Qualifications

Qualifications, Expertise and Credibility

by

Ian McKenzie

There are laws and governing bodies for various professions and trades which will ensure that when the services of firms and individuals are engaged, we know that these people have the necessary skills and experience to hopefully produce the desired outcomes.

Over twenty years ago I was a regular participant in the risk taking behaviour of riding motor cycles. That behaviour ceased on Exhibition Wednesday 1987 when I spent most of that day and the days following lying in the Intensive Care Ward of the Mater Hospital in Brisbane.

Now, it was not known for some time whether or not I would survive as a result of that trauma, and if I did whether or not I would become an amputee. The injuries included a totally shattered neck of my left femur, fractured clavicle, scapula, carpel bones, ribs and closed head injuries. I don't know if you can call it luck, but I was even told that I was lucky I had not become a quadriplegic.

Obviously I did survive, and I am not an amputee. The hospital orthopaedic surgeons rebuilt my left femur with a prosthesis called a “Richards Screw and Plate” I recall. The process involved screwing a plate down the length of the outside of my femur. The upper end of this device had a large screw which was screwed into the “ball” part of the femur which articulated with the socket of the hip joint. It was hoped that the shattered bone which had previously been the neck of my femur would eventually regrow. This luckily did happen, but less fortunately, my left leg was a couple of centimeters shorter than my right leg.

It may seem strange, but I had to relearn several things like how to walk. With the extent of the damaged nerves from the accident and the surgery my proprioception was shot. Daily physiotherapy and my own Human Movement Studies background was certainly of assistance here.

In the scheme of things however, this was but a small price to pay. I was alive, and I still had my two legs. If the accident had occurred in a more isolated place, and if I didn't receive the quick medical and paramedical attention that I did, the outcome could have been different.

Having been unconscious or semi-conscious and on life support systems at the time, I probably had very little input into what procedures and operations should take place and who should perform them. I am very pleased however that I was in a place where those caring for me had the qualifications and the expertise to carry out the work that they were required to do.

During consultations with my orthopaedic surgeon, I was advised that there was also damage to the articular surfaces of the hip joint, and that eventually it would become arthritic and I would need a hip replacement. Pain was to be my guide as to when this was required.

The Richards Screw and Plate stayed in place for about ten years. A decade after the accident, X-Rays showed that the joint had almost seized up completely, and I required analgesics each night before going to bed to get to sleep.

I was working as the Projects Director for a Division of General Practice at this time. The role included taking charge of the Continuing Medical Education (CME) program for all of the GP's in the Division. Naturally enough, I had ready access to plenty of medical advice. I was able to ascertain which of the many qualified orthopaedic surgeons available also had the most credibility in optimising outcomes for patients undergoing hip replacements.

The hip was replaced, and the surgeon had done a great job. He even managed to make my legs about equal lengths. I think I only limp now when I get tired and revert to a previously learned behaviour. That replacement occurred over ten years ago, 1997, and I have not had the need for any analgesics for hip joint pain since then.

Talking of qualifications, expertise and credibility, most of my working career I have been involved in education, as a student, a teacher, a lecturer and an administrator. I am sure all of us have had “teachers” who have known their subject matter well, but were not good at the teaching side of things. Conversely, most of us probably have had “good teachers” who were not as expert in their knowledge area as they could have been.

I remember a biology lecturer I had during my undergraduate degree. He was a brilliant research scientist who really knew his subject matter well, but he could not teach. Basically he would read from his notes, and slow down when he came to information he wanted us to write down. None of us enjoyed going to his lectures, and he had a subject that could have been and should have been very interesting.

Fortunately today, most education authorities have systems in place that require teachers and other educators to not only have basic “teacher” or “trainer” qualifications, but also to have the required experience and knowledge in the areas in which they are teaching.

Any teacher in a Queensland school for example needs to be registered. To obtain registration, basic qualifications need to be in place. Anyone involved in training and assessing adults in accredited competency based training awards needs to at least have the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, in addition to qualifications in the subject area in which they are training and assessing.

Standards are in place for our protection. It is reassuring to know that if you require a stent to be inserted in a cardiac artery, in Australia the operation will be performed by a qualified and registered cardiologist. If financial advice is required, then the individual or firm claiming to be “financial advisors” need to be registered, and to obtain that registration, certain criteria need to be met.

So, does it follow that in Australia, if we go along to a class or a course, we can be assured that the “teacher” taking that class or course is qualified to do so?

The answer to that question is an emphatic NO!

Generally we will need to do our own research, to determine if the teacher, school or studio has sufficient qualifications, expertise and credibility to meet our needs.

As I have said already, there may be good teachers out there teaching all sorts of subjects who have never had any formal teacher training. Also, there are teachers teaching subjects in which they do not have a lot of expertise. It is far from being a perfect world.

I have always claimed that I have learned more about teaching and learning by being involved in the process, that is, teaching and learning, than I have from any theoretical courses that I have completed. But surely my practical skills in facilitating learning are based on the theoretical foundations from the many courses and awards I have completed up to Master Degree level.

I have an interest in dance. No perhaps “passion for” is a more appropriate term than “interest in”.

Now, anyone in Australia can hang a shingle over their door claiming to teach dance. And, this can be a concern, because how does the average person wishing to gain some skills in this area know where to go? It can all be very confusing.

Firstly, there are many different varieties of dance. “Dance” is a very general term and covers everything from Pole dancing to Classical Ballet, even movement education for pre-school children is referred to as dance.

But lets suppose you have a fair idea about what you would like to do. Perhaps you used to go to Saturday night dances when you were younger and would like to once again have enough self-confidence to go along to a dance.

A “dance” in Australia will probably consist of some combination of Ballroom, Latin, New Vogue and Rock 'n Roll. Ballroom is often a fluid term which can encompass each of the other varieties mentioned. Latin includes the Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba and Jive. New Vogue dances are not really new. They are choreographed Australian sequence dances that have been around since the 1930's. I have mentioned Rock 'n Roll separately, because although the Ballroom Jive is danced to similar music, many different Rock 'n Roll styles have developed.

Well, back to the title of this article, “Qualifications, Expertise and Credibility”, and its relationship to learning how to dance.

If you want to learn how to dance, how do you know where to go?

One would hope that if you are learning a dance, or anything else, your teacher has the qualifications, expertise and credibility to teach it. DanceSport is the major controlling body for Ballroom, Latin and New Vogue dance in Australia. There are fairly rigorous requirements for a Dance Teacher or a Dance Studio to become DanceSport accredited. You will find that DanceSport accredited teachers have won competitions at the top levels, and have also satisfied the governing body's requirements for teaching. There is of course no guarantee that a DanceSport accredited studio will automatically have great teachers. But, they certainly will have the required qualifications, expertise and credibility to teach. Their level of teaching skills can be determined by the results they have produced - competent dancers.

There may of course be some great teachers of these dances out there who are not DanceSport accredited. There probably are also some very competent ambulance officers who can deliver babies if required. But, if you were a woman about to give birth, who would you prefer to care for you, an ambulance officer or an obstetrician?

I mentioned Rock 'n Roll separately from the other dance varieties. If you like Ballroom Jive, then you would probably be happy with your DanceSport studio or teacher for all of your teaching requirements for dances. Personally however, I don't like the eight step Jive taught by DanceSport. There are several other styles from which to choose. There is two step, which is sometimes referred to as Rockabilly. There is four step, six step and there is eight step. Then there is another style called Modern Jive, which also has several trade names including Ceroc, Le Roc and Latino Rock.

What to choose? Well, it comes down to a matter of personal preference. Rockabilly is good for fast tempo Rock 'N Roll. Four step and six step for most regular tempo, and eight step is generally used for the slower swing type music. I started learning four step, and it is my preferred style for Rock 'N Roll.

Earlier I mentioned DanceSport which is the major accrediting Ballroom dance body in Australia. However, there are also other accrediting dance organisations. But, my knowledge of these is very limited.

So, if you want to learn to dance, and wish to check out a few dance schools or teachers, here are some of the questions you may wish to ask or find out about the schools and teachers concerned.

● Are you accredited?

● If so with whom?

● Do you have contracts, or can I come along and pay casually?

● Have you personally competed and won competitions?

● If so, what, where, and when?

● Have you coached any champion dancers?

● If so, who, when and in what?

● How long have you been teaching?

● Do you have classes?

● In what? When? And how much?

● Do you have private lessons?

● When and how much?

● What else can you tell me about you and your school?

I believe that there are many people who would like to go to dances, but don't because they don't have the necessary self-confidence. Some may be interested in taking lessons, but are phased by issues such as where to go and contracts. I suggest that you find a school where you can just pay for the sessions you attend. Some may even let you just watch the first session if you prefer.

Dancing can be enjoyed at any level. If you can't dance, just get out on the floor with a partner and start moving in time to the music. Enjoy the music, enjoy the movement. Like many activities the more you move to the music and dance, the better you will become. The better the dancer that you become, the more you will want to keep dancing.

Dancing is great fun as well as being great exercise.

If you are reading this article and you live in, or visit South-East Queensland, you should know about Aussie Dances.

Aussie Dances run a dance every Friday and Saturday night in Brisbane or the surrounding district. These dances all have live bands and offer a variety of dance styles including Ballroom, Latin and Rock 'N Roll, for those attending.

Aussie Dances has formed strategic alliances with several prominent Dance Studios, and on a rotating basis these studios are conducting free dance lessons for Aussie Dances participants in the hour before the social dancing starts on Saturday night dances. That is between six and seven o'clock in the evening. This is a great way to learn the basics, and also a good way to determine which teaching styles of the various dance schools are most comfortable with you for follow-up lessons if you would like to progress further.

Details of the Aussie Dances program and the lessons offered are on the web site:

Ian McKenzie