Abstract:

Basic skills requirements, implementation, training and competency for effective telepractice delivery remain relatively underinvestigated. And yet, telepractice is a growing viable alternative to meet the demand and exponential growth in numbers of persons with communication disorders. Support for the need to establish minimal skills, adequate training protocols, competency and readiness measures, and troubleshooting technology strategies is emerging for practicing speech-language pathologists. The question is “How are we preparing graduate students to provide telepractice as an entry level clinician?” A handful of studies investigating the provision of telepractice by graduate students in academic clinics exists. This paper introduces the investigation of speech-language pathology graduate student’s perspectives of telepractice training and delivery as a pedagogical tool within the non-clinical academic environment. That is, lectures include dynamic therapeutic intervention, delivered virtually to real subject participants (distant locations) by graduate students, to authenticate weekly course objectives.

Qualitative data, addressing the phenomenology of graduate student perceptions of tele-practice inclusion during classroom lecture, was collected via a final semester assignment investigating student perceptions of the use of telepractice as a learning tool in the classroom. Specifically, perceptions of instructional use, technology experience, implementation of a session, satisfaction with the experience, and applicability to professional practice.

During lecture, students connected virtually with a person with an identified communication disorder. The virtual intervention sessions were representative of weekly learning objectives. Baseline performance measures were obtained and followed by an activity to stimulate improved performance of the identified deficit. The remaining cohort identified baseline measures, collected performance data, documented, and submitted experiential reflective statements electronically for review. A final reflection was required at the end of the semester addressing 10 question reflecting on the entirety of the 12-week experience. Qualitative responses were analyzed to determine perspectives on instruction for using telepractice, experience with technology, implementation of a virtual session, and overall satisfaction with the experience and practice application.

Analysis of student responses indicated emergence of three major themes:
(1) Overall perception of virtual communication participation,
(2) Delivery platform selection and troubleshooting and
(3) Selection, acquisition and development of intervention materials.

Specifically, these initial themes revealed:
(1) positive perceptions of telepractice in the classroom as a pedagogical tool and as merit in employability with need for increased training and greater organization in relation to course content,
(2) increased training on telepractice platform delivery options and troubleshooting technology,
(3) training in finding, selecting and/or developing “telepractice friendly” intervention materials .

Thematic analysis suggests student perspectives on use of telepractice as a graduate level pedagogical tool has merit in academic training for therapeutic implementation, satisfaction and professional application. Development of instructional materials for education and training are in development.

Keywords:

Telepractice, pedagogy, student clinician, graduate student.