Date of Award

Spring 1-1-2021

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Speech-language Pathology Degree

Department

Speech Pathology and Audiology

First Advisor

Cox, Violet

Second Advisor

Monica Gordon Pershey

Third Advisor

Carol Spears

Abstract

This qualitative study analyzed student and instructor responses to survey questions regarding the effect of COVID-19 on clinical and academic instruction. Two hundred sixty-three accredited communication sciences and disorders and audiology programs across the United States received the survey. Overall, there were 931 participants, including both students and instructors. These participants responded to 19 content questions on the survey developed to help answer five research questions: (1) how were participants affected in terms of their emotional state? (2) Were students and instructors prepared for Forced Online Instruction (FOI)? (3) Were students and instructors comfortable with the level of education provided online? (4) Were students and instructors comfortable with the technology required for FOI? (5) Did students and instructors miss the socialization of classroom learning? The study found that instructor and student responses differed along the lines of academic instruction. Only 25% of students agreed that they received comparable education online compared to in-person, whereas 40% of instructors felt they provided equivalent instruction online. Furthermore, students also reported that their clinical education was not comparable online to in person. On the other hand, instructors believed they provided equivalent instruction. Instructors (31%) felt as though they provided equivalent clinical education online, iii whereas 20% of students felt as though the clinical education they received was equivalent online to in-person.

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