SCSU Clinical Instruction Lab

Overview

Clinical education is an integral part of the educational process for speech-language pathology students. Our goal is to increase awareness and understanding of efficacious practices to enhance the clinical experiences of both our students and clinical instructors. The information gleaned will be used to promote and implement best practices within our clinic and off-campus clinical practicum settings. We are particularly interested in the efficacy of clinical instruction feedback in the development of crucial skills required to be a successful speech-language pathologist.

Current Research: The Clinical Feedback Instructional Tool (C-FIT): Clear and Targeted Feedback for Effective Ongoing Clinical Instruction

See below for Information to participate in the C-FIT study.

Project Aims

This project aims are to address the paucity of available tools and construct a comprehensive feedback tool that is rooted in the “Continuum of Supervision” model that states that supervisory responsibilities fall on a continuum that should be adjusted according to the students’ needs (Anderson, 1988). The purpose of the tool is (1) to provide a valid and reliable tool that could allow for continuity between clinical instructors as they guide similar students across a university clinical education program; (2) to increase the ability of clinical instructors to share their ongoing assessment of student clinicians that result in earlier identification of students in need of support; (3) to provide a means of clearly identifying core clinical behaviors with academic instructors to include in their education as they assist in preparing students for their clinical practicum experience; (4) to provide a clinical observation feedback tool for clinical fellowship mentors to utilize as a formal mechanism to foster the clinical fellow’s clinical competence, performance, skills, and growth.

If you would like to participate in our reliability testing, please consider reviewing the following videos and rate the clinician behavior using the C-FIT tool that will be part of the survey document. Each video will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. We invite you to complete all 3, however, would appreciate your completing of 1 or 2 of the 3 as well.

Click on the link below to participate in the reliability testing of the C-FIT tool:

Project Team

Shawneen Buckley

Shawneen Buckley, M.S., CCC-SLP, is the clinical field coordinator for the Department of Communication Disorders at Southern Connecticut State University, responsible for all off-campus clinical practicum placements for graduate student clinicians. She also serves as an adjunct teaching faculty member and is currently pursuing research interests in the areas of adult dysphagia and clinical instruction. She has extensive clinical and leadership experience across myriad health care and educational settings. She also continues to work as a medical SLP with adults with acquired neurogenic disorders.

Barbara Cook

Barbara Cook, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Southern Connecticut State University and researcher with the Center of Excellence on ASD. She is both an academic and clinical instructor, teaching to both undergraduate and graduate level students, with autism and social communication as primary areas of research interest. Dr. Cook guides graduate student clinicians in leading social communication groups and partners with local agencies to provide support to young adults with autism. She has presented and published on the topic of peer supports for young adults with autism.

Sujini Ramachandar:

Sujini Ramachandar, Ph. D, CCC-SLP is the Director of Clinical Education in the Department of Communication Disorders at Southern Connecticut State University. Her research focuses on neurological differences associated with stuttering. She is also interested in cultural competence/responsiveness when working with culturally diverse clients. She has extensive experience working with children and adults who stutter, providing parent and family education, and collaborating with other disciplines. In addition to teaching and research, she serves as the Co-Clinical director of Camp Words Unspoken, a residential summer camp for children who stutter.

Please contact us @ buckleys7@southernct.edu, cookb5@southernct.edu, or ramachandas1@southernct.edu, if you are interested in participating in our projects

Peer Reviewed Presentations

Clinical Feedback Instruction:

Cook, B., Ramachandar, S., & Buckley, S. (2020, November). Proposal Number: 11859. C-FIT update: Effectiveness of the C-FIT for clear and targeted feedback for ongoing instruction. Proposal accepted and Meritorious Submission at the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, San Diego, CA (Convention canceled).

Cook, B., Buckley, S., Ramachandar, S. The Clinical Feedback Instructional Tool (C-FIT): Clear and Targeted Feedback for Effective Ongoing Clinical Instruction. Oral presentation at ASHA Convention 2019, Orlando, FL.