The Promise of Service Learning in a Pediatric Audiology Course on Clinical Training With the Pediatric Population Purpose This study investigated the effectiveness of service learning (SL) and its impact on students’ clinical competency, interest in pediatric audiology as a career, and levels of community engagement, as well as its impact on the community. Method Forty-eight students enrolled in an SL pediatric audiology course providing ... Supplement Article
Supplement Article  |   December 01, 2011
The Promise of Service Learning in a Pediatric Audiology Course on Clinical Training With the Pediatric Population
Wafaa A. Kaf and Elizabeth C. Strong
 
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Wafaa A. Kaf
    Missouri State University, Springfield
  • Elizabeth C. Strong
    Missouri State University, Springfield
  • Correspondence to Wafaa A. Kaf: wafaakaf@missouristate.edu
  • Editor and Associate Editor: Sheila Pratt
    Editor and Associate Editor: Sheila Pratt×
  • Copyright © 2011 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Article Information
Development / Hearing Disorders / Professional Issues & Training / Attention, Memory & Executive Functions / Supplement: Using Service Learning to Enhance Undergraduate and Graduate Education in Audiology and Aural Rehabilitation
Supplement Article   |   December 01, 2011
The Promise of Service Learning in a Pediatric Audiology Course on Clinical Training With the Pediatric Population
American Journal of Audiology, December 2011, Vol. 20, S220-S232. doi:10.1044/1059-0889(2011/10-0022)
History: Received June 21, 2010 , Revised November 15, 2010 , Accepted October 19, 2011
 
American Journal of Audiology, December 2011, Vol. 20, S220-S232. doi:10.1044/1059-0889(2011/10-0022)
History: Received June 21, 2010; Revised November 15, 2010; Accepted October 19, 2011
Web of Science® Times Cited: 6

Purpose This study investigated the effectiveness of service learning (SL) and its impact on students’ clinical competency, interest in pediatric audiology as a career, and levels of community engagement, as well as its impact on the community.

Method Forty-eight students enrolled in an SL pediatric audiology course providing hearing and middle ear testing to 292 children, ages 6 months to 5 years. Another 10 non-SL students served as a control group. SL surveys were administered to students before and after the SL experience and post hoc to the non-SL group to assess their perceived readiness for evaluating children and their interest in pediatric audiology. Parents and community partner staff members completed another survey to provide feedback about their experience with the SL activity.

Results The students’ ratings were higher post-SL than pre-SL, and their learning gain was positively ranked post-SL compared with the non-SL group. Also, 71% of the SL students expressed positive interest in pediatric audiology post-SL compared with 37% of the non-SL group. Responses from community partners were also positive.

Conclusions Embedding SL into a pediatric audiology course increased student interest in pediatric audiology as a career and enhanced readiness to evaluate young children.

Acknowledgments
This research was partially supported by Citizen and Service-Learning Research Stipend at Missouri State University funding to the first author. We are grateful to Bogdan Kostic and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning at Missouri State University for their assistance with statistical analysis. We are immensely grateful to the audiology students, children, and community partners who participated in this study.
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