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Abstract

Accurate pronunciation of anatomical terms in the clinical practice of speech-language pathology (SLP) and audiology (AUD) enables a clinician to express and comprehend a conversation with peers and other professionals. It is also an important component of ensuring patient safety and in providing quality, patient-centered care. To date, no studies have explored whether differences may exist between the pronunciation skills of students who elect to complete a human anatomy and physiology course online versus in a face-to-face (FTF) format. This pilot study explored the ability of 98 undergraduate student participants to correctly pronounce 20 identical key terms that were a part of the course Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism. Students were enrolled in either an online or a FTF format of this course. Student participants were also asked to self-rate their perceived ability to pronounce these terms correctly using a Likert-type rating scale. The results indicated that students enrolled in the FTF format produced a significantly greater percentage of correct terms and rated their pronunciation ability significantly higher compared to those enrolled online. Performance of both groups was positively correlated to the self-ratings of pronunciation accuracy. These results suggest that an Internet-based, multimedia teaching method that incorporates tools for improving the pronunciation skills of students who complete a human anatomy and physiology course is warranted.

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