Dynamometry in
Classroom Education

Get the Students Connected

Ensure that all students have their web app accounts set up. Set aside a few minutes at the start of your class for everyone to download the ActivForce app and pair their dynamometers with their tablets or phones. Each device will have instructions included in the package.

Live Demo

Once everyone is connected, get started by showing the students where to find the videos in the ROM, MMT, and Palpation app, followed by a live demonstration of the device.

Hands-On Practice

Encourage students to form small groups and practice using the ActivForce on each other. Accompanying this with PhysioU’s video resources allows students to quickly get comfortable with the device and proper testing procedures.

Why This Approach?

• Engaging Learning: By integrating technology right from the start, we immediately capture students’ interest, making the learning process far more interactive and enjoyable.
• Evidence-Based Practice: Comparing and contrasting objective data with traditional muscle strength grades allows high-level conversations about clinical reasoning, current trends in the literature, and pros and cons for different patient populations.
• Practical Skills Mastery: Hands-on practice ensures students are not just memorizing didactic information, but applying their knowledge in a practical context, building their confidence and improving clinical skill acquisition.

Your Next Steps

Jump in, the water’s fine! The best way to get started is to try this out in class. If your students don’t have the device yet, set aside time to demonstrate it yourself as a setup for a classroom discussion. Or even better, click here to place a group order today. The goal is to make technology an integral part of our teaching toolkit, enhancing how we educate and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Classroom Discussion

During lab, encourage students to discuss in pairs or groups. How does the dynamometer change their ability to test the patient’s strength? What are the pros and cons? How does it change the way they structure their evaluation or treatment session?

This provides an opportunity to guide students towards discussions on how objective muscle strength data can influence clinical decisions. Questions could range from post-operative management to objective measures of frailty in aging populations or return to sport/occupation protocols; the options are endless.

Classroom Handouts

We have built video-augmented lab handouts for you that review range of motion, palpation, and handheld dynamometry. The seamless integration with the web app allows students to quickly locate and review the information you share with them in lab. It also allows them to review before lab sessions and maximizes the value of both resources. Learning motor skills from static images can be challenging, but we’ve referenced the key textbooks and research articles most often used in the classroom to be sure that the quality of the information is still first-rate.

Skill Checks And Practical Exams

Lastly, students can be assessed, using their dynamometer, to perform muscle tests as they would in a clinical setting. They can perform setup, verbal cues, and testing motions without tracking data in the app to allow for secure and consistent testing. This bridges the gap between theory and practice, preparing students for real-world patient interactions.

Your Next Steps

As you plan your classes, consider how you can incorporate these elements to enrich the learning experience. Remember, the goal is to not only teach but also to inspire curiosity using data-driven testing as a tool to bolster clinical reasoning in our students.