Investigating Speech Therapists' Clinical Reasoning: Analysing Think-Aloud Protocols and Integrating Multiple-Source Data

Howarth, B. , Hoben, K., Morris, J., Varley, R., Lee, J. and Cox, R. (2005) Investigating Speech Therapists' Clinical Reasoning: Analysing Think-Aloud Protocols and Integrating Multiple-Source Data. 11th Biennial Conference of the European Association for Research in Learning and Instruction (EARLI), Nicosia, Cyprus, 23-27 Aug 2005.

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Abstract

We report results from pilot studies of speech and language therapists who used a web-based case-based teaching resource (www.patsy.ac.uk) to diagnose previously unseen patient cases. The aim was to identify sources of impasse in their clinical reasoning. Pairs of therapists collaborated - they were encouraged to `think aloud' and were videotaped. Other data were derived from the PATSy system logs. The time course and sequence in which students administered standardised language tests to the (virtual) patient were determined from the log data. The think aloud discourses and the PATSy log data were triangulated. A coding scheme for the think aloud protocols was also developed. This required, inter alia, making decisions about the grain size of analysis. Together, the two sources of rich data provided useful insights into students' clinical reasoning. The results will inform subsequent stages of the project, specifically: 1. by elucidating the extent to which domain- specific knowledge versus more general reasoning heuristics are involved, and 2. by identifying topics around which structured task-directed discussion (TDD) ex- ercises can be developed. The TDDs will be used in the next project phases as a principled method for eliciting educational dialogues for re-use as vicarious learn- ing resources.

Item Type:Conference or Workshop Item
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Howarth, Dr Barbara
Authors: Howarth, B., Hoben, K., Morris, J., Varley, R., Lee, J., and Cox, R.
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures
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