A Pilot Investigation of Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Students of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Speech-language pathologists use critical thinking on a daily basis to identify, evaluate, and implement evidence-based practices with their clients. Currently, however, there are minimal data describing the critical thinking of undergraduate students in the field of communication sciences and disorders. Without these data, it is unclear if and how students’ critical thinking differs at various points during their pre-service training. In the present study, we used the Cornell Critical Thinking Test – Level Z to describe the general critical thinking skills of 142 undergraduate students enrolled in two lower- (n = 95) and upper- (n = 47) level courses at a single university. We found no statistically significant differences between these two groups on the CCTT regarding their overall critical thinking performance (p = .068) or their skills of induction (p = .970), deduction (p = .160), observation (p = .384), assumptions (p = .342), or meaning interpretation (p = .155). Upper-level students, however, did consistently score slightly higher than their lower-level counterparts. Faculty should continue to develop undergraduate students’ critical thinking during their course of study. Although critical thinking appears to develop over the course of students’ undergraduate careers, formal instruction might be necessary to develop the skills necessary for successful practice as speech-language pathologists

Faculty Perceptions of Combat-Related PTSD and Teaching Post 9/11 Student-Veterans

The purpose of this study was to examine faculty members’ perceptions of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and student veterans. We surveyed 596 faculty members from 28 institutions of higher education regarding their views on PTSD as a disorder, whether PTSD can be effectively treated, and their preparedness to teach student veterans. Results indicate that faculty members do perceive PTSD to be a real disorder confronting student veterans; however, statistically significant results indicate that many faculty members do not consider PTSD to be treatable, nor do they feel prepared to work with these returning students. These results suggest a need for faculty education about PTSD as it relates to this population of students who are veterans of post 9/11 war conflicts

The Cultural Elements of Academic Honesty

We examined the impact of a workshop on Asian international graduate students’ understanding of a U. S. American university’s concept of academic honesty. The workshop, taught from a cultural perspective, explained the U.S. American university’s expectations to 19 participants. Data was obtained from a workshop post-test and from subsequent interviews of three workshop participants who relayed their views of textual practices in their home countries. Sixty-seven graduate students from the general graduate student population completed the workshop post-test without benefit of the workshop. Trends in the data supported the workshop’s effectiveness and pointed to the importance of helping international students understand their host university’s expectations

Does viewing bullying violence affect the allocation of attention in young adults?

The purpose of the current study was to experimentally test the relationship between symptoms of inattention and vicarious experiences of bullying. The research questions of the current study were: 1) Can vicarious bullying induce symptoms of inattention?; 2) What happens to inattention after multiple exposures to vicarious bullying?; and 3) Are there sex differences in inattention after exposure to bullying experiences? The participants were graduate and undergraduate students from a private university with a 0.2% diagnosis rate of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Participants viewed four videos with three depicting scenarios of bullying, and after each video, the Stroop test was used to assess inattention. Heart rate was also assessed following each video. After finishing participation in the video phase of the experiment, participants completed a demographic survey, a bullying experiences survey, and the Screener for Inattentive Symptoms. The findings indicated exposure to vicarious bullying led to an increase in symptoms of inattention. The effects appeared to be cumulative, such that with additional exposure to vicarious bullying, a participant’s symptoms of inattention increased. The heart rate of participants appeared to mirror the symptoms of inattention, with heart rate increasing over the course of the experiment. There were no significant differences in reaction to vicarious bullying by sex. Implications of the findings include the need to assess experiences with bullying when diagnosing ADHD inattentive.Ph.D