Speech-language Pathology Students Research Articles

Interprofessional Peer-Assisted Learning as a Model of Instruction in Doctor of Audiology Programs.

This study reports on interprofessional peer-assisted learning (PAL) as a model of instruction in the preparation of doctoral audiology students. Ten Doctor of Audiology (AuD) students provided training in audiologic screening for 53 graduate speech-language pathology students in 9 individual PAL sessions. Pre- and post-surveys assessed the peer teaching experience for AuD students in 5 areas of their confidence in audiologic screening: knowledge, skill, making a referral based on outcomes, teaching, and supervising. Pre- and post-learning outcomes in audiologic screening for the speech-language pathology student trainees determined the effectiveness of training by their AuD student peers. Survey outcomes revealed significant (p < .001) improvement in the overall confidence of AuD student peer instructors. Speech-language pathology students trained by their AuD peers exhibited significant (p = .003) improvements in their knowledge and skill and making outcome-based referrals in audiologic screening, supporting the effectiveness of the PAL paradigm. In addition to meeting required accreditation and professional certification competency standards, the PAL instructional model offers an innovative curricular approach in interprofessional education and in the teaching and supervisory preparation of students in doctoral audiology programs.

Short-Term Effect of Two Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Training Programs on the Vocal Quality of Future Occupational Voice Users: "Resonant Voice Training Using Nasal Consonants" Versus "Straw Phonation".

The purpose of this study was to determine the short-term effect of 2 semi-occluded vocal tract training programs, "resonant voice training using nasal consonants" versus "straw phonation," on the vocal quality of vocally healthy future occupational voice users. A multigroup pretest-posttest randomized control group design was used. Thirty healthy speech-language pathology students with a mean age of 19 years (range: 17-22 years) were randomly assigned into a resonant voice training group (practicing resonant exercises across 6 weeks, n = 10), a straw phonation group (practicing straw phonation across 6 weeks, n = 10), or a control group (receiving no voice training, n = 10). A voice assessment protocol consisting of both subjective (questionnaire, participant's self-report, auditory-perceptual evaluation) and objective (maximum performance task, aerodynamic assessment, voice range profile, acoustic analysis, acoustic voice quality index, dysphonia severity index) measurements and determinations was used to evaluate the participants' voice pre- and posttraining. Groups were compared over time using linear mixed models and generalized linear mixed models. Within-group effects of time were determined using post hoc pairwise comparisons. No significant time × group interactions were found for any of the outcome measures, indicating no differences in evolution over time among the 3 groups. Within-group effects of time showed a significant improvement in dysphonia severity index in the resonant voice training group, and a significant improvement in the intensity range in the straw phonation group. Results suggest that the semi-occluded vocal tract training programs using resonant voice training and straw phonation may have a positive impact on the vocal quality and vocal capacities of future occupational voice users. The resonant voice training caused an improved dysphonia severity index, and the straw phonation training caused an expansion of the intensity range in this population.

Is an educational lecture a critical component of communication partner training?

Purpose: Little is known about the critical ingredients of successful Communication Partner Training (CPT) programmes. The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to investigate the effects of including an educational component before a conversation with a person with aphasia compared to a conversation only.Method: Thirty-eight speech–language pathology students were randomly allocated to either the Full programme or Conversation only groups. The Full programme group received a lecture about communication strategies then participated in a conversation with a person with aphasia, while the other group participated in the conversation only. Both groups received feedback on performance from the people with aphasia. Students completed a customised mixed-methods questionnaire at study commencement and following the conversation.Result: Generalised linear models indicated confidence ratings improved after receiving either the Full programme or Conversation only (p < 0.001), however, greater improvements were observed following the Full programme (p < 0.001). More communication strategies were identified after the interventions (p = 0.001) with greater improvement occurring among the Full programme group (p < 0.01).Conclusion: An educational lecture before a conversation with a person with aphasia is a critical component of CPT programmes, enhancing their knowledge base and increasing their confidence levels compared to only a conversation.

Team Hearing

Team Hearing

Pre-professional students’ explicit syntax knowledge: Preliminary analysis

Existing research concludes that educators have varying levels of language knowledge. Educators’ varying levels of language knowledge may be related to the type of content knowledge they received while in school. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of pre-professional speech-language pathology (SLP) students who have taken language development coursework to pre-professional students who have not taken language development coursework on an explicit syntax knowledge task. Forty-four undergraduate and graduate students from speech language pathology, early childhood education, and education majors completed a 52 question explicit syntax knowledge task comprised of matching, counting, expressive, and receptive subtests. Pre-professional students performed the best on the expressive subtest, followed by the matching subtest, the receptive subtest, and the counting subtest. There was not a significant difference in total score, matching/counting composite score, or express/receptive composite score between pre-professional SLP students who have taken language development coursework and pre-professional students who have not taken language development coursework. The results suggest that language development coursework may not provide enough direct instruction about the structure of language, or at least not at the level that could provide pre-professional students with explicit syntax knowledge. This study contributes to the growing body of research investigating pre-professional students’ and educators’ explicit knowledge of language and the effects of coursework on that knowledge.

Does communication partner training improve the conversation skills of speech-language pathology students when interacting with people with aphasia?

BackgroundAphasia is a common consequence of stroke. Despite receiving specialised training in communication, speech-language pathology students may lack confidence when communicating with People with Aphasia (PWA). This paper reports data from secondary outcome measures from a randomised controlled trial. ObjectiveThe aim of the current study was to examine the effects of communication partner training on the communication skills of speech-language pathology students during conversations with PWA. MethodThirty-eight speech-language pathology students were randomly allocated to trained and untrained groups. The first group received a lecture about communication strategies for communicating with PWA then participated in a conversation with PWA (Trained group), while the second group of students participated in a conversation with the PWA without receiving the lecture (Untrained group). The conversations between the groups were analysed according to the Measure of skill in Supported Conversation (MSC) scales, Measure of Participation in Conversation (MPC) scales, types of strategies used in conversation, and the occurrence and repair of conversation breakdowns. ResultsThe trained group received significantly higher MSC Revealing Competence scores, used significantly more props, and introduced significantly more new ideas into the conversation than the untrained group. The trained group also used more gesture and writing to facilitate the conversation, however, the difference was not significant. There was no significant difference between the groups according to MSC Acknowledging Competence scores, MPC Interaction or Transaction scores, or in the number of interruptions, minor or major conversation breakdowns, or in the success of strategies initiated to repair the conversation breakdowns. ConclusionSpeech-language pathology students may benefit from participation in communication partner training programs.

Speech pathology student experiences and perceptions of working with parents in a Hanen It Takes Two to Talk family-centred clinical placement

ABSTRACTThe importance of involving parents in family-centred speech-language pathology (SLP) services for children with communication difficulties is well recognized. Given this, it is imperative that SLP students gain skills in working with parents during their professional education. Yet there is a sparsity of research relating to family-centred clinical education for SLP students. This study aimed to explore SLP student experiences and perceptions of working with parents of young children with language delay within a Hanen It Takes Two to Talk® (ITTT) family-centred pre-professional clinical placement and their preparedness for this work. Participants were 14 SLP students who completed a 12-week placement in a Hanen ITTT program. The students participated in qualitative focus group interviews before and after their placement. The interviews explored students’ experiences and perceptions of working with parents in a family-centred programme and their perceived preparedness for working with parents. Thematic analysis identified 167 codes that were condensed into three themes: (1) changes in SLP student concerns about working with parents; (2) changes in how SLP students work with parents in family-centered care (FCC); and (3) helps and hindrances for working with parents in a FCC service. These findings highlight the importance and potential benefits of providing SLP students with clinical experiences that specifically focus on working with parents in a family-centered way.

Not-quite-naïve listeners: Students as an audience for gamified crowdsourcing

Collecting independent listeners’ judgments of speech accuracy/intelligibility is an essential component of research on speech disorders. Raters can be trained clinicians, students in speech-language pathology, or naïve listeners (now commonly recruited online via crowdsourcing platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk/AMT). However, limited comparison data exist to guide researchers in determining which rater population to use. We describe a study (Hitchcock et al., in prep) in which 2,256 tokens of English /r/ at the word level, produced by five children receiving intervention for /r/ misarticulation, were rated in a binary fashion using the online platform Experigen. Raters were certified clinicians (n = 3), students in speech-language pathology (n = 9 unique listeners per token), or naïve listeners recruited on AMT (n = 9 unique listeners per token). Interrater reliability was higher when comparing modal ratings between clinicians and students (Cohen’s kappa=.73, CI=.7-.77) than between clinicians and naïve listeners (Cohen’s kappa=.64, CI=.6-.68). However, students offered none of the speed/efficiency advantages available through AMT. We posit that students would be more motivated to complete ratings if they received feedback on accuracy. As a future direction, we propose a hybrid crowdsourcing platform/educational game, designed to sharpen important perceptual skills while also motivating students to contribute valid ratings for research data.

Lost in translation: Understanding Students' use of social networking and online resources to support early clinical practices. A National Survey of graduate speech-language pathology students

The Internet is a source of many resources for graduate speech-language pathology (SLP) students. It is important to understand the resources students are aware of, which they use, and why they are being chosen as sources of information for therapy activities. A national online survey of graduate SLP students was conducted to assess their awareness, use, and value of social networking and online resources. Participants also viewed original interface designs created to support the use of current literature in the development of therapy activities. A total of 683 students (348 first-year and 335 second-year) representing the national population in terms of region, ethnicity, and sex completed the survey. Students were highly aware of and active in social networking. High overall awareness was associated with high overall use. First-year students reported using online resource sites when unsure what to do more than second-year students. Students reported implementing activities obtained from social networking or online resource sites (92%) but few provided feedback (14%) or contributed materials (11%). Students supported integrations between social networking and research articles that created links between activities and the evidence base. Results of this survey have implications for clinical education and academic instruction in the era of digital technologies. Integrative features of online resources may help students to bridge the gap between evidence and daily therapy activities by supporting connections to research literature.

Culturally and linguistically diverse students in speech–language pathology courses: A platform for culturally responsive services

Purpose: Increasing the proportion of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students and providing intercultural learning opportunities for all students are two strategies identified to facilitate greater access to culturally responsive speech–language pathology services. To enact these strategies, more information is needed about student diversity. This study collected descriptive information about CALD speech–language pathology students in Australia.Method: Cultural and linguistic background information was collected through surveying 854 domestic and international speech-language pathology students from three Australian universities. Students were categorised according to defined or perceived CALD status, international student status, speaking English as an Additional Language (EAL), or speaking a Language Other than English at Home (LOTEH).Result: Overall, 32.1% of students were either defined or perceived CALD. A total of 14.9% spoke EAL and 25.7% identified speaking a LOTEH. CALD students were more likely to speak EAL or a LOTEH than non-CALD students, were prominently from Southern and South-Eastern Asian backgrounds and spoke related languages.Conclusion: Many students reported direct or indirect connections with their cultural heritage and/or contributed linguistic diversity. These students may represent broader acculturative experiences in communities. The sociocultural knowledge and experience of these students may provide intercultural learning opportunities for all students and promote culturally responsive practices.

Effect of two isolated vocal facilitating techniques glottal fry and yawn-sigh on the phonation of female speech-language pathology students: A pilot study

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine the effect of two isolated vocal facilitating techniques, glottal fry and yawn-sigh, on the phonation of vocally healthy female speech-language pathology (SLP) students. Study designA multigroup pretest–posttest design was used. MethodsA group of thirty-six healthy female SLP students with a mean age of 18.1 years were assigned into three groups: a glottal fry group (practicing the facilitating technique glottal fry across 18 weeks, n=12), a yawn-sigh group (practicing the facilitating technique yawn-sigh across 18 weeks, n=12) and a control group (receiving no facilitating techniques, n=12). To compare vocal measures before and after this training period, an identical objective voice assessment protocol (maximum performance task, acoustic analysis, voice range profile and Dysphonia Severity Index) was performed in the three groups. Groups were compared over time using linear mixed models. Within-group effects of time were determined using post hoc pairwise comparisons. ResultsGlottal fry resulted in a significant decrease in lowest and highest intensity. Yawn-sigh resulted in a significant increase in fundamental frequency, a significant decrease in shimmer and noise-to-harmonic ratio, and a significant increase in highest intensity. ConclusionsYawn-sigh may have a positive effect on the phonation of female vocally healthy future SLPs, whereas results are less supportive for using glottal fry in training this population's voice.

Speech Characteristics in Female Students Training to Be Speech-Language Pathologists

Objective: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the speech characteristics regarding speech intelligibility, voice, articulation, and fluency in future speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Additionally, in 31 SLP students the differences in speech characteristics between the first bachelor and the master year were measured. Participants and Methods: The data of the screening assessments of 600 future SLPs (mean age: 18.4 years) of the first bachelor year were analyzed (period 1995-2010). To evaluate the students' progress during the program, the speech data of 31 female subjects (mean age: 21.4 years) were evaluated at the end of the program and compared to the original data. A consensus evaluation by 2 SLPs was used. Results: Speech intelligibility and fluency were evaluated as normal in 99% of the students. Perceptual evaluation of vocal quality revealed disordered vocal quality in 27%. The most prominent articulation errors were distortions of vowels and dental and interdental articulation of alveolar consonants. A significant decrease in these distortions after 3 years of education was found (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Although an improvement in distortions in the master students was measured, articulation errors and dialect were present in SLP students who intended to work with speech and language disorders.

Use of Tablet Technology: A Pilot Program for Graduate Students in Speech-Language Pathology

The study purpose was to examine the associations between a 15-week intervention pilot program and a variety of self-reported measures of tablet technology use for graduate students in speech-language pathology (SLP) across classroom and clinical contexts. Participants were millennial-aged students (n = 9) in an accredited SLP graduate program in the Midwest. Participants each received an iPad Air 2 tablet and engaged with other participants and clinical educators to regularly discuss and demonstrate tablet use relative to classroom environments and evidence-based clinical contexts. Participants were anonymously surveyed at four different intervals using a 30-item questionnaire that addressed frequency, competency, and use of iPad applications. Surveys were administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester, and at one-month follow-up. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively in a mixed-methods design. Quantitatively, the frequency of use for clinical and academic purposes increased over the course of participation, but only significantly for clinical purposes. Qualitative data was organized into three primary themes: (1) frequency of iPad use for clinical purposes; (2) perceived competence with clinically-related iPad use; and (3) overall experience with the iPad Pilot Program. Results and recommendations regarding the use of tablet technology are discussed.

Speech-Language Pathology Students' Perceptions of an IPE Stroke Workshop: a One-Year Follow Up

Speech-Language Pathology Students' Perceptions of an IPE Stroke Workshop: a One-Year Follow Up

Potential Utility of Self-Learning Modules to Supplement Instruction for Students in Speech-Language Pathology

Potential Utility of Self-Learning Modules to Supplement Instruction for Students in Speech-Language Pathology

Continuum of Care in Speech-Language Pathology Student Placements: Identifying Key Learning Themes

Despite growing evidence in favour of longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) for medical student placements, allied health student placements continue to address single caseload types, often representing one stage of the patient journey. This study explored perceptions of speech-language pathology (SLP) students in a continuum of care placement in Australia, following the patient journey of stroke survivors from acute admission to rehabilitation. Four pairs of students participated in 24-day continuum of care placements. Student clinical competence was assessed in the usual way using the COMPASS® tool to ascertain if students achieved required levels of competency and were not disadvantaged by the new placement structure. Student satisfaction was assessed with a 5-point Likert scale. Learning outcomes were explored in individual semi-structured interviews at conclusion of placement. Thematic analysis was undertaken on interview transcripts to identify key themes from interviews. All students achieved entry-level competency upon completion of their placement. Positive learning outcomes reported included improvement in understanding of the post-stroke journey, broadened clinical knowledge, improved adaptability to different clinical settings, and awareness of and ability to deliver patient-centred care. As a result of this placement model, students reported developing an increased sense of their professional role and responsibility in advocacy for the patient. It is recommended that continuum of care placements be considered as an alternative placement experience structure in hospital settings to enhance student learning of the patient journey.

An Interprofessional Education Pilot Study for Nursing and Speech-Language Pathology Students.

Background:Despite the complexity of patient care and promise of interprofessional collaboration in health professional educational programs, interprofessional education and practice implementation challenges exist.Materials and Methods:A pilot study with a nonequivalent comparison before/after design was conducted to examine undergraduate students’ and graduate students’ knowledge of the role of nurses and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) while working with patients diagnosed with dysphagia. All students received pre- and post-tests assessing their knowledge of the respective profession.Results:A repeated measure of analysis of variance using pre- and post-tests by group design revealed a strong and statistically significant main effect from pre- to post-testing, [F (1, 19) = 17.42, p = 0.001, and partial η2= 0.48].Conclusions:The results indicated that students received higher scores on post-tests. This study reinforces the importance of collaboration of healthcare professionals during their professional coursework.

Impact of a Pre-Professional Clinical Education Experience with Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Preparation of Future Speech-Language Pathologists

The purpose of this study was to (1) investigate the impact of a clinical experience with adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on graduate speech-language pathology (SLP) students’ knowledge about ASD, and (2) explore the nature of the clinical experience and its impact on students’ preparation to work with adults with ASD. This study used a mixed-methods design. Quantitative methods were used to identify statistically significant changes in student knowledge about ASD following participation in a clinical experience with adults with ASD. Qualitative methods were used to explore student narratives to uncover details of the clinical experience and its impact. Participants (n=17) were first year SLP master’s students. Results indicate significantly increased knowledge about ASD following participation in the clinical experience with adults with ASD. Coding of themes from student narratives revealed details about key aspects of the experience and its impact. Results point to the positive impact of an immersive, group-based clinical education experience with adults with ASD. Results may guide efforts to create programs to prepare clinicians to serve the growing population of adults with ASD. Next steps include comparison of similar clinical experiences, as well as longitudinal tracking of student outcomes.

Speech-Language Pathology Student Anxiety, Expectations, and Needs During Clinical Practicum

Speech-Language Pathology Student Anxiety, Expectations, and Needs During Clinical Practicum

Inclusion of Transgender Voice and Communication Training in a University Clinic

Because of the increasing number of transgender people requesting speech-language pathology services, because having gender-incongruent voice and communication has major negative impacts on an individual's social participation and well-being, and because voice and communication training is supported by an improving evidence-base, it is becoming more common for universities to include transgender-specific theoretical and clinical components in their speech-language pathology programs. This paper describes the theoretical and clinical education provided to speech-language pathology students at La Trobe University in Australia, with a particular focus on the voice and communication training program offered by the La Trobe Communication Clinic. Further research is required to determine the outcomes of the clinic's training program in terms of student confidence and competence as well as the effectiveness of training for transgender clients.