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Shelley B. Brundage, Ph.D., and Margery M. Whites, Ph.D.
Computer Literacy in Communication Disorders
Q7 Scientific and Quantitative Literacy Grant
Final Report
How did students assess the experience
Students in CDIS 639: Dysphagia Diagnosis and Management were required
to complete an assignment using electronic mail (see Appendix A). Eleven of
the 32 students in this class filled out computer use questionnaires at the
end of the quarter. Eight of these ten students learned to use email because
of this class assignment. Student response to this assignment was positive.
Much peer teaching occurred as well; students who were more familiar with
email and listservers helped those who were new to the Internet. Many of
these students continued to use email after the conclusion of the class.
Students in CDIS 426/526: Neural Bases of Speech and Language filled out
computer use questionnaires at the beginning of the class. They were excited
about a departmental computer lab, and were especially interested in software
that would be useful for clients in our clinic. Students realize that
computer literacy is a part of the jobs they will have, and they are motivated
to learn about computers during their college training. Students are getting
impatient, however. Our lab is not yet open for use by all students in the
department due to problems listed below.
How did faculty assess the experience
We give this experience a positive rating overall. We are excited about
this new addition to our department. Our excitement makes students excited.
Without this funding we would not have been able to purchase the amount and
diversity of software that we did. We plan to incorporate the various
software programs into CDIS courses next Fall.
On-going discussions between institutions
We mailed over 200 questionnaires to other CDIS departments across the
country regarding the use of computers in their training programs (see
Appendix B). Over 50% of the respondents returned questionnaires to us. Many
cautioned against opening computer labs for business without first drafting
rules and testing procedures to ensure that students know how to use
computers. These warnings caused us to reevaluate when the lab will be used;
we currently have a computer science student working with us to draft rules
and testing procedures. These respondents also suggested that certain
computers be dedicated to certain activities; for instance, one computer just
for clinical report writing, two just for classroom and clinic use with
clients.
How was learning affected in the short and long terms
Most student learning has been short term. We have one graduate student
who is using the computers to analyze data for her master's thesis. Three
graduate assistants are using the lab to help faculty prepare for an upcoming
state-wide convention for which two faculty members serve as co-chairs. One
of the software packages is being used as part of the treatment program of a
client in our departmental speech and hearing clinic. One student has used
the aphasia software as a demonstration in CDIS 635: Aphasia.
In the long term we hope to increase student awareness and use of
computers. Computers are an integral part of the job, and therefore their use
should be taught in undergraduate and graduate school.
How were objectives of learning affected
Students in our department are beginning to "get their feet wet" in the
computer world. Three classes (CDIS 461, 639, and 648) required students to
use computers as a course assignment. Students learned how to use email.
Students signed on to a listserv (clinical grandrounds list) and wrote
reaction papers about the discussions. Students completed the computer
assisted instructional tutorial on Developmental Sentence Scoring. Students
used cognitive retraining software to aid in the treatment of a client with
traumatic brain injury.
Challenges and Benefits to collaborative efforts
Collaborative projects provide faculty with a look at the "big picture"
and can help prevent faculty in small departments from becoming isolated.
These types of projects usually engage faculty interest and keep us moving
forward.
The biggest challenge to these types of projects occurred when faculty
had neither the time nor the expertise to deal with problems that arose. When
this happened the project ground to a halt.
Future Work
Now that most of the software has been installed, we can begin to focus
on how to incorporate it into various CDIS classes. We have purchased
software that will be used and/or demonstrated in each of the following
classes: Aphasia, Language Intervention, Cleft Palate, Diagnostics, and Voice
Seminar.
In terms of "cross disciplinary" use, many of the software packages are
appropriate for more than one CDIS course. Some examples include using the
ADAM software in both the Anatomy and Neural Bases classes, and using various
diagnostic software in the diagnostics class as well as in the disorders
classes that correspond to the software (for instance, the Boston Diagnostic
Aphasia Examination software could be used in Aphasia class as well as
Diagnostics class). Absearch software will be used in research class and in
any other class that requires a research paper.
Continuing to educate our departmental peers regarding computers and
computer use will allow each of us to get a better feel for what the others
are doing. Hopefully the presence of the computer lab will stimulate
discussions among faculty regarding how the lab should be used. The presence
of software for use in research should stimulate discussions of potential
research projects.
Budget
A copy of the budget for this project is provided in Appendix C. We
spent all but $62.00 of the award (and some of this may be spent as more
questionnaires continue to come in via post paid mail).
Chronology, problems, and solutions
The chronology of events went something like this:
May-June 1995: Ordered equipment and supplies; faculty enthusiasm
high
July 1995: Wrote curriculum assignments
August 1995: Faculty frustration builds as equipment is not
arriving
Sept-Oct 1995: New billing system adopted by MNSCU. Equipment
ordered in June has yet to be put out on bid, further delaying arrival of
computers.
Software arriving at rapid rate, but no computers to install it on
Students in CDIS 426 fill out computer use questionnaires, and receive
computer assignment
Students in CDIS 639 complete email and listserv assignment using computer
labs on campus
Wiring for Internet hookup installed; must wait for computers to arrive for
final hookup
Questionnaire sent to 200 CDIS departments around the country
Faculty and student frustration builds
Data entry for master's thesis begins using old departmental computer with
very little disk space left
New computers finally arrive at end of October
Nov.-Dec 1995 Computer assignment for CDIS 426 cancelled; impossible
to get 35 students into lab before end of quarter
Installed software, some did not work
Grad assistants begin using computers at direction of faculty members
Computers used in treatment of one client
February 1996 Hired computer science student with departmental
workstudy money to assist in getting lab up and running
Faculty less frustrated, can see lab up and running in near future
The delay in receiving the computers really hampered our ability to
complete this project in a timely manner. It would have been nice if the
business office had informed us that the computers did not go out on bid in
June. We were also victims of incredibly unfortunate timing: right when our
computer crisis happened the business office was dealing with a new accounting
and billing system. When the business office realized how long we had been
waiting for these computers they were very helpful and moved our order
quickly.
We have also had problems when neither investigator had the expertise to
solve some of the software and hardware problems inherent in setting up a
computer lab. Our solution to this problem was to hire a computer science
student to install virus detectors and sound cards, troubleshoot software
problems, and write rules for computer use.
Information to facilitate the director's report to the Steering Committee
Realistic goals: The goals for our project were realistic. The project
required that we specify computer competencies in measurable ways, and we did
so. We were unable to evaluate all of the competencies specified due to time
constraints and equipment ordering difficulties.
State of the art methods: Many students used electronic mail for the
first time as a result of this project. They were exposed to the many wonders
of the Internet, and some even developed a healthy appreciation for all the
junk that is out there, as well as for the gems.
Data collection: We used a questionnaire to assess the state of computer
use in CDIS departments around the country. The amazing 50% return rate
suggests that this is an important and current issue that needs to be
addressed. Many respondents asked for copies of our findings. We plan to
submit these findings for presentation at a national conference later this
year.
Budget: We requested but did not receive release/reassigned time for
this project. The budget allowed us to purchase equipment, and this is great.
We found that we did not have enough time to deal with the problems that
occurred in setting up the computer lab. We needed the release time.
Timetable: The timetable was too short. Developing, using, AND
evaluating methods to improve student learning is difficult in just ten weeks,
when it is placed on top of other teaching and service duties.
Use of institutional resources: We were fortunate to have institutional
resources at our disposal. Our graduate assistants copied information and
coordinated the mailing of the questionnaire. The mailroom got the
questionnaire out rapidly. Campus-wide computer support was essentially
nonexistent. We waited months for electrical wiring to be installed, and
students sent over by the computer center were not helpful in solving our
problems. Our secretarial staff helped with envelope stuffing and general
clerical help. Finally, our department chair authorized the use of
departmental workstudy monies to hire a computer science student to assist us
in lab set-up.
APPENDIX A
CDIS 639: Dysphagia Diagnosis and Management
Fall Quarter 1995
Dr. Brundage
Directions for E-Mail and Dysphagia Listserv Assignment
DUE: October 2, 1995
Purpose. The purpose of this assignment is to guide you through
what may be your first interaction with email, and to increase
your comfort level and familiarity with the Internet.
Specifically, when you have completed this assignment you will
know how to send and receive messages via electronic mail (email),
and how to subscribe to, read, and unsubscribe to an electronic
mailing list that discusses topics related to communication
disorders.
Directions.
1. Read Kuster & Kuster (1995). Finding treasures on the
interet: Gopher the gold. Asha, February 1995, pages 43-47
(Available in front office).
2. To obtain an email address. Go to the Beehive in ECC 103 and
request an email address. They will have you fill out forms and
return later to pick up your address. They will assign you an
email address.
3. Obtain and read the handouts entitled "Using the VAX" and "E-
mail made easy" from the Beehive staff. You may also want a copy
of "Introduction to the VAX."
4. To subscribe to a listserv (mailing list). Subscribe to one
of the following mailing lists (listservs):
Discussion of neurogenic CDIS: cnet-dil@listserv.arizona.edu
Discussion of cerebrovascular disease: stroke-l@ukcc.uky.edu
Discussion of TBI & neurologic disabilities: tbi-sprt@sjuvm.bitnet
Discussion of "the clinical process": grndrnds@wvnvm.wvnet.edu
Directions on how to subscribe to these lists is available on the
accompanying handout.
5. Requirements for completion of this assignment.
Send me a short email message. My address is
SBRUNDAGE@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU
Read and remember the short message that I return to you
Sign on to a listserv and read the discussions for 1-2 weeks.
Write a short paper that summarizes the following:
* Your level of knowledge about the Internet before and after
completing this assignment
* Your comfort level with the Internet before and after
completing this assignment
* Your reactions to the Internet and the availability of all
this information, and any potential problems that you foresee with
Internet use
* A brief summary of the discussions that you read on your
mailing list and your reactions to what was said
* Usefulness of the assignment
* Suggestions for improvements or changes in this assignment
for next time
* At the end of your paper state a) the contents of my email
message to you, and b) which listserv you subscribed to, if you
have not mentioned it in the paper already
6. Troubleshooting. Every SCSU student pays a computer use fee
as part of their student fees. This allows you access to FREE
workshops on how to use email, the vax, the Internet, and many
other topics. Take advantage of these workshops. You can sign up
for them in the Beehive. Some CDIS students already use email;
they can serve as resources if you get stuck. If all else fails,
come and ask me!
APPENDIX A (Continued)
CDIS 639: Dysphagia Diagnosis and Management
Fall Quarter 1995
Dr. Brundage
Information about Email and Mailing Lists
In recent years a phenomenal amount of information has become
available via computers and the electronic "information
superhighway." This electronic network (called the "Internet")
allows one to send messages to fellow professionals, to
participate in roundtable discussions about topics of professional
interest, and to access certain professional materials and
journals. The Internet can also be a source of frustration to the
unfamiliar user, and can eat up amazing amounts of time if you are
not guided through your first interaction with it. To help reduce
this frustration I have tried to describe email and mailing lists
below; when writing this handout I assumed that the reader had
very limited knowledge of the Internet.
Mailbox analogy. Consider, if you will, your mailbox at
home. Your mailbox has an address which is known to many people.
Everyday the mailman delivers various types of mail to you and
puts it in your box. A typical delivery might include a letter
from Mom, a VISA bill, and three magazines (Sports Illustrated,
Gourmet, and People). All of these people can send you mail
because they have requested that you give them your mailing
address. If they did not have your address, the letters, bills,
and magazines would not get to you. Keep this in mind as we
discuss email and mailing lists below.
Email addresses. The "e" in email stands for "electronic"
and email is just another way of receiving mail. The only
difference is that a computer serves at the mailman. In order to
send and receive email you must have an address. These addresses
come in a certain format, analogous to your mailbox address's
street number, street name, and zip code. Email addresses must
contain your name, and the location of your electronic "mailbox."
Most universities have a large, campus-wide computer system that
handles electronic mail; the portion of this computer that handles
email must also appear in your address. Finally, computers like
to know the nature of the location of your electronic mailbox
(such as if you work at an educational institution or a commercial
business), and this is also included in your address. For
example, my email address is: SBRUNDAGE@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU.
The "SBRUNDAGE" is my name (duh). The "STCLOUD.MSUS" part tells
you that my address is located at St Cloud State in the Minnesota
state university system. The "TIGGER" part tells you that the
portion of the SCSU campus-wide computer that handles email is
called "Tigger" (other parts of the computer include "Eyeore").
Finally, the "EDU" part tells you that my address is affiliated
with an educational institution.
Let's go back to the mailbox analogy for a minute. Once you
have an address you can tell it to your friends and they can send
you letters. It's the same with email. Once you have your email
address you can receive messages from others with email addresses.
You can also send messages to others. The Beehive handout
explains the commands necessary to send email messages to others.
Mailing lists/listservs. Recall that your home mailbox also
contained a few magazines. Electronic listservs are analogous to
these magazines, so let's consider what you did when you
subscribed to Sports Illustrated. To subscribe to SI you wrote to
the magazine's subscription department, gave them your address,
and requested that you begin receiving the magazine. Shortly
thereafter issues of SI showed up in your mailbox. You were
content to read each issue privately until they announced that
they were going to publish 6 "swimsuit" issues per year. This
seemed like an excessive number to you, so you decided to write a
letter to the editor. When you mailed your letter you notice that
the address to the editor was different from the address that you
used to subscribe to the magazine. This is not too surprising,
given that the editor probably does not know much about how to
subscribe to the magazine; she is more interested in the content
of the magazine. A few issues later your letter shows up in the
"letters to the editor" column and therefore is read by everyone
who gets the magazine. Your letter sparks a debate amongst the
readership, and eventually the magazine is convinced that one
swimsuit issue per year is enough. Let's apply this analogy to
mailing lists or "listservs" as they are called in the computer
world.
Every listserv has two addresses: one to deal with
subscriptions (the called the "listserv address"), and another
address for use when people want to send commentary to the entire
group of readers (the "list address"). Understanding the
distinction between these two types of addresses is fundamental.
Listserv addresses are similar to magazine subscription addresses;
when you want subscribe to the mailing list, or drop your
subscription, you write to the subscription department. List
addresses are similar to those used to write to the magazine
editor. If you send a message to the list address it will go out
to all of the persons on the list.
Subscribing to a mailing list. If you want to subscribe to a
mailing list, you write the listserv address and request that your
name be added to the list. So, when signing onto the stroke-l
mailing list use the "listserv@ukcc.uky.edu" address. Messages
sent to this address go directly to the computer that manages the
list, and not to all the members on the list. If all goes well,
the listserv computer will send you a welcome message, and you
will begin to receive messages. When you write to the listserv
address you must tell it that you want to subscribe. For example,
if I wanted to join the stroke-l list below, I would write to
listserv@ukcc.uky.edu and my message would say "subscribe Shelley
Brundage." Do not attempt to subscribe to the mailing list by
sending a subscription message to the "stroke-l@ukcc.uky.edu"
address (this is the list address for the stroke-l mailing list),
as this will go out to all subscribers, and will not result in the
addition of your name to the mailing list. Using the list address
for this purpose is like writing a letter to the editor to
subscribe to Sports Illustrated. Once you have subscribed to an
electronic mailing list your name will remain on the list until
you tell the listserv to remove it (see next paragraph). You do
not have to subscribe each time you turn on your computer.
Signing off of a mailing list. As with magazines, computer
mailing lists can get boring, and you may want to discontinue your
subscription. Unlike magazine subscriptions that will stop when
you cease to pay for them, email mailing lists are free.
Therefore, in order to get off the mailing list you must tell the
computer that you wish to do so. To "unsubscribe" to a mailing
list you must write the listserv address again and request that
your name be taken off the list. The text of your message might
say, "Unsubscribe Shelley Brundage."
Sending messages to the entire list. This activity is not
required for your class email assignment, but I put it here in
case you wish to send comments out to the entire list (e.g., write
a letter to all subscribers). Let's say you want to start a
discussion on discharge planning on the grndrnds mailing list. To
do this, you would write to "grndrnds@wvnvm.wvnet.edu" and state
your interest in this discussion topic. A few notes here.
Remember that what you write and how you write it, will be read by
many people: professionals, other students, patients, and
caregivers. Therefore, your messages to the list should exhibit
the utmost professionalism and courtesy. Other readers will judge
you by the way in which you write your messages. I suggest
writing out what you want to say before sending it to the list.
This saves you from editing "on line."
Mailing List Topics. There are many mailing lists pertinent
to CDIS (see Kuster article). Interestingly, there is not an
electronic mailing list for dysphagia! The mailing lists below
are ones that I think are the most pertinent for this class.
Discussion of neurogenic CDIS: cnet-dil@listserv.arizona.edu
Discussion of cerebrovascular disease: stroke-l@ukcc.uky.edu
Discussion of TBI & neurologic disabilities: tbi-sprt@sjuvm.bitnet
Discussion of "the clinical process": grndrnds@wvnvm.wvnet.edu
APPENDIX B
Computer Use Questionnaire Sent to National CDIS programs
22 September 1995
Dear Colleague,
We need your help! We are planning to set up a computer lab
for Communication Disorders students. Currently at St. Cloud
State University, there are seven labs for campus-wide use and a
few that specific departments/colleges have set up for their
students. At this time, there is no lab specifically for students
in the CDIS major. Please fill out the enclosed questionnaire so
that we can get an idea as to what other departments are doing and
to help us in our planning.
Sincerely,
Margery M. Whites, Ph. D.
Department of Communication Disorders
St. Cloud State University
COMPUTER LABORATORY QUESTIONNAIRE
I. Departmental demographics:
1. Number of faculty in department _______
2. Type of program: (Please circle) a. SLP only
b. Audiology only
c. SLP and Audiology
3. Number of students in program: a. undergraduate_____
b. graduate_____
II. Students and computers:
1. Do you have computers available for student use within the
department?
a. yes
b. no
2. If NO, what access do students have to computers?
a. computer lab for all students on campus
b. they own their own
c.
Other?____________________________________________________
___
3. If YES, location of computers:
a. In a lab within the department
b. In a lab in the same building as the department
c. In a lab in the same building, shared with other
departments
d. In a multi-use or other room within the department
e. Faculty offices
f.
Other:_____________________________________________________
__
4. Number of computers available for students in your
department:___________
5. Are students in your program required to use computers for class
projects, clinic reports, etc.:
a. yes
b. no
6. Type of computers available: (circle all that apply)
Brand Name: Type: (e.g. 486SX)
a. IBM __________ f. Epson __________
b. Compaq __________ g. Macintosh __________
c. DEC __________ h. Apple __________
d. Zenith __________ i. Other (List):
___________________
e. Gateway __________
___________________
7. Printers available to students in your department:
Brand name: Number :
a. Okidata ________ e. Other (List): __________
________
b. Epson ________ __________ ________
c. Hewlett-Packard ________
d. Apple ________
8. Type of printers:
a. typing wheel c. ink-jet
b. dot-matrix d. laser
9. One printer is hooked up
a. to each computer
b. to every two computers
c. to several computers in a network
d. Other:_______________________________
10. There are computer hook-ups to
a. campus mainframe
b. campus mini-computer
c. department mini-computer
d. no hook ups
e. Other:_______________________________
11. For printing, students
a. supply their own paper
b. use departmental paper for free
c. use departmental paper for a fee
per semester/quarter--fee: ____
per sheet--fee:____
12. How are computers used in your department? (circle all that
apply)
a. by professors for research and classes
b. classroom demonstrations
c. tutorials for students to support classroom instruction
(e.g., phonetics, Developmental Sentence
Scoring, etc.)
d. to make students aware of computerized diagnostics as
part of university coursework
e. to make students aware of computerized therapy materials
as part of university coursework
f. used by students in clinical diagnostics
g. used by students in therapy
h. used by students for research
i. clinical, e.g. students keep track of clinical clock hours,
student typing of clinical reports
13. What general-usage commercially-produced software is used in
your computer lab?
Word-processing: Data-Base:
a. Microsoft Word for DOS a. Filemaker Pro
b. Microsoft Word for Windows b. Paradox
c. WordPerfect for DOS c.
Other________________
d. WordPerfect for Windows
e. WordPerfect for Mac Statistics:
f. MacWrite a. Epistat
g. WriteNow b. EcStatic
h. Microsoft Word for Mac c. SigmaStat
i. Other_________________ d. SPSS-PC
e. Minitab
f. Other_________________
Spreadsheet:
a. QuattroPro Other Programs:
b. Excel a. Claris Works
c. Lotus b. Aldus Pagemaker
d. Other__________________ c.
Other___________________
14. What commercially-produced software specific to Speech-
Language Pathology and Audiology are used by communication
disorders' students?
Diagnostics
a. Computerized Profiling
b. SALT
c. Voice Evaluation
d. Other_________________
Diagnostics - Computerized Test Scoring
a. Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination
b. Western Aphasia Battery
c. Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language-Revised
e. Woodcock-Johnson
f. Other_________________
Research
a. Absearch
b. Other__________________
Tutorials/Demos
a. ADAM
b. Developmental Sentence Scoring
c. Understanding Decibels - Parrot Software for Audiology
d. Other__________________
Clinical Therapy
a. Child Language
b. Cognitive Rehabiliatation
c. Aphasia
d. Voice/Nasality
e. Hearing
f. Fluency
g. Learning Disabilities
h. Other__________________
15. What self-generated software do you use in your lab?
a. Hypercard
b. Other. List:________________________________________
16. What kind of computer support services do you have?
a. repair from campus support staff
b. departmental technician
c. departmental programmer
d.
Other:__________________________________________________
17. What are the most successful aspects of computers used by
students in your department?
18. What are some pitfalls in setting up and maintaining computers
for student use?
19. Other comments you would like to make:
20. Please include your name and address if you would like the
results of this survey.
Thank you very much for your time in filling out this questionnaire.
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