Elements and considerations in the provision of effective remediation for optometry students not achieving in clinical competence are discussed. Remediation of technical, cognitive, and noncognitive skills are included. A course in professional communication offered by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry is described. (MSE)

The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry's Gerontology Curriculum Development Committee summarizes the results of a survey of institutional practice and presents its recommendations for implementing a comprehensive optometric gerontology curriculum at each member institution. (MSE)

A clinical program developed for Veterans Administration optometry residents and rotating Southern California College of Optometry interns consisted of clinical patient examination followed by case discussion, a formal lecture corresponding to the ocular and systemic diseases presented in the examination, and student testing. (MSE)

The use of standardized course syllabi and behavioral objectives requires the commitment and acceptance of faculty and administrators, but it can also help schools of optometry establish standards for evaluating students and improving instructional quality. Classroom, laboratory, and clinical instruction all lend themselves to writing clear…

Mind mapping, which challenges the right side of the brain, is recommended as a technique for designing classroom work and stimulating more effective and efficient comprehension. (MSE)

A discussion of the optometric curriculum problems posed by the information explosion and technological advancement, broadening of the scope of practice, and changing societal needs looks at essential components of the curriculum and possible solutions. (MSE)

High-impact trends in optometric practice are examined including looks at several different approaches to practice (narrow scope, broad scope, primary care, and specialty practice), alternatives and predictions, and specific curricular recommendations. (MSE)

The movement to shift the optometric testing focus from traditional visual sciences to the biomedical sciences is fortunate, but the optometric curriculum should also be carefully evaluated and redesigned to integrate the sciences better. (MSE)

A national survey of optometry schools (n=10) concerning the status of basic biological science instruction provides insight into manpower, curriculum, learning resources, and budgetary support currently available. Results indicate that major changes must occur and that a national effort will be needed to support them. (Author/MSE)

The curriculum design, philosophy, and innovation of four programs in geriatric optometry are described: the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and the colleges of Optometry at the State University of New York, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and University of Houston. (MSE)

As optometry expands its science curriculum, teaching methods must be examined. Instructional modalities must fit teaching needs, facilitate and improve student learning capacity, and be efficient; the student must participate as much as possible; and faculty must be aware of what colleagues are teaching and be receptive to new methods. (MSE)

A model for a geriatric optometry curriculum that defines key content areas and addresses the values essential for effective practice and basic therapeutic modalities used in treatment regimens with older adults is outlined. (MSE)

Bioscience education in optometric professional programs must be expanded in scope, raised to a higher level of academic rigor, and strengthened with new faculty and institutional learning resources. However, no single route of curriculum reform will guarantee successful innovation in the basic bioscience education of optometrists; several…

A discussion of innovation in optometry instruction emphasizes the need for careful consideration of new methods and technologies and for a strategy for measuring the innovation's effect. The process of curriculum reform, role of pedagogy and technology in that process, and use of outcomes assessment to monitor change are examined. (MSE)

For the primary eye care practitioner in the 1990s and beyond, the basic biomedical sciences have supplanted physiological optics as the primary academic discipline underlying the practice of optometry. Several curriculum development options are available to incorporate the needed material, but a core curriculum is essential at all institutions.…