EDAC study plan
EDAC · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Finding, critically appraising, and interpreting evidence & Evidence-based design concepts and the business case
Distinguish the levels of the evidence hierarchy and classify 10 study abstracts by design and strength
Formulate a searchable PICO question from a hypothetical healthcare design scenario
Apply a critical-appraisal checklist to judge internal validity, bias risk, and generalizability
Explain how evidence strength feeds the ethical and financial case for a design decision
Your checkpoint
One-page critical appraisal of a single published study, including PICO, design classification, bias assessment, and a stated confidence rating
Finding, critically appraising, and interpreting evidence & Evidence-based design process: defining goals and objectives
Execute a structured literature search and document databases, terms, and inclusion criteria
Screen and extract findings from at least 8 sources into a standardized evidence table
Rate each source's strength and relevance against a project goal
Identify where evidence is conflicting or absent and flag it for review
Your checkpoint
Evidence table of 8+ sources with design, sample, outcome, strength rating, and a short 'so what for design' note for each
Evidence-based design process: defining goals and objectives & Translating evidence into design concepts and decisions
Convert a vague project aspiration into three to five SMART objectives with measurable targets
Build a logic model linking goals to design interventions to expected outcomes
Map each objective to the specific evidence that supports it
Anticipate confounders and rival explanations for each predicted outcome
Your checkpoint
Logic model diagram plus a written objective set, each objective traced to at least one cited evidence source
Translating evidence into design concepts and decisions & Evidence-based design process: defining goals and objectives
Translate evidence findings into concrete design strategies without overreaching the data
Write testable design hypotheses with defined outcome measures and timeframes
Identify trade-offs and unintended consequences of each proposed strategy
Defend a design recommendation in a short written rationale citing evidence and constraints
Your checkpoint
Design-strategy matrix: evidence source to design decision to predicted outcome to measurement plan; plus a 500-word rationale memo
Research methods, measurement, and post-occupancy evaluation & Translating evidence into design concepts and decisions
Select appropriate quantitative and qualitative measures for a given design outcome
Design a post-occupancy evaluation protocol with sampling, timing, and instruments
Evaluate the reliability and validity of candidate survey or observational tools
Compute and interpret basic descriptive statistics and effect sizes from a sample dataset
Your checkpoint
Full POE protocol for a hypothetical project, including instrument list, sampling plan, timeline, and analysis approach
Evidence-based design concepts and the business case & Research methods, measurement, and post-occupancy evaluation
Construct a business case linking design investment to operational and clinical outcomes
Calculate simple payback and return-on-investment under stated assumptions
Critique a published business case for weak assumptions and missing sensitivity analysis
Identify which outcome measures would strengthen the financial argument
Your checkpoint
One-page business case memo with cost inputs, benefit estimates, payback period, and an explicit assumptions and limitations section
Stakeholder collaboration, implementation, and dissemination & Evidence-based design concepts and the business case
Design a stakeholder engagement plan that identifies roles, influence, and decision rights
Structure a charrette or visioning session with defined inputs and outputs
Draft a dissemination plan naming audiences, formats, and channels
Practice resolving a stakeholder conflict between budget and evidence-based priorities
Your checkpoint
Stakeholder engagement and dissemination plan covering at least five stakeholder groups with tactics, timing, and success indicators
Finding, critically appraising, and interpreting evidence & Translating evidence into design concepts and decisions & Research methods, measurement, and post-occupancy evaluation & Evidence-based design process: defining goals and objectives & Evidence-based design concepts and the business case & Stakeholder collaboration, implementation, and dissemination
Re-attempt missed practice questions and articulate why each correct answer is correct
Teach back the three weakest concepts aloud without notes
Re-run timed practice sets under exam conditions
Consolidate a one-page summary sheet of formulas, appraisal criteria, and process steps
Your checkpoint
Resolved error log (every missed item with corrected reasoning) plus a passing score on a final full-length timed practice set
Milestones
Week 2: Evidence table complete with 8+ rated sources; can state in one sentence why each source is trustworthy or not
Week 4: Score at least 75% on a practice set covering domains 2, 3, and 4, with a design-strategy matrix that survived a self-critique for overreach
Week 6: Score at least 75% on a full-length practice exam; business case memo passes a self-review for unsupported assumptions
Week 8: Score at least 80% on a final timed full-length practice exam with all error-log items resolved