NCBTMB announces new distance education/kinesthetic policy

February 24, 2010 — The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) suspended its policy regarding distance education (DE) for kinesthetic (hands-on) programs, which required that an instructor be “present” for the final assessment of acquired skills.

This decision was based on feedback from the profession, and with the intent of providing the board of directors time to revisit the policy.

In reviewing the rapidly evolving delivery of continuing education (CE) and current best practices, the board determined that the instructor/proctor requirement was no longer mandatory; and that method of evaluation should be determined by each individual approved provider. The new testing policy now reads:

When a participant is issued a certificate of achievement for a home study/kinesthetic or distance learning course, an evaluation is required. The evaluation may be practical or written, at the discretion of the approved provider.

The policy is effective immediately, and changes are being made to the appropriate handbooks, applications and Web site pages. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Wagley, Director of Communications, at jwagley@ncbtmb.org or 630-652-0483.

Source: NCBTMB, www.ncbtmb.org