SPCHSCI 724 : Speech Language Therapy Clinical Practicum 2

Science

2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Clinical observation and practice in a variety of settings, enabling students to work with clients under supervision. This course is supported by weekly tutorials.

Course Overview

This course provides clinical learning opportunities for the student to further develop and consolidate clinical competencies for working with child and/or adult clients with communication disorders in a clinical setting. The student is expected to perform at above Novice level but not yet at Intermediate Level across all COMPASSTM Generic and Occupational competencies by the end of this semester. The student will receive a moderate-high degree of support to ensure they feel comfortable and safe in the clinic environment, to help them develop a plan of action for the client, and to facilitate explicit linkages between relevant theory and current clinical practice. The block placement provides an excellent opportunity to work in an authentic clinical setting and discover the interface between evidence-based practice, the workplace or context and organisational structures, processes and policies.

This course also offers the student opportunities to consolidate their skills in phonetic transcription through self-directed study and in clinical placements. Students should systematically work through the Linguistics for Speech Language Therapists website, https://www.coursebuilder.cad.auckland.ac.nz/flexicourses/2924/publish/1/index.html to prepare for the Phonetics OSCE. It contains a very helpful OSCE Preparation Online resource. Students will receive regular emails to students to remind students to work progressively through this online resource.

Teaching and learning opportunities provided in SPCHSCI 711, 712, 713, 721, 722 and 723 will have direct relevance to the clinical setting. Students are encouraged to actively look for linkages between what they are exposed to in lectures, tutorials and labs and what they experience in clinic. Students are also encouraged to continue reviewing the DVDs of their clinical sessions to further develop their reflective practice and clinical skills.

Finally, students are expected to demonstrate lifelong learning skills through doing additional reading relevant to each of their clients that will facilitate evidence-based practice. This reading should explore areas such as the client’s communication disorder, broader implications of the communication disorder on the client and family, etc. and evidence-based practice relating to holistic assessment and intervention with this client group, service delivery models, etc.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: SPCHSCI 714

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Maintain Keep documentation objective, legible, accurate and up to date for two clients following the guidelines in the Clinical Handbook. (Capability 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
  2. Demonstrate effective communication skills with all communication partners, including clients, their family/whānau, clinic partners, staff and other relevant agencies. (Capability 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8)
  3. Demonstrate skills in accurately and objectively reflecting on their client’s performance, on effectiveness of and/or modifications required for clinical tasks and on their own performance when reviewing clinical sessions. (Capability 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8)
  4. Adapt performance in response to new information (evidence base) or learning opportunities (feedback, clinical outcomes). (Capability 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
  5. Demonstrate use of a client-centred, cultural competence and evidence-based approach with clients and in tutor group discussions. (Capability 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8)
  6. Accurately phonetically transcribe a disordered speech sample. (Capability 3 and 5)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Practical 10% Individual Coursework
Assignments 40% Individual Coursework
Portfolio 50% Individual Coursework
Practical Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Practical
Assignments
Portfolio
Practical

Key Topics

  1. Course Outline; information on expectations, and assignments
  2. E-Portfolio Workshop
  3. Research Presentations
  4. Play 
  5. Counselling
  6. Mid-way COMPASS with clinical tutors
  7. Phonetics OSCE
  8. Teamwork
  9. E-Portfolios
  10. Pre-placement preparation
  11. Case discussions - 2 rooms going simultaneously
  12. Case discussions - 2 rooms going simultaneously
  13. Final COMPASS with clinical tutors
  14. Videoconference Placement Debrief

Special Requirements

Phonetics OSCE (10%)
The student will have 45 minutes to review an mpeg file of someone saying a list of words using disordered speech. The production of the target word could contain errors on any phoneme and will contain non-English sounds. Each target word is written on the screen and the word is repeated 3 times by the speaker. The student will write a phonetic transcription of each word heard. They can rewind and re-listen to the target words as many times as they can within the 45 minute period. The student is not required to mark stress or intonation. Please write clearly as symbols that are not clear will be marked as incorrect. Notes are not permitted in this examination but the student will be provided with an IPA chart. Preparation for this will be self-directed. This piece of coursework is a barrier task and the student must pass this OSCE before graduating from the MSLTPrac programme.

Clinical Placement
The student’s clinical competence will be assessed in each clinical placement using COMPASSTM. COMPASSTM is evaluated collaboratively by the clinical tutor and the student. This evaluation does not count towards the final grade. However, the student is required to demonstrate competency appropriate to their experience in order to pass 724 and be eligible to move into 734. Tutors must indicate that a student is showing sufficient competence in SPCHSCI724 to proceed to SPCHSCI734. Any concerns should be raised with the student and with the Clinical Director in a timely manner.

Clinical Placement Pass Level
The clinical tutor has indicated verbally and in writing that the student’s overall level of performance has reached the criterion of moving off the midway point between Novice level and Intermediate of performance as described in the COMPASS™ Assessment Booklet. Please note, some variability in performance is expected at this stage as the student may show intermediate level competence in the General Professional Competencies: Communication, Lifelong Learning & Professionalism. The final decision about whether or not a student has demonstrated satisfactory progress in a clinical placement cannot be made until the clinical director has viewed the student’s COMPASSTM assessment, analysed the data and discussed the placement with the clinical tutor. Please note that the clinical tutor’s rating for ‘Overall rating of competency’ is preliminary, the student must wait for the clinical director’s analysis before being sure that they can progress to SPCHSCI734.

Clinical Placement Fail Level
A fail level will be determined by the University of Auckland Director of Clinical Education after considering the factors below:
  1. The student’s competency level was identified by the Clinical Director as not reaching above the stated criterion on the majority of competencies rated by the COMPASS™ Assessment.
  2. The students rating in either or both General Professional Competencies 2 (Communication) and 4 (Professionalism) on the COMPASS™ Assessment was at or below the criterion stated.

Tuākana

This course is supported by the Tuākana in Science Programme, which facilitates the success and wellbeing of our Māori and Pacific students. The foundation of the Tuākana Programme is the Tuākana-Teina principle an integral relationship in which older or more expert Tuākana (traditionally brother, sister or cousin) guides a younger or less expert Teina (traditionally younger sibling or cousin). This is a reciprocal relationship which fosters safe learning and teaching environments. Read more here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/maori-and-pacific-at-the-faculty/tuakana-programme.html

Workload Expectations

This course is a 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15-point course that they are enrolled in. For this course, you can expect two days per week of clinic and a four week block placement at the end of the year, a 2 hour tutorial almost every week, weekly preparation and reading in relation to clinic and weekly self-directed work on assignments/OSCE preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including tutorials/clinics/workshops to complete components of the course.
 Other learning activities including tutorials will not always be available as recordings due to the nature of the content.
Attendance on campus is required for the OSCE.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Students are expected to review the readings providing in the course outline and provided by each Clinical Educator as relates to the individual clinics.
Students are expected to be self-directed in their own research for clinic.

  • Body, R. And McAllister, L. (2009). Ethics in Speech Pathology. London: Wiley & Sons.
  • Dathan D Rush M'Lisa L Shelden (2011) The early childhood coaching handbook.Baltimore, Md. : Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co. Available at EPSOM LIBRARY Main Collection (372.21 RUS )
  • McWilliam, R.A. (2010) Working with young children with special needs. New York : Guilford Press. Available. View online or Find in Library.
  • Shipley, K.G. and Roseberry-McKibbin, C. (2006). Interviewing and Counselling in Communicative Disorders. 3rd ed. Texas: Pro-Ed.
  • Stagnitti, K., Schoo, A., & Welch, D. (Eds) (2013). Clinical and fieldwork placement in the health professions (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.

Health & Safety

Requirement of Police Vetting / Immunisations
This course requires you to participate in clinical practicum experiences and/ or visit clinical settings e.g. hospitals, schools, clinics. Police Vetting and Immunisations are required. Please contact your Course Director if you have not already completed both of these tasks.
Confidentiality Clause requirement
This course uses client materials including assessment / therapy plans, photographs and videos to enhance your learning. Students must take all reasonable steps to protect against inadvertent disclosure of this information to people who are not enrolled in this course. This includes not sharing materials and being aware of one’s environment when watching or discussing class materials online.

Student Feedback

During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.

At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.

Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.

Changes are being made to the structure and communication related to individual clinics following student feedback.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.

You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Copyright warning notice
This material is protected by copyright and has been copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under licence. You may not sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of this course pack/material to any other person. Where provided to you in electronic format, you may only print from it for your own private study and research. Failure to comply with the terms of this warning may expose you to legal action for copyright infringement and/or disciplinary action by the University.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 06/11/2024 09:04 a.m.