A Focus Group Qualitative Analysis on the Real-time Online Learning Experience of Students Majoring in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

Abstract

Objectives: This purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of students who majored in Speech Therapy and Audiology Rehabilitation in relation to the real-time online learning experience using zoom conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to find a way to increase the effectiveness of non-face-to-face lectures in the future.Methods: Focus group interviews were conducted twice with 10 students (5 each) majoring in Speech Therapy and Audiology Rehabilitation. The questionnaire for the focus group interview consisted of 21 questions in 4 areas; including interaction, lecture content, lecture system, and comprehensive opinion, and the interview was conducted for 90 minutes for each group.Results: As a result of open-coding and analyzing the real-time online learning experiences of the study participants, 190 semantic units, 44 subcategories, and 10 core categories were derived. And the 10 core categories were divided into three dimensions: the personal dimension, the environmental dimension, and the pedagogical dimension. The results of the study confirmed the various opinions and desires of students for real-time online learning during the COVID-19 period.Conclusion: This study will provide a basis for building an effective real-time online teaching method and practical training system for field practice, and will further improve the educational effectiveness of education in the department of Speech Therapy and Audiology Rehabilitation.

‘[M]y own pace and space, without the pressures’: Online learning experiences of audiology students

“…The active presence of a course instructor aids in students’ active engagement with the course content and allows for student-instructor engagement (Kim et al, 2021 ). However, some of our participants reported a seemingly limited experience with their course instructors.…”

“…Furthermore, Tugtekin ( 2022 ) and Barber and Sher ( 2022 ) suggested that these strategies were commonly employed by students in higher education to facilitate their ability to manage and comprehend extensive coursework. This was observed during online learning when students engaged independently with content and consulted supplementary materials such as watching videos to increase their learning (Kim et al, 2021 ). Similar findings were reported by Queiros and De Villiers ( 2016 ) that supplementing course material with video clips, allowed students to better understand the course content.…”

“…Online learning as a pedagogical approach requires an efficient information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure to ensure quality learning and teaching and to improve students' experiences of learning. Similar to the audiology students who participated in Kim's (2021) study, our study participants favoured engaging in online learning at home because this was a more time and cost-effective mode of learning that offered more learning opportunities. As a result, the participants found online learning to be less exhausting than in-person learning sessions and were thus able to better prepare for assessments and organise their days efficiently.…”

“…In addition, limitations around infrastructure, for example, buildings that did not support online learning and the lack of consistent and reliable electricity supply affected other functions such as access to the internet and usability of training equipment, which in turn further exacerbated exclusions to online learning for students most notably for students in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs) (Dube, 2020 ; Singh et al, 2022 ; Zarei & Mohammed, 2021 ; Mupawose et al, 2021 ). Additional challenges reported by students were around engagement with course content in the absence of course instructors during theoretical and clinical teaching (Kim et al, 2021 ; Laher et al, 2021 ). Although these had negative implications on students’ experiences with online learning, there is a dearth of knowledge specific to the students in the audiology programmes in South Africa, thus, online learning approaches that were student-centred and designed for students in LMICs should be reimagined continuously (Babu & Reddy, 2015 ; Khoza-Shangase et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Student-centred learning approaches promote integrated educational programmes intended to encourage students’ engagement with their own learning (Lee & Hannafin, 2016 ; Panadero, 2017 ). Previous studies have reported the successful application of the practices of online learning with students in healthcare professions such as speech therapy, audiology, dentistry, medicine and nursing programmes (Khoza-Shangase et al, 2021 ; Kim et al, 2021 ; Masuku & Mupawose, 2022 ); however, these studies were not foregrounded on the student-centred learning approaches. Ölçek et al ( 2021 ) reported that some audiology students struggled to grasp knowledge of the theoretical courses in audiology that were offered online.…”