Hi @denise_brimm 
Welcome to the Canvas Community!
I think you might have just gotten lucky. One of my colleagues shared your question with me, and I have been teaching Medical Terminology online for 21 years, the last 8 in Canvas. If I thought we were using the same textbook, I would just dump one of my classrooms into Canvas Commons for you to use; but since I do not know that, I will keep my response general.
- Repetition is key! There is just no way around it, Medical Terminology is a memorization course. For each Chapter module, I create a series of what I call Practice Labs, which are simply Canvas quizzes set as practices quizzes (do not count towards student grades) and supporting multiple attempts by the students. I create a lab for Word Parts, one for Anatomy and Physiology, one for Pathology and one for Treatments. I then use question items from the Practice Labs in the Module exam, then items from the Module exams are aggregated for my comprehensive final exam. This makes sure that my students encounter the same terms and concepts many times. What options can I set in a quiz?
- Pronunciation is important. I tell my students that it doesn't matter if they know the spelling and definitions of the terms, but cannot talk to other healthcare professionals using the language. Also, I have noted over the years that if they can pronounce a term correctly, then they are likely going to be able to spell it correctly. The medical terms derived from Greek and Latin are very phonetic. So each module includes a recorded pronunciation lecture, and a pronunciation assignment. For the assignment, I give my students a list of 25 - 30 key words from the chapter being studied, I record myself pronouncing the terms in the list, then ask my students to record themselves reading at least 10 words from the list. Tedious to grade, but effective. How do I record media using the New Rich Content Editor as an instructor? How do I record media using the New Rich Content Editor as a student? https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10668-421254356
- Application is also very important. Students need to know how this language relates to the real medical world. Our textbook does a great job of this, but I like to keep things a bit more interactive. I create a Canvas Discussion for each module, and it is a two part discussion - students must first post their initial topic reply, then reply to their classmates. In the discussions I ask them to research a topic from the current chapter of the textbook being studied, usually asking for answers to questions or asking for a supported opinion. Students must use their med term skills in both the research and postings, and the must cite their sources appropriately. Opinions have proved to be quite powerful motivators as a discussion topic. How do I create a discussion as an instructor?
- Technology is challenging for some students. My introductory module includes lessons on how to use Canvas for the activities my students will need to use in my course. For each lesson, I include a simple assignment that demonstrates they can use those functions in Canvas. The scores are small and the assignments are optional, because I do also get experienced Canvas users in my courses, and don't want to burden them with busy work. I always embed pages from the Canvas Student Guide for these lessons.
- Teacher Presence. I am always in my classroom. I post regular announcements, I participate in discussions (neutrally), I provide grading comments, and module reviews, and I use a Q&A Discussion. Students feel much more comfortable knowing that there really is a human being behind the curtain.
I hope this is helpful, and if you need more help you know where to find me.
Oh yeah, one more thing..................... I changed your question to a discussion so that others might be inclined to reply. After all, there is more than one way to skin a cat, although I have no idea why anyone would want to do that!
Kelley
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