Re-engineering Teaching and Learning Practices

Today’s generation of students relies heavily on technology on a daily basis, is accustomed to computer-based instruction, and responds to opportunities that may preclude enrollment in full-time on-campus degree programs-students may, for example, be juggling a full-time clinical position while pursuing a higher degree. Therefore, the timing has never been better for institutions of higher education to take advantage of high-tech pedagogical options (e.g., Web-based instruction, simulation technologies) within their course offerings.Other trends and policies in our field have also suggested the relevance of additional innovative pedagogical approaches. For example, ASHA’s current Certification Standards require frequent and varied opportunities for students to demonstrate the knowledge and skills required for clinical certification. One engaging and rewarding way to address the new standards is to include service-learning activities in course requirements. In this way, students can apply their knowledge and develop skills in authentic clinical contexts and can gain satisfaction from experiencing clinical work in our field.Such re-engineering of teaching and learning practices is becoming increasingly common as evidence mounts to indicate the relevance of varied and innovative pedagogical approaches to clinical education. The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a large metropolitan institution that has taken a leadership role in the development of distributed and experiential learning practices and supports. Therefore, faculty in UCF’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) are fortunate to have excellent supports in place when re-engineering their classes. As a result, both faculty and students have reported favorable outcomes relating to the application of distributed and experiential pedagogy (e.g., Kent-Walsh, 2005). An overview of these applications follows.