Imagining the students of SPH510
The Master of Speech Pathology has the potential to draw students from many different backgrounds and from throughout Australia. Students will bring with them their individual experiences and motivations, all of which offer depth to the learning environment and relationships (Laurillard, 2012). Laurillard (2012) highlights three significant characteristics that students bring to their university learning context that are relevant to this potential student cohort: motivation and engagement, intellectual characteristics, and understanding and use of formal and informal learning contexts. The students will share their choice to return to study to train as a Speech Pathologist. This goal will support students’ motivation and engagement in their learning, with the potential to underpin a sense of self efficacy, given the support needed. Students will have a bachelor’s level qualification, providing them with experience of learning in a university context, as well as development of academic literacy. The entry requirements for the Masters of Speech Pathology do not restrict area of previous study. Thus, students may bring to the course a broad range of knowledge and skills, providing opportunity for significant learning through collaboration and sharing of experiences. Thirdly, students will have diverse experience of learning contexts in university as well as professional contexts, as well as preferences of learning styles. These learner characteristics have the potential to offer a diversity of experiences and views to the learning spaces.
However, the learning context will also provide some challenges to the teaching and learning experience. Despite having completed a tertiary degree, the learning context of the Master of Speech Pathology is likely to be new for most of the students as the course will be taught online. Given the rate of change of technology, and consequently learning and teaching strategies (Anderson & Dron, 2011), the likelihood is that even those who have experience with distance education will be new to the online learning context and the tools and strategies being implemented. Further, the course is a post graduate professional qualification, and will consequently draw in students who are needing to adapt to the processes of returning to study while balancing other work and life commitments. As the course is being offered by distance, it has the potential to draw in students for a variety of locations and backgrounds, once again adding diversity to the student population. However, this also creates the challenge of creating an environment that supports collaborative learning (Laurillard, 2012). Consequently, while the first year experience principles were developed for those entering university for the first time (Kift, 2009; Tinto, 2009), they have relevance to this subject as well. These principles will be discussed below with reference to SPH510.
The Master of Speech Pathology has the potential to draw students from many different backgrounds and from throughout Australia. Students will bring with them their individual experiences and motivations, all of which offer depth to the learning environment and relationships (Laurillard, 2012). Laurillard (2012) highlights three significant characteristics that students bring to their university learning context that are relevant to this potential student cohort: motivation and engagement, intellectual characteristics, and understanding and use of formal and informal learning contexts. The students will share their choice to return to study to train as a Speech Pathologist. This goal will support students’ motivation and engagement in their learning, with the potential to underpin a sense of self efficacy, given the support needed. Students will have a bachelor’s level qualification, providing them with experience of learning in a university context, as well as development of academic literacy. The entry requirements for the Masters of Speech Pathology do not restrict area of previous study. Thus, students may bring to the course a broad range of knowledge and skills, providing opportunity for significant learning through collaboration and sharing of experiences. Thirdly, students will have diverse experience of learning contexts in university as well as professional contexts, as well as preferences of learning styles. These learner characteristics have the potential to offer a diversity of experiences and views to the learning spaces.
However, the learning context will also provide some challenges to the teaching and learning experience. Despite having completed a tertiary degree, the learning context of the Master of Speech Pathology is likely to be new for most of the students as the course will be taught online. Given the rate of change of technology, and consequently learning and teaching strategies (Anderson & Dron, 2011), the likelihood is that even those who have experience with distance education will be new to the online learning context and the tools and strategies being implemented. Further, the course is a post graduate professional qualification, and will consequently draw in students who are needing to adapt to the processes of returning to study while balancing other work and life commitments. As the course is being offered by distance, it has the potential to draw in students for a variety of locations and backgrounds, once again adding diversity to the student population. However, this also creates the challenge of creating an environment that supports collaborative learning (Laurillard, 2012). Consequently, while the first year experience principles were developed for those entering university for the first time (Kift, 2009; Tinto, 2009), they have relevance to this subject as well. These principles will be discussed below with reference to SPH510.