Speech Pathology Response to Student Feedback

BM1052 Anatomy and Physiology for Speech Pathology 2
One positive/One negative for having lots of different lecturers (will have one less lecturer in 2025). Three enjoyed labs/Two want more structured labs (labs are already highly structured). One wants to remove weekly quizzes – will remove summative, and make them formative in 2025. Students want a new timetabled class: weekly synthesis sessions.

SL1004 Linguistic Development
The mean overall satisfaction score for the subject was 5.0/5.0 with students particularly enjoying the content, structure of the subject, support provided, and timely feedback on assessment. There was one comment regarding requests to record tutorials where guest speakers delivered content. This comment will be taken into account when planning the subject delivery in 2025.

SL2003 Acquired Speech Impairments
The mean overall satisfaction score for the subject was 5.0/5.0. The organisation and flow of the subject. Students particularly enjoyed the learning structure provided in LearnJCU and the flow of the content.  Additionally, positive feedback was received regarding the subject organisation and individualised assessment feedback (including video feedback). These aspects will continue in 2025.

HS5111 Alcohol and Other Drugs

No student feedback was received for this subject.

HS5603 Health Service Evaluation 1

• The subject was well received by the enrolled students, and subject structure was evaluated as fit for purpose.
• Students have reported that they appreciate the timely and thorough feedback they receive, the availability and support provided by the subject coordinator.

HS5604 Health Service Evaluation 2

• The subject was well received by the enrolled students, and subject structure was evaluated as fit for purpose.
• Students have reported that they appreciate the timely and thorough feedback they receive, the availability and support provided by the subject coordinator.

PY1101 Exploring Psychology 1

A comment from your Associate Dean:
Thankyou all for your feedback. I regret that we do not have a Subject Coordinator allocated yet to this subject for next year, so it is not relevant to provide a response from the previous coordinator. However, we can still address concerns raised in the survey responses. Once they are allocated to the subject I will be requiring the new coordinator to action the following points before the next subject delivery:

• review of the nature and scope of the assessment tasks and timing in relation to the study period and other assessment in other subjects,
• if the critical literature review remains as an a assessment item, provide more supporting information to assist students with preparing this assignment
• provide lectures online as shorter podcasts instead of having live lectures,
• review the amount of detail and relevance of content,
• ensure that feedback and assessment is returned within 10 university working days,
• provide practice questions for the exam.

We are also looking into scheduling options for the face to face and online tutes so that students have flexibility in attending classes, this is a work in progress and we are liaising with Scheduling Services about tutes.

SL1001 Foundations of Speech Pathology

• Reorganise topics to present information about speech path conditions early in the semester to promote engagement. (Perhaps run one tutorial to address numeracy and literacy assessment rather than having it as key focus for first few weeks.

SL1002 Foundations of Linguistics and Phonology

• Organisation and structure of the subject and the LearnJCU subject site will continue.  The regular quizzes at the start and end of seminars and tutorials will also continue.

SL2006 Speech Development and Impairment

Thank you for your feedback. Things students like:

• Interactive activities
• Availability of lecturer
• Ability to re-sit failed assignments
• Use of group work
• Mandatory classes that encouraged attendance.

It is good to know that students like these aspects of the teaching and subject. These aspects will continue in the future. As the university no longer requires mandatory attendance, a weighted class participation assignment (similar to 2024 SL2002) will be initiated in 2025 for help with this.

Things students suggested could be improved:

• Content that overlaps with other subjects such as SL2011 is being reviewed.
• There was some feedback that assessments needed to be explained more clearly. The first lecture of the semester does go through the assessment items for the subject. Students are also asked prior to the assessment being due if they have questions. Nonetheless, more effort will be made to clarify the written explanation of assignments next year.
• There was some feedback in relation to the due dates of assignments. This will be taken into account. There are some constraints placed on lecturers in terms of how late they can set due dates at the end of the semester. Students are also able to submit assignments early if they feel the due date is too late. However, this will be considered for next year.
• There was also some feedback in relation to the length of the lectures. As we prepare for the move to trimesters, the subject may be reorganised and this will be taken into account.

SL2011 Speech Pathology Clinical Processes A

• Thank you or your feedback. One student suggested that the audiology component could be delivered better.  We are currently looking at ways to enhance the audiology content.
• The clinic component will continue as it is appreciated that students enjoy this.  However, there may need to be a different model for completion and staff are looking at ways to do this.

HS3401 Health Professional Research 2

• Application of how the information relates to or extends upon content already learned regarding performing literature reviews. Response: Greater emphasis on how a structured critical appraisal differs to a literature review but also emphasizing the importance of this process for informing your subsequent research question development.
• Suggestion for creating downloadable word documents. Response: The teaching team will explore options for students to have a note taking resource so students can be active participants in tutorial and note construction.
• Students appreciated having guest lecturers. Response: This approach will continue to be utilised in 2025.
• Duration of tutorials and timeframes for task completion could be improved. Response: In 2025, students will be exposed to project management. During the tutorials, each group member will take the lead of being the acting project manager for a week. This will require providing an overview of achievements and next steps that will be performed by the group. This provide further scaffolding to the group task and to the tutorial activities.

SL3002 Swallowing Disabilities Across the Lifespan

• Thank you for your feedback on this subject.  It was suggested by some students that the exam was weighted too highly, but it was also suggested that some of the other assessment items were weighted too low.  As we move towards reducing the number of assessment items, particularly as we adopt the trimester model, it is likely that the weighting of the final exam will actually increase – we cannot reduce the weighting of the exam as well as reduce the number of assessment items.
• In terms of the thought that Case Assignment Part B is too difficult as there are no assessment results for the client, this is the intention.  Students need to consider the potential assessment results given the client’s diagnosis, and then document and justify this.  This will therefore demonstrate students’ understanding.  If the assessment results were to be provided to students, this would reduce the amount of thinking they are required to complete, and does not replicate the real life situation of what a speech pathologist may see on the wards and need to consider.  This will therefore not change.
• One student suggested that there needs to be more face-to-face teaching of paediatric feeding and swallowing instead of completing the online module.  Paeds feeding and swallowing is a specialist area, and as such needs to be delivered by specialists.  As a result the CHQ Module will continue to be used, and additional hours for online learning have been added to the subject from 2025 onwards.
• Another student suggested that the word count for both parts of the case assignment was too low.  The word count for Parts A and B was increased in 2024 and this was made known to all students in class.  This will not be increased further as the majority of students are able to demonstrate excellent work with both the previous and current word counts.
• One student suggested that there was not enough instruction on how to modify foods and fluids, but all students were directed to the IDDSI website where there is ample instruction including YouTube videos, and some degree of self-learning is expected.  Note that while this task will continue in future years, it may not be assessed, though this has yet to be decided.

SL3004 Acquired Language Impairments

• Organisation and structure of the subject and the LearnJCU subject site will continue, as will the inclusion of weekly learning objectives.  One student recommended moving the case assignment to a bit later in the semester; however, I’ll need to consider this with regard to assessment item dues dates in other subjects and student workload, as well as ensuring enough time for SL3004 students to complete the intervention assignment, and consolidate learning to prepare for the examination.

SL4002 Speech Pathology Clinical Processes E

• Thank you for your feedback on this subject.  One student suggested that the tutorials were too lengthy.  We already acknowledge this and have reduced the tutorials from two hours to one hour from 2025 onwards.  Removal of the OSCEs is also under consideration.  The OSCEs were in place to ensure that all students were assessed as being at entry level when we had ranges of practice.  However, now that these have been removed by SPA, we may remove the assessment item.  Note that the content of subjects in terms of teaching hours and assessment items cannot simply be altered immediately, there is strict process to follow which needs to be completed many months in advance of the next offering of the subject.
• The job application will stay as this is authentic and will prepare students for real life.
• In terms of the final year students who are allocated two second years for screening clinic, there is no lack of transparency, and this will not change.  If there is a disparity in the number of students between Years 2 and 4, some final year students may be allocated two second years, or vice versa.  This cannot be helped, and it must be noted that all students have the same amount of work to complete.

SL4004 Speech Pathology Clinical Processes F

• No responses received in SP1 2024.

SL4200/SL4300 Speech Pathology Professional Honours Project B Part 1 of 2

Thank you for your feedback. Things students liked:

• Practical nature of tutorial
• Approachable Supervisors
• Useful resources
• Same day tutorials
• Only tutorials for 3 weeks
• Organised content
• Learning what to include in the introduction and methodology.

It is good to know that the students liked these aspects of the teaching and subject. These features will continue.

Things students suggested could be improved:

• Build in time for groups to discuss their projects with each other. This will be taken into account for next year.
• More time spent on other study designs. This will be taken into account for next year. It may be that for some part of the class, the students are split up into different groups dependent on their study design.