Increasing Knowledge and Skills of Graduate Students Using Experiential Education

This study examined the impact of experiential education through the utilization of vignettes on graduate student knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the area of written language disorders. Graduate students enrolled in a written language disorders class completed assessment measures designed to examine clinical understanding and confidence when preparing to teach a client exhibiting a written language disorder. The impact of the use of vignettes in the learning process was measured using pre- and post-tests, class surveys, and focus group interviews. Students demonstrated significant improvement in their knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding written language disorders. All pre- and post-course comparisons were significant (p < .01). Therefore, the use of vignettes in a graduate level written language disorders course created learning experiences which resulted in the transformation of factual and theoretical knowledge into active clinical understanding and clinical confidence.