Evaluation of Knowledge and Skills
All students must demonstrate that they are competent in the knowledge and skills as defined by the 2014 ASHA Standards. Each course in the sequence targets specific knowledge and skills related to the standards as well as evaluation methods. Beyond the classroom other formative and summative assessments are performed on an ongoing basis.
Formative assessment
- Daily feedback from clinical supervisors
- Mid-term student review by all clinical supervisors and academic faculty
- End of semester clinical assessment report
- Evidence-based practice structured writing assignments
- In the first semester, the assignment is an introduction to information literacy as well as evidence-based practice.
- In the second semester, the focus of this project is the evaluation of resources.
- In the third semester, students are expected to design a well-structured therapy plan supported by evidence from current research. This includes (1) formulating a cohesive plan based on academic learning; (2) finding, evaluating, integrating, and citing new information from credible sources into treatment designs. The successful completion of this project depends on the synthesis of skills gained in the first two semester information literacy projects, combined with coursework and clinical experiences that are developed across the first three semesters through lab projects and one-on-one feedback sessions with clinical supervisors.
Summative assessment
- Comprehensive examination during the second year of the graduate program. Feedback on areas of strength and weakness are given to help prepare for the PRAXIS exam.
- Students may select a thesis option instead of completing comprehensive exams.