The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there are differences in development of ICC in a direct comparison of a face-to-face and asynchronous online introductory 100-level course in communication disorders taught by the same instructor.
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This research was funded by the 2021 CILMAR Seed Grant. The YouTube link to the presentation can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuG_CyDM5Gc&ab_channel=CILMAR.
Improving communication skills and providing culturally responsive care for a diverse patient population is critical for future speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists to provide high quality, effective, and ethical care. Although graduate clinical programs in SLP and audiology are mandated to include education regarding intercultural competence (ICC) by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA), there are no requirements for undergraduate curricula. Since intercultural learning (ICL) is a life-long venture, it is imperative that skills related to ICC start early in the academic program. The purpose of this study was to 1) evaluate whether there are differences in development of ICC in a direct comparison of a face-to-face and asynchronous online introductory 100-level course in communication disorders taught by the same instructor, and 2) to examine participant perceptions of their own learning through the ICL activities embedded in the course. The study used a mixed-methods approach and collected both quantitative (Intercultural Development Inventory®) and qualitative (reflection papers) data. Data analysis included t-tests and clustering analysis of quantitative data and scoring and thematic analysis of qualitative data. Overall, findings indicate that structured ICL activities embedded within a course can be an effective means of facilitating intercultural growth in participants in both face-to-face and online instructional modalities. Additionally, participants whose quantitative scores declined had similar qualitative comments suggesting intercultural growth in all participants independent of changes in quantitative scores.
If you are interested in applying for the CILMAR Seed Grant, information can be found here: https://purdue.edu/ippu/cilmar/research/seed-grants.html. Applicants should be employed and/or pursuing a course of study at Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus.
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Citation: Masters, C. M. & Krishnan, L. (2022). It's never too soon! Intercultural learning for undergraduate students in CSD programs. Intercultural Learning Hub (HubICL). https://hubicl.org/publications/186/1.