Instructional Internships: Improving the teaching and learning experience for students, interns, and faculty

Students training for clinical careers must acquire skills for teaching clients, their families, and fellow professionals. Guidelines for training programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology), however, do not currently include standards for pedagogy. The aim of this study was to measure changes in undergraduate students' perceptions of teaching and learning following an Instructional Internship experience, where they served as teaching assistants for foundational knowledge courses in the major. Using a qualitative research design, we coded 31 participants' statements from pre- and post-internship essays and identified major themes and sub-themes.                Our results indicate that by participating in a teaching experience, students develop a deeper appreciation for the relationships between classroom pedagogy, their own learning, and clinical practice. While this study focuses on a pedagogical experience for undergraduate students in a Communication Sciences and Disorders program, the principles and results are generalizable to other professions that train students to provide clinical and educational services. Keywords: teaching assistants, instructional interns, mentoring, doctoral shortage, undergraduate

SoTL Lab: Undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research in teaching and learning in CSD

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Communication Sciences and Disorders SoTL Lab was designed to provide hands-on research experiences to undergraduate students on a large scale. Student reflections on experiences within the SoTL Lab identify the value of collaboration, development of confidence, and exposure to the entire research process as key outcomes. These experiences foster development of research skills and may lead students to consider academic careers

Can a Test of Visual Memory Help Predict Success in Post-Lingually Deaf Adults Receiving Cochlear Implants?

Color poster with text, images, charts, and graphs.Individuals with significant hearing loss may elect to receive a cochlear implant (CI), which can restore some hearing capabilities. There is considerable variability of short- and long-term speech perception outcomes in patients that cannot be explained solely by their age and prior hearing status. Clinicians are challenged to identify clients who may be at a higher risk for poor outcomes prior to the invasive implantation procedure. Recent studies have shown that working memory may play a role in the deficits faced by hearing impaired individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine tests of visual working memory as predictors of speech perception outcomes in individuals with CI. Visual working memory tasks were chosen to isolate the potential memory deficits from other audibility factors. Thirty-two CI users participated in the study, completing a battery of assessments for visual working memory and speech perception skills. Preliminary results suggest that these visual memory tasks are positively correlated with speech perception outcomes, which could help care teams, including speech-language pathologists, develop assessment protocols to better predict outcomes prior to CI and to assist in the development of targeted, individualized aural rehabilitation strategies following CI.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program

Interprofessional Education Outcomes for Speech-Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy Students Through Role-Play Simulation

Color poster with text, images,diagrams, and graphs.Speech-language pathologists often collaborate with professionals of many different disciplines within the health care and educational field which is considered interprofessional practice. Interprofessional education is two or more disciplines learning together effectively to achieve a set goal of providing patients with the highest quality care. The purpose of this study was to examine the similarities and differences between students in Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology fields while collaborating in an interdisciplinary simulated evaluation of a stroke patient. Graduate student participants completed a self-efficacy survey before and after the simulated evaluation to identify changes related to their confidence in implementing interprofessional services. Additionally, students completed a reflection related to the experience. Quantitative analysis of survey data and qualitative analysis of student reflections will be shared. Student reflections have indicated a positive experience of the simulated evaluation across disciplines. Student perceptions related to collaboration and common themes across multiple disciplines in both the survey and reflections will be presented.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program

The Role of Faculty-Student Relationships on Student Success

Color poster with text, images, charts, and graphs.Several studies have shown significant correlations between student-faculty interaction and all types of academic outcomes (i.e., GPA, degree completion) as well as cognitive, personal, and social development, and perceptions of programs and universities. Faculty mentorship can influence decisions to pursue higher educational outcomes and other personal outcomes. While the positive effects of student-faculty interaction are well documented, it is not clear why those interactions are so important or how they can be implemented to reach a greater number of students. A survey is being sent to undergraduate CSD students asking them to reflect on their experiences in faculty interactions. The primary focus of this study is to identify what aspects of the student-faculty interactions are supporting student learning, engagement, and development. Specifically, aspects related to empathy and student-perceived quality of their educational experience will be the target of this study. If specific aspects of these relationships, or specific types of faculty behaviors, are identified as helpful by students, faculty may be able to build on that knowledge to further support students.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program

Evaluating the Effects of Mandatory and Non-Mandatory Discussion Posts on Student Learning and Engagement in an Online Course

Color poster with text, images, and graphs.Although online learning is becoming more accessible and acceptable, there is still much to learn about effective pedagogy in this environment, specifically regarding discussion boards. Discussion boards function as online facilitators of conversations between instructors and students, both for online courses and hybrid courses. Discussion boards can have a positive impact on learning. For example, discussion boards can facilitate communication, encourage high-order thinking, and motivate student learning. This motivation often stems from a student’s perceived learning as well as a perceived sense of. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of mandatory versus non-mandatory discussion board posting on student learning and student engagement in online discussions.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program

The Impact of Instructional Interns From a Student Perspective : A Qualitative Study

Color poster with text, images, and charts.The purpose of this study was to discover the impact of teaching assistants on students, specifically within the discipline of Communication Sciences and Disorders at UW-Eau Claire.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Writing Across the Curriculum Within Communication Sciences and Disorders : A Focus on American Psychological Association Formatting

Color poster with text, charts, and graphs.The purpose of this project is to evaluate the explicit implementation of American Psychological Association (APA)-style resources on writing products at the graduate level in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). This project aims to develop disciplinary writing skills in future professional environments by assessing APA formatting skills both before and after implementation of specific APA resources within a graduate-level classroom. Future projects could address additional writing needs within the CSD department, as well as across all writing curriculums at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Submissions of a single written assignment in a graduate voice course were analyzed using the CSD Writing Rubric developed by the department. These analyses from one offering of the course demonstrated that many students displayed errors in accurately formatting their assignments to adhere to APA formatting. APA resources were created and provided to students in a subsequent offering. Preliminary analyses indicate a reduction in errors after the explicit instruction in APA style. The resources provided assisted in decreasing the number of APA errors, thus improving the quality of the writing in the assignment. Positive results on this small scale suggest that explicit instruction should be utilized within the classroom to enhance a specific disciplinary writing goals.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program

Online Discussion Forums : Mandatory vs. Optional Posting Requirements

Color poster with text, graphs, charts, and images.Student engagement in online courses plays a major role in the learning process. Various studies have demonstrated the value of the social interaction and deeper thinking required when students respond to discussion board prompts. However, it means unclear whether these benefits are experienced when the discussions are expected, but not required. Comparisons between student performance in the course will be presented in light of these qualitative findings.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Comparing Undergraduate Research Experiences to a Multi-Mentor Lab : A Survey

Color poster with text, charts, and graphs.Undergraduate research has been shown to provide numerous benefits for undergraduate students. This study examines the benefits of undergraduate research within the Communication Sciences and Disorders department, more specifically for students who are participating in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Research Lab. The SoTL Lab utilizes a model with multiple student research teams and multiple faculty mentors working on a variety of projects at any given time. The purpose of this study is to identify how the SoTL Lab environment impacted undergraduate students, as compared to students with other research experiences, such as faculty-student collaborative projects or the undergraduate research in CSD course, and those who have no research experience. Results may indicate how these different types of research experiences impact research knowledge, professional development, student-faculty relationships, and team-based dynamics. Results may guide faculty to choose a specific type of lab model to facilitate both productivity and student outcomes.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program