Blended learning in first year curriculum : melding pedagogies to support student engagement and empowerment

Blended learning involves a careful and considered approach to the identification and combination of different modes, times, places and purposes of learning, with emphasis on judicious integration of fit-for-purpose educational technologies in order to enhance student learning experience and outcomes. Students commence their first year of university with a vastly diverse set of personal, social and cultural characteristics that can shape their tertiary experience and engagement with learning. This can present a challenge to first year curriculum design, delivery and evaluation. This presentation will explore how blended learning pedagogy, transition pedagogy and transparent pedagogies were melded within a first year Allied Health unit at Australian Catholic University in an aim to enhance student engagement with and empowerment within the program. Processes of decision making regarding design, delivery and evaluation of first year curriculum will be shared and supported with case examples and data from the discipline of Speech Pathology

Factors that influence success when training videofluoroscopic swallowing study analysts

Background: The literature relating to videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) training is sparse. The available evidence suggests that the learner, environment, and training design might influence VFSS analysts’ skill development. Aims: To identify the factors that VFSS analysts perceive to influence VFSS training. Methods & Procedures: In this qualitative study we interviewed nine speech pathologists from three countries who train VFSS analysts. The interviews followed a semi-structured guide to obtain data describing the trajectory of skill development and the influence of the learner, environment, and training design. We completed a thematic analysis using a simultaneously deductive and inductive approach. Outcomes & Results: Participants indicated that they believed that a trainee’s clinical experience, cognitive attributes, and learning preferences may influence their skill development. Trainers perceived a need to balance increasing the complexity of the task against maintaining the trainee’s confidence. The opportunity to practise and receive feedback was considered important. Barriers to practice were discussed. Training was perceived to have increased in complexity as the field of dysphagia has matured. Participants discussed the interacting demands of time and competency in this evolving environment. Conclusions & Implications: VFSS analytical skill development requires an investment of time by the trainee, trainer, and service. Trainers perceived that the trajectory of training and the time taken to reach competency varied according to the trainee, trainer, training design, and training environment factors. Future research into the impact of these influences and training content is needed to identify ways to provide sufficient practice and support learner differences to reduce the costs and time associated with training

Impact of online learning on sense of belonging among first year clinical health students during COVID‑19 : student and academic perspectives

Background: The need to belong is a fundamental human desire that provides the basis for relationships and community; it provides a sense of security that enables growth and development. This sense of belonging is pivotal to new University students, indeed, without it, students are at greater risk of failing or withdrawing from their studies. Yet developing a sense of belonging within a new cohort is complex and multi-faceted and further complicated by a sudden shift away from in-person to online learning. Using the situated-learning framework, our study explores first year clinical health students’ sense of belonging in the context of the rapid transition to online learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We utilised a current mixed-method approach including a survey incorporating previously validated tools, demographic and open-ended qualitative questions. Data was also gathered from three focus groups: two dedicated student groups and one academic focus group. Qualitative data was subjected to thematic analysis whilst descriptive statistics were used to describe the quantitative data. Results: 179 first year students complete the survey and four students, and five academics were involved in the focus groups. All participants were from clinical health science courses at an Australian university. Our qualitative results indicated a global theme of: Navigating belonging during the COVID-19 crisis: a shared responsibility; with four organising themes describing (1) dimensions of belonging, (2) individual experiences and challenges, (3) reconceptualising teaching and learning, and (4) relationships are central to belonging. Conclusion: While the rapid transition to online learning did not greatly impact knowledge acquisition of first-year students in this cohort, the lack of sense of belonging highlights the need for further research into development of this essential aspect of learning in the online domain. Although contextualised in the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that the findings will remain relevant beyond the current situation, as a student’s need to belong will always be present in the face of challenges or change

Creating inter-professional collaboration opportunities within curriculum: an exploration of the impact on professional identity

Employers of Allied Health graduates value individuals who are knowledgeable, skilled and competent in their own discipline and have the ability to work collaboratively within interprofessional teams to achieve the best outcomes for patients and clients. The opportunity for students enrolled in entry level allied health programs to engage in authentic interprofessional education (IPE) opportunities can be limited, and is often enacted within clinical/fieldwork contexts where models of collaborative team work vary considerably. This paper will report on the process and outcomes of putting into practice an interprofessional education program, embedded within the academic curricula of Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy programs at an Australian university. A realist evaluation approach to curriculum transformation will be discussed; specifically the process of identifying and exploring factors contributing to the effectiveness and sustainability of the initiative and the impact on students’ developing professional identity. Written, critical reflections of n=376 SP and OT students about their experiences of participating in an embedded IPE program were analysed thematically. Four themes reflecting the relationship between interprofessional learning and professional identify are presented: Learning with others, learning from others, learning about others and linking to practice. These results will be examined in light of the original hypotheses formed about student learning within IPE contexts, and emerging features of the program that will support sustainable delivery into the future

Prediction and selection of vocabulary for two leisure activities

People who use augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) need access to a relevant, socially valid vocabulary if they are to communicate successfully in a variety of contexts. Many people with complex communication needs who utilize some form of high technology or low technology AAC rely on others to predict and select vocabulary for them. In this study the ability of one speech pathologist, nine leisure support workers, and six people with cerebral palsy to accurately predict context-specific vocabulary was explored. Participants predicted vocabulary for two leisure activities – sailing session and Internet cafe´ – using the blank page method of vocabulary selection to identify the vocabulary items they considered important for each activity. This predicted vocabulary was then compared with the actual vocabulary used in each of the activities. A total of 187 (68%) of the words predicted for the sailing session were used during recorded conversations, with 88 words (32%) not appearing in the recorded samples. During the visit to the Internet cafe´ only 104 (47%) of the words predicted occurred in the recorded samples, with 117 words (53%) not occurring at all. These results support the need to socially validate any vocabulary in order to ensure that it is relevant and useful for the person using the AAC system

Creating inter-professional collaboration opportunities within curriculum : an exploration of the impact on professional identity

Employers of Allied Health graduates value individuals who are knowledgeable, skilled and competent in their own discipline and have the ability to work collaboratively within interprofessional teams to achieve the best outcomes for patients and clients. The opportunity for students enrolled in entry level allied health programs to engage in authentic interprofessional education (IPE) opportunities can be limited, and is often enacted within clinical/fieldwork contexts where models of collaborative team work vary considerably. This paper will report on the process and outcomes of putting into practice an interprofessional education program, embedded within the academic curricula of Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy programs at an Australian university. A realist evaluation approach to curriculum transformation will be discussed; specifically the process of identifying and exploring factors contributing to the effectiveness and sustainability of the initiative and the impact on students’ developing professional identity. Written, critical reflections of n=376 SP and OT students about their experiences of participating in an embedded IPE program were analysed thematically. Four themes reflecting the relationship between interprofessional learning and professional identify are presented: Learning with others, learning from others, learning about others and linking to practice. These results will be examined in light of the original hypotheses formed about student learning within IPE contexts, and emerging features of the program that will support sustainable delivery into the future

Communication changes experienced by adults with cerebral palsy as they age

Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) experience multiple, functional changes as they age, including changes to communication modes and methods that enable development and maintenance of relationships, communicative participation and quality-of-life. Little is known about the nature of communication changes experienced by this group. The aim of this study was to better understand how adults with CP experience changes in their communication abilities as they age and the subsequent psychosocial impact

Selecting, developing and supporting key word sign vocabularies for children with developmental disabilities

There are many potential foci that warrant intervention and support in children with developmental disabilities (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013). Arguably, one of the most fundamental is the development of language to enable a child to learn about and participate in their world. Of all the relevant domains, it is vocabulary development that receives considerable attention and input, particularly in the early years. Vocabulary is considered to be all the words existing within a given language which a person has the potential to learn and use. An individual vocabulary, or lexicon, is a set of words with which that individual is familiar. It is usually a subset of all available words and in response to developmental, environmental and experiential factors is dynamic, fluid and continues to grow over time (Hockema & Smith, 2009). Individual vocabularies can differ significantly in terms of: (a) total number of items, (b) distribution of items across word classes (e.g., nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions), (c) phonological, semantic, morphological and syntactic complexity (d) suitability in representing a range of semantic functions (e.g., agents, objects, actions) and pragmatic functions (e.g., greetings, requests, comments, directives), and (e) aptness to support both receptive and expressive use

Parents' experiences of learning and using key word sign

Background: Key word sign (KWS) is an unaided AAC strategy that may be used to support the expressive and receptive communication of children with complex communication needs as part of a multimodal approach. To promote communicative competence and participation, parents must learn sign, select appropriate vocabulary, encourage the use of KWS with their children and cultivate signing environments across multiple contexts.Aim/s: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore parents’ experiences of learning, implementing, and using KWS with their children in order to better understand their needs and inform innovative and family centred service delivery and training. Method: Seven parents of children aged 0-8, who had learnt or used KWS in the last two years, completed in-depth, semi-structured interviews about their experiences of learning and using KWS. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Results: Five interrelated themes encapsulated the experiences of parents: ‘Motivators’ to sign, Learning KWS, Selecting vocabulary, Creating a sign environment, and Using KWS. Subthemes reflected common and unique aspects of parents’ experiences. Conclusion: Parents are motivated to use KWS by a range of external and internal factors. They use different resources to build their knowledge and skills to support the use of KWS across a range of environments and contexts. The need for additional supports and resources to assist with implementing KWS emerged as an important finding and has implications for the service delivery. The findings will be discussed in depth and opportunities for speech-language pathology practice highlighted