Dietary Managers Association 1

knowledge

knowledge

DMACertification Exam Blueprint and Curriculum Development

Dietary Managers Association 2

knowledge

What Groups Are Involved in the Exam Development?

• Certifying Board for Dietary Managers (CBDM)

• Certifying Board Committees– Item Writers Committee– Standards Committee

• Certified Dietary Managers (CDMs)

• ACT (American College Testing)

Dietary Managers Association 3

knowledge

I. EXAM BLUEPRINT: A. How is it Developed?

• Job Analysis - ACT coordinates survey with CDMs

• Major Job Tasks Identified – Certified Dietary Managers

• Exam percentages determined – Certifying Board

• Validation survey of job tasks and percentages – ACT coordinates survey with Certified Dietary Managers

Dietary Managers Association 4

knowledge

B. How Often is Exam Updated?

• Last Validation survey was December, 2003

• 379 CDMs participated

• Exam Blueprint is updated/validated every 5 years

Dietary Managers Association 5

knowledge

C. How is Exam Blueprint Used?

• Detailed outline of the exam content

• Determines the program outcomes and course competencies for the DMA curriculum

• Detailed outline for textbook

• Printed in the study guide

• Detailed outline for the study guide

Dietary Managers Association 6

knowledge

C. How is Exam Blueprint Used?

• Blueprint for Student Success

Dietary Managers Association 7

knowledge

III. Curriculum A. How is it designed?

• Program outcomes are established at the program level.

• They reflect abilities learners must master by the end of a program or major

• The major job tasks from the Job Analysis survey become the program outcomes.

Dietary Managers Association 8

knowledge

III. Curriculum A. How is it designed?

• There are 10 program outcomes:– Gather Nutrition Data – Apply Nutrition Data– Provide Foodservice– Provide Nutrition Education– Hire and Supervise– Develop Personnel and Communications– Coordinate Professional Interaction– Manage Supplies, equipment use, sanitation, and safety– Manage Production– Manage Business Operations

Dietary Managers Association 9

knowledge

III. Curriculum A. How is it designed?

• Major job tasks from the Exam Blueprint aka Program Outcomes serve as the foundation for the development of course competencies– major skills, knowledge, or attitudes

the students must perform to complete the learning experience

Dietary Managers Association 10

knowledge

III. Curriculum A. How is it designed?

• Exam Blueprint Task #1 or Program Outcome: Gather Nutrition Data has five competencies or major tasks:– Document and file nutritional information in

Medical Records– Interview Patients/Clients/Caregivers for diet

history– Conduct routine nutrition screening– Utilize nutrient intake, such as Calories and

sodium– Identify nutrition problems and needs

Dietary Managers Association 11

knowledge

III. Curriculum A. How is it designed?

• The competencies that relate to the program outcomes aka Exam Blueprint sections are clustered into different courses:– Nutrition Course

• Gather Nutrition Data• Apply Nutrition Data• Provide Nutrition Education• Coordinate Professional Interaction

Dietary Managers Association 12

knowledge

III. Curriculum A. How is it designed?

• The competencies that relate to the program outcomes aka Exam Blueprint sections are clustered into different courses:– Human Resource Management

• Hire & supervise• Develop personnel and communications• Coordinate professional interactions

Dietary Managers Association 13

knowledge

III. Curriculum A. How is it designed?

• The competencies that relate to the program outcomes aka Exam Blueprint sections are clustered into different courses:– Manage Foodservice Production

• Provide Foodservices• Manage supplies, equipment use,

sanitation, and safety• Manage production• Manage business operations

Dietary Managers Association 14

knowledge

III. Curriculum A. How is it designed?

• Curriculum Learning Objectives– Come from the sub-tasks on the exam

blueprint

Dietary Managers Association 15

knowledge

III. Curriculum & Blueprint Coordination Example

• Blueprint• 1.3 Conduct Routine Nutrition

Screening• Recognize routine versus at risk

clients using established guidelines

• Identify appropriate data to be gathered

• Utilize appropriate data-gathering format/approach for specific client types(s)

• Complete forms with client in an efficient manner

• Identify federal regulations related to evaluating patient status and care

• Gather client information from medical record

• Curriculum• Competency: Conduct

Nutritional Screening• Learning Objectives: What

You Will Need to Learn to Master the Competency

• a. Discuss interview techniques• b. Identify appropriate data to

be gathered• c. Differentiate between

nutritional screening and full assessment

• d. Collect basic diet information• e. Calculate calorie needs

utilizing BMR and activity factor……….

Dietary Managers Association 16

knowledge

III. Curriculum

• There are come introductory competencies in the curriculum that support the blueprint but are not specific job tasks– Describe the process of digestion– Use basic nutrition principles

Dietary Managers Association 17

knowledge

IV. Textbooks

• Major job tasks from the Exam Blueprint become the chapters in the textbooks

• Chapter Objectives are the sub-tasks from the exam blueprint

Dietary Managers Association 18

knowledge

IV. Textbook & Blueprint Coordination Example

• Exam Blueprint• 1.3 Conduct Routine

Nutrition Screening• Recognize routine versus at

risk clients using established guidelines

• Identify appropriate data to be gathered

• Utilize appropriate data-gathering format/approach for specific client types(s)

• Complete forms with client in an efficient manner

• Identify federal regulations related to evaluating patient status and care

• Gather client information from medical record

• Textbook• Chapter 8: Nutrition

Screening

• Chapter Objectives:• Identify the goal of nutrition

screening• Explain the difference

between nutrition screening & nutrition assessment

• Identify sources for nutrition screening standards and tools

• Relate the rationale for developing a policy and procedure for performing nutrition screening……..

Dietary Managers Association 19

knowledge

IV. Study GuideA. How is it developed

• Using research based study tips– www.studygs.net

• From questions/concerns by students who have taken the exam

• Centered around the Exam Blueprint

Dietary Managers Association 20

knowledge

IV. Study GuideB. How is it coordinated with Exam

Blueprint?• Exam Blueprint

– Conduct Routine Nutrition Screening

• Sample exam question

• The section of the minimum data set (MDS) that contains the most nutrition information is designated as:– N– K– O– L

Dietary Managers Association 21

knowledge

V. Certification ExamA. How is it developed?

• CBDM Item Writers Committee– 2-day training from ACT in Iowa City

• ACT assigns areas needing questions from the exam blueprint

• Item Writers submit questions to ACT

• Proofed by ACT staff

Dietary Managers Association 22

knowledge

V. Certification ExamA. How is it developed?

• CBDM Standards Committee reviews for:– Critical to practice– Accuracy, currency– Entry level

• ACT tests all new questions for reliability and validity

• Only questions with “good” statistics go into the exam bank

Dietary Managers Association 23

knowledge

V. Certification ExamB. How is test assembled

• ACT programs computer to pull questions from the CBDM test bank

• Questions are pulled from bank according to the assigned percentages on the exam blueprint– Gather Nutrition Data is 8.5%, so there

will be approximately 15 questions on the Certification exam devoted to this section

Dietary Managers Association 24

knowledge

V. Certification ExamB. How is test assembled

• The students answer 200 questions

• 175 questions are scored

• The remaining 25 are the pre-test questions that are being tested for validity and reliability