Joan Rocks
Professor & Department Chair
Department of Health & Sport Sciences
Although Joan has over 32 years of athletic training experience, her entire career has been focused on teaching and striving to be an effective educator. Her “biography” is therefore based on her teaching journey. It is Joan’s educational belief that any instructor must establish the building blocks that create a strong foundation in the student’s learning processes. The basic building blocks that are taught at a young age include, trust, loyalty, friendship, and the ability to focus on future goals, including the goal of continual lifelong learning. As an educator, Joan strives to continually strengthen the foundation of athletic training students with those building blocks that allow her to not only teach the student to think, but to have them embrace the knowledge they are learning. The main educational goal Joan embraces is to open the windows in the minds of students to the continual acquisition of knowledge and instill a strong desire in them to keep learning. But perhaps her primary educational goal is to develop quality critical thinkers and the complete professional who is consistently inquisitive in their application of learned medical skills and techniques.
Education
- Ph.D., The University of Toledo, 2004. Higher Education Administration, minor in Educational Psychology. Dissertation title: Do Transfer of Learning and Student Involvement Variables Affect the Student Athletic Trainer’s Outcome on the Written Simulation Scores of the National Certification Examination?
- M.S., Canisius College, 1987. Physical Education with a specialization in Athletic Training.
- B.S., Marietta College, 1986. Sports Medicine.
Research, Creative, & Professional Work
- Student involvement theory
- Transfer of Learning variables and pedagogies
- Student learning theory
- Self-directed leaning
Publications
- Braun, R., Cialella, K., Payne, S., Rocks, J., Harper, W. 2017. The Journal of Sport Behavior. The Perceptions of NSAID Use among One Midwestern DIII Athletic Department. Vol. 40(1) 2017.
- Basar, M., Aulick, L., Rocks, J., Lamatrice, A., & Payne, S., 2015. The Journal of Sports Medicine & Allied Health Sciences. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Associated with Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome in Division III Otterbein University Female Track Athletes. 1(1)
- Payne, S., Rocks, J., & Schaffner, B., January, 2014. International Journal of Self-Directed Learning. Self-directed learning and Academic Motivation Development in Undergraduate Health Profession Students. 11(1).
- Thompson, A., Yinlang, F., Boardley, D.A., & Rocks, J. E. May, 2008. Psychological Reports. Collegiate athletic trainers’ knowledge and perceptions of disordered eating behaviors in athletes.
Affiliations & Awards
- Otterbein Women's Forum Bread and Roses Award, 2018
- Inductee into the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame, 2016
- Recipient of the Otterbein University Master Teacher of the year Award, 2010
- Ohio Athletic Trainer's Association Service Award, 2010
- Inaugural recipient of the Linda Weber Daniel Outstanding Mentor Award, 2006
- Recipient of the Ohio Athletic Trainer of the Year Award (College division), 2004
- Faculty Advisor of the Year (Epsilon Kappa Tau), 1998