points = B (80% - 89%)
280 - 319 points = C (70% - 79%)
240 - 279 points = D (60% - 69%)
0 - 239 points = F (0% - 59%)
     
280 points = P cutoff score
The grading procedure for this course is based on the total number of points that are possible. It is administered equally to all students in the course. Do not expect to receive a grade that is higher than the grade that you have earned by your total points.

Tutoring Options

There are a number of free tutoring options. You will want to contact the tutors often during the semester to check your answers and to get assistance and clarification on your assignments. You are encouraged to do this before you submit your assessments.

Exams

The course calendar lists specific dates for your exam(s). This course includes an At-Home Midterm Exam as well as an At-Home Final Exam, both of which are completed on your own computer and submitted online.

Procedures:

  1. You must complete all exam(s) by the dates that are specified on the course calendar. If you test late, then your instructor may lower your grade or assign you an "F" in the course unless you have made arrangements with him/her for an extension.
  2. The links for the At-Home Midterm can be found in the Assessing Your Learning section of Lesson 7.
  3. The links for the At-Home Final can be found in the Assessing Your Learning section of Lesson 12.

Copyright Acknowledgements

Rio Salado College's online SPA205 and SPA206 courses are developed as a partnership between Rio Salado College and Phoenix Children's Hospital. Content for the courses is based on the Spanish Bilingual Assistant: Introduction to Medical Interpreting, 3rd Edition, Manual and Instructor's Guide. The principal author is Barbara Rayes and the principal medical editor is Jorge Masuello, MD. There are numerous contributors to the manual, and updates to the online courses have been provided by Elida M. Testai, MD, MA.

The following items are copyrighted and have been reproduced in this course through special permission granted by the rights holders, with all rights reserved. If permission has not yet been received, items are made available under the Fair Use Statute, Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976. The material is made available solely for the use of registered students in this class and may not be further distributed to any person outside the class, whether by copying or by transmission in electronic or paper form.

Araujo-Lane, Zarita. “A Different Approach to Culture Brokering.” The ATA Chronicle (Nov/Dec 2006): 21-24. ©2006. Used with permission.

Taylor, Lori and Lindia J. Willies-Jacobo. “The Culturally Competent Pediatrician: Respecting Ethnicity in Your Practice.” Contemporary Pediatrics 20.6 (June 2003): 83-92. ©2003. Used with permission.

Some images used in courses are licensed as follows: Accunet/AP Multimedia Archive, http://www.clipart.com, http://www.jupiterimages.com, EBSCO Image Collection, ARTstor Image Collection.

Extra Credit

There are no extra-credit assignments for this class. The scheduled assignments and exams are sufficient to test your understanding of the materials presented in the course.

Late or Missing Assignments

Assignments are due on time according to the due dates in your gradebook. If you need to request an extension for an assignment, a request must be made to your instructor via RioLearn prior to the due date. You can request a due date change using the “Modify Due Dates” feature from the “Due Dates” tab in the Gradebook.

Late points may be applied at the instructor's discretion.

Submitting Assignments

Online Submission Platform

The assignment due dates in this course are structured to complete all the lessons over the span of the course. Regular and consistent progress is expected in the course through the submission of assignments. The submission of an assignment can be no earlier than 7 days prior to the due date. Consult your course gradebook for specific due dates. Assignments/acknowledgments must be submitted through the online submission platform unless otherwise directed.

Final Grade Options

  • Letter grade (A, B, C, D, F)

  • Extension (in lieu of an incomplete grade): Students may request an assessment extension because of illness or other extenuating circumstances, if they have been doing acceptable work. Assessment extensions may extend up to two weeks beyond the established course end as indicated in the gradebook. Please Note: Assessment extensions are given at the instructor’s discretion. Instructors are not obligated to give extensions.

  • Withdrawn Failing (Y) – Students may be removed from their classes with a Withdrawn Failing (Y) grade for non-participation, which counts like an F in GPA calculation.

  • Withdrawal (W) - Students may submit a withdrawal request on or prior to the "Last Date to Withdraw" indicated in their RioLearn Gradebook.

  • Instructors are unable to submit a withdrawal (W) on behalf of a student. A student wishing to withdraw from a class within the stated timeline must do so by visiting View My Classes/Schedule in the Student Center, and selecting Drop Classes. In extreme circumstances, students do have the option of requesting a complete withdrawal from the college by submitting a "Request for Complete Withdrawal From All Courses" available under the Records heading on Rio’s Important Forms page.

    Before withdrawing, students should consider contacting their instructor and/or Rio's Counseling Services to see what options are available to help them stay in class.

    STUDENTS – STOP Before You Drop! A withdrawal request is irrevocable, and may affect future Financial Aid, Visa status, Veteran benefit eligibility, scholarship eligibility and may delay graduation. Please be sure that it is the right option for you before submission.

    STOP BEFORE YOU DROP

  • Credit/No Credit Option (P/Z) - Some courses may be offered with a credit/no credit option which, if offered, would be identified in the Grading Procedure and Scale section of this syllabus. See detailed information about the (P/Z) option here.

  • Note: Choosing the P/Z option is a permanent change to the gradebook. A P/Z grade will not be changed to a letter grade after the course end date.

Regular and Substantive Faculty-Student Interaction

The Rio Salado College faculty provide learners with frequent opportunities for regular and substantive interaction, which are critical components of a quality online program. At a minimum, faculty teaching online courses for credit monitor weekly due dates and initiate contact with students, post course announcements and/or "From Your Instructor" (FYI) notes that are academic and relevant, respond to academic inquiries within 72 hours, and provide detailed, personalized, and timely feedback. In addition, faculty regularly engage in synchronous and/or asynchronous interaction with students via tools such as discussion boards, rubrics, voice threads, video conferences, audio recordings, phone calls, email and/or text messages, social media, and online collaboration software. Though faculty members are responsible for initiating interaction, providing academic information, and facilitating learning, Rio students are responsible for remaining in regular contact with their instructors and engaging with the course content as active participants in the educational experience.

Requirement for Active Class Participation

Withdrawal for Non-Participation (Y) – Students need to communicate regularly with their instructor and engage in academic activities as determined by the instructor and department. Students may be removed from their classes after 14 days of non-participation with a Withdrawn Failing (Y) grade, which counts like an F in GPA calculation.

If you receive financial aid of any kind, it is your responsibility to protect your eligibility to receive financial aid by meeting the active participation requirements of this class.

Pregnant and Parenting Students

Students will not be discriminated against on the basis of a disclosed pregnancy. This includes discrimination against a student based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions. As a result, a pregnant or parenting student (a student during a defined postpartum period lasting up to 8 weeks after delivery), may be provided adjustments so they are able to access and participate in their educational program or activity.

Please visit the Working with Pregnant and Parenting webpage to learn more about this policy, reasonable adjustments and complete the Pregnancy Adjustment Form. If you have questions about the policy, please contact Rio Salado College’s Title IX/504 Coordinator Tafari Osayande at o.tafari.osayande@riosalado.edu or (480) 517-8196.

In the event of certain pregnancy-related medical complications, contact Disability.Services@riosalado.edu or call (480) 517-8562 for assistance in providing accommodations/academic adjustments.

Basic Needs

If a lack of basic needs such as food, transportation, school supplies, etc. is affecting your participation and/or performance in this course, please contact the Rio Salado Counseling Department at 480-517-8785 or via email at counseling.receptionist@riosalado.edu.

For additional services and resources:

Rio Salado College Counseling and Career Services
Maricopa Basic Needs and Community Resources

Library Services

The Rio Salado Library is committed to student success and provides a variety of materials and services to enhance student learning. Utilizing Rio’s online library for your research is the best way to ensure that your sources are validated, authoritative, and appropriate for college-level coursework. The library's Video Tutorials page provides instruction on how to use the online library to find books, articles, ebooks, and more. Librarians are available to help you at all times via our Ask a Librarian live chat service.

Please note that when library materials (e.g., articles, ebooks, and streaming media) are integrated into your lesson content, you will see the notation “…provided to you through the Rio Salado Library.

Academic Misconduct

Academic Misconduct includes cheating, conspiring to cheat, soliciting to cheat, attempting to cheat, plagiarism, fabrication on an assignment, or other forms of dishonest presentation.

Posting assessments on an unauthorized web site, soliciting assessment answers and the unauthorized acquisition of assessments, assessment answers, or other academic material is cheating. Turning in content created by essay generators or other types of artificial intelligence platforms is also academic misconduct.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of paraphrase or direct quotation of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling or sharing of term papers or other academic materials. Information gathered from the Internet and not properly identified is also considered plagiarism.

We expect every student to produce his/her original, independent work. Any student whose work indicates a violation of the MCCCD Academic Misconduct Policy (including cheating and plagiarism) can expect sanctions as specified in the college catalog.

Rio Salado College uses software that uncovers plagiarism from student to student and other data sources on the Internet. If a student is found to have plagiarized content, grade consequences will be applied in accordance with departmental policies.

Civility Policy

The faculty of Rio Salado place a high value on the importance of general ethical standards of academic behavior and expect that communication between students and instructors or among students shall maintain the level of formality and mutual respect appropriate to any college teaching/learning situation.

Language or behavior that is rude, abusive, profane, disruptive, or threatening will not be tolerated. Activity of this type is Academic Misconduct as defined in MCCCD Policy AR 2.3.11. Students engaging in such behavior will be removed from the course with a failing grade. Additional sanctions may be applied pursuant to AR 2.3.11.

Honors Program

If you are taking this course for Honors credit, you must complete all assessments, including the Honors Project(s). The Honors Project(s) are listed in one or more lessons of the course and are designated for "Honors Students." Failure to complete the Honors Project(s) will result in a failing grade in the course and a loss of Honors credit.

Honors students are also enrolled in a non-credit Honors Achievement Award (HAA) or Presidential Honors Scholarship (PHS) section within RioLearn to submit co-curricular activity submissions. Co-curriculars must be completed in order to receive funding.

The Honors Department is here to support you! Connect with the college and other Honors students in our INSCRIBE community.

The Honors Department is available to provide additional resources and support to support your journey. Please contact the Honors department at RioSalado.Honors@riosalado.edu.

Classroom Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) and its associated colleges are committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities to students with documented disabilities (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical). Visit district.maricopa.edu/mandatory-drs-title-ix-syllabus-statements for more information.

Religious Accommodations

Rio Salado College will reasonably accommodate the religious needs, observances, and practices of their students, when requested and the requests are made in accordance with the procedures set forth in ND-4. Any student may request a religious accommodation by making a written request for an accommodation to the appropriate faculty member using the Religious Accommodation Request form. To the extent possible, requests must be made at least two (2) weeks before the requested absence from class due to religious holiday or day of observance.

Addressing Incidents of Sexual Harassment/Assault, Dating/Domestic Violence, and Stalking

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, MCCCD prohibits unlawful sex discrimination against any participant in its education programs or activities. The District also prohibits sexual harassment—including sexual violence—committed by or against students, District employees, and visitors to campus. As outlined in District policy, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are considered forms of "Sexual Misconduct" prohibited by District policy. Visit district.maricopa.edu/mandatory-drs-title-ix-syllabus-statements for more information.

Student Solution Center

Rio Salado College is dedicated to a quality learning experience and has provided the Student Solution Center webpage as a resource for students to raise issues to our attention. We look forward to the opportunity to provide an equitable solution for all involved parties. For grading or instructional issues, students should first contact their faculty member(s) in accordance with the Instructional Grievance Process. For non-instructional complaints, students may contact Institutional Integrity and Compliance by submitting the non-instructional complaint form, emailing studentcomplaints@riosalado.edu, or calling 480-517-8505. Students may also contact their state regulatory agency; the Arizona SARA Council; and/or the Higher Learning Commission to escalate their concerns.

Change of Address

Please notify Course Support at (480) 517-8243 or 1-800-729-1197 or by email at course.support@riosalado.edu. Please include your name, student number, phone number, and new address including city, state, and zip code.

Contact Us

Please see the following page for contact information.

Disclaimer

Course content may vary from this outline to meet the needs of this particular group.

Rio Salado College Copyright

Course Content © Copyright 2021 Rio Salado College. All Rights Reserved.