The pronunciation skills of undergraduate students enrolled in a human anatomy and physiology course, either online or in a face-to-face format, were compared. Students enrolled in an FTF format produced a significantly greater percentage of correct terms compared to those enrolled online.
Accurate pronunciation of anatomical terms in the clinical practice of speech-language pathology and audiology enables a clinician to express and comprehend a conversation with peers and other professionals. It is also an important component of ensuring patient safety and in providing quality, patient-centered care. To date, no studies have explored whether differences may exist between the pronunciation skills of students who elect to complete a human anatomy and physiology course online versus those who take the course in a face-to-face (FTF) format. Approximately 32 percent of students enrolled in higher education elect to complete coursework online; thus, an investigation is warranted.
This pilot study explored the ability of 98 undergraduate student participants to correctly pronounce 20 terms that were a part of the course, Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms. Students were enrolled in either an online or face-to-face (FTF) format of this course. Student participants were also asked to self-rate their perceived ability to pronounce these terms correctly using a Likert-type rating scale.
The results indicated that students enrolled in the FTF format produced a significantly greater percentage of correct terms and rated their pronunciation ability significantly higher compared to those enrolled online. Performance of both groups was positively correlated to the self-ratings of pronunciation accuracy. These results suggest that an Internet-based, multimedia teaching method that incorporates tools for improving the pronunciation skills of students who complete a human anatomy and physiology course online is warranted.
This presentation will incorporate the use of slides, hand-outs, and discussion.
Goal 1: The investigators will seek out participant discussion and recommendations on the specific types of media and methods that should be used to improve pronunciation skills.
Goal 2: Participants will learn the value of incorporating a variety of media and other methods to augment online and FTF learning so that essential job-related skills are fully developed.