MBSImP Assignment CSD510 Dysphagia

Below, you will find the rubric and due dates for the MBSImP assignment.

Zone Due Expectation/ Points Extra

(11:59 pm) Requirement (15%) credit**
Learning Zone June 11 Finish * 2% -
Training Zone (Swallow by Swallow) June 25 Finish 3% -
Training Zone (Full Study) July 9 Finish 4% -
< 74% test score 0 -
74-80% test score 3% -
Reliability Zone July 30
80-85% test score -
6%
> 85% test score 4%

* You are required to watch the videos and successfully complete all the necessary tasks in the learning
and training zones. Since each new zone will unlock upon completion of the previous one, please provide
a screenshot of the new zone as proof of your completion of the preceding zone.
** The 4% extra credit will be added to your final grade. It will only be awarded to students who achieve
a reliability zone test score of 85% or higher.

Note. Late submissions will be subject to the class's late submission policy without any exceptions.
Therefore, it is advised to plan ahead for each section to avoid any potential issues.

How your grade will be calculated?

• Example 1: Upon completion of the leaning zone, training zone (swallow by swallow), and
training zone (full study), as well as achieving a reliability test score of 77 (this score is just an
example), your final MBSImP grade will be 12%. Please be aware that this grade constitutes 12%
of your overall final grade.
• Example 2: Upon successfully completing the learning and training zones and achieving a test
score of 85 or higher, your final grade for this assignment will be 15% plus an additional 4% for
extra credit, resulting in a total of 19%.

Here are some instructions from the Northern Speech:

Student Enrollment Pathway:
The course fee for students is $79. After enrollment, student access is unlimited, no expiration. Valid
after graduation even.
• Navigate to NorthernSpeech.com.
• Click the University Access link.
• Select DeSales University in the drop menu
• Enter access code DSU831.
• Scroll to course #e95 MBSImP Training ($79 – no code needed for purchase).
• For enrollment and tech support, email tom@northernspeech.com

Setup of the Training Website

All materials needed are embedded into student accounts found at www.mbsimp.com. You'll see the
training is divided into 3 zones: Learning, Training and Reliability Zones.

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MBSImP Assignment CSD510 Dysphagia

• Students must complete (by viewing each video) in the Learning Zone before the Training Zone
will unlock.
• Students must then complete (by scoring all components on all swallow study videos) in each of
the 2 sections within the Training Zone before the Reliability Zone unlocks.
• Students may backtrack to a previously viewed swallow video at any time, but they are not
allowed to jump ahead to the next Zone.
• Access to the Learning and Training Zones remains available for review after zone completion.

Time Needed to Complete This Training

Most dysphagia instructors assign this training as a semester project and students largely work thru it on
their own time, independent of lecture. The training is a self-study and students progress at their own
pace through the program. They may stop and start as they wish. The system will track and save their
progress. Most students will spend a total of 25 hours +/- to complete the training & testing. A slow and
steady approach is strongly recommended. Meaning, students are best served to work on the training
continuously through the semester and not take long breaks of no training. Conversely, nor do I
recommend working for several straight hours with no breaks.

Students rarely improve their testing accuracy score after the 3rd test attempt, unless they do significant
content reviewing. Common student behavior is to move too quickly thru the learning & training
portions and then complete a reliability test before they are ready. These students often don’t score too
well on the first test attempt. At this point rather than re-test again immediately, students should spend
several hours (days) reviewing content. Scores on the 2nd test attempt then typically improve
significantly. Most students test 2-3 times. Those who test 4+ times, typically get similar accuracy scores
each time and this isn’t a good use of their time!

Student Test Scores – Reporting Their Score via email

Students may send their highest (best) reliability test score to the instructor electronically. The system
saves their highest (best) score, if multiple test attempts, so they only need to send their score to their
instructor one time, once they achieve their desired level of accuracy. To do so, students will see this
link in the reliability zone:
Submit high score to your professor

Common Student Mistakes

• #1. Skipping the prerequisite videos and recommended downloads prior to each of the Zones.
These materials are key to understanding the overall MBSImP approach and viewing the videos
and downloading the materials shouldn’t be skipped.
• #2. Waiting until late in the semester/term to begin training. Students should budget between
25 and 30 hours to complete this training. This isn’t something they can put off until the end of
the semester.
• #3. Sharing accounts. The training website will only recognize progress and scores in the name
of the paid enrollee. Also, the training is setup to function best as an individual learning
module…sharing one account is cumbersome and limits the teaching effectiveness of the
training site. Only one student will be able to get the credit for course completion.
• #4. Using slow internet connections. The MBSImP website runs a lot of videos, thus a high-speed
internet connection is needed. Download speeds below 5 Mbps will often cause video loading
and freezing issues.

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MBSImP Assignment CSD510 Dysphagia

• #5. Re-testing and re-testing. Students who score lower than they wish on the testing should
spend time reviewing the Training Zone and Scoring Help area before testing again. Jumping
back into a re-test without proper review, will likely lead to a similar low score and thus not be a
productive use of time.

The MBSImP Approach – Brief Overview

In short, the MBSImP approach provides a means for a more standardized and more objective swallow
assessment when utilizing the MBS study. It standardizes the terminology used to describe & quantify
swallow impairment. It provides for a standardized set of bolus volumes and consistencies given during
the swallow study. It then advocates for assessment of 17 components of the swallow and includes an
operationally defined scoring metric for each component. Together these 17 component-scores are used
to profile patient physiologic swallowing impairment. Using these component-scores, MBSImP provides
web templates to auto generate standardized assessment reports. (Report templates available only to
practicing SLPs.)

Student Accounts versus SLP Accounts.

Regarding the difference(s) between the student version vs the professional SLP version of this
training….for the Learning Zone and the Training Zone, grad student and SLP accounts are exactly the
same. The difference arises in how the Reliability Zone testing is formatted. The for-credit, SLP version
has a pass/fail level of 80% accuracy on each component. Re-tests for SLPs are only on components
scored below 80% accuracy.

Student reliability testing is non-credit. Meaning, there is not a pass/fail line for grad students. After
completion of a testing set, the system for students returns their overall accuracy across all studies and
all components (i.e., a score of 77% accuracy). If a grad student elects to retest, his/her re-test will be
a full retest of all components on all studies.

Graduation and Account Upgrade – Earning CEUs and Becoming a Registered MBSImP Clinician
Student access at $79 is non-credit. There is not a “passing” level on student formatted accounts. Post-
graduation, if a student would like to pursue becoming a "Registered MBSImP Clinician,” (i.e.,
“certified”) he or she (or her/his employer) may pay the remaining tuition of $500 to “upgrade” to the
professional, for-credit tuition level. After upgrade, the learner would need to complete again the
Training Zone – Full Studies area and then complete again Reliability Zone testing. Once the reliability
zone test is passed with 80% accuracy on each component, CEUs are awarded as is status "Registered
MBSImP Clinician”. Students who do not elect to “upgrade” their account post-graduation do still
retain access to the course materials.