Second Year Courses

Second-year students will be supervised by clinical faculty members in the HA Leeper Speech and Hearing clinic. Second-year students will be exposed to a wider variety of appointments across the age span, including, but not limited to: IHP assessments/fittings/follow-ups, CAP assessments, amplification assessments/fittings/follow-ups, FM assessments/fittings/follow-ups, tinnitus assessments, and paediatric (non-IHP) assessments. This placement will provide second-year students the opportunity to broaden their clinical experience and expertise.

Focus Area: Hearing Science, Physiology, Disorders

This course will provide knowledge of the normal and disordered development of both hearing and the auditory pathways, as a scientific foundation for modern assessment procedures in pediatric audiology. The impact of teratogenic, congenital, and/or genetic anomalies on the normal development of the hearing system will be introduced. Protocols for clinical pediatric assessment will be taught in specific areas including high frequency tympanometry, and assessment of Auditory Processing Disorder and Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder. Case studies will be used to build emerging competence in integrating results across a test battery.

• Course outline

Focus Area: Hearing Technologies

This course will support advanced clinical practice in prescribing and verifying hearing aids, with an emphasis on evidence-based use of procedures and technologies. Advanced knowledge of the scientific foundations underlying current clinical practice will be supported and expected. Reading and discussion of evidence and modern protocols will critically evaluate advanced procedures in real ear measurement, prescription, electroacoustic evaluation of dsp, and outcome measurement.

• Course outline

Focus Area: Hearing Technologies

This course will support advanced clinical practice in prescribing and verifying hearing aids, with an emphasis on evidence-based use of procedures and technologies. This course will train advanced practice procedures in hearing aid prescription, technology selection, and technology evaluation, and dispensing, with a focus on practice with the pediatric population and advanced technologies. Hands on activities with simulated patients, clinical observation with reflection, portfolio building, and training on administrative procedures (forms, protocols) will build practical skills in these areas of practice.

• Course outline

Focus Area: Clinical-Professional

This course focuses on the theory, practice and issues related to the provision of aural rehabilitative (AR) services to deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing individuals of all ages. The role of the audiologist in the provision of these services, and in partnership with other health professions, and consumer-based organizations will be explored. Students will transition from theory to practice through observation and participation in a variety of practical experiences for different age groups. Practical experiences may include in-house and external placements in settings that include: adult group aural rehabilitation programs (speech reading, communication strategies and management, school board placements for high school (Montcalm) and elementary school age children (including Hear Together and Discovery Day, work with school board audiologist and possibly itinerant teachers, Fairmont), cochlear implant program, Canadian Hearing Society, Infant Hearing Program, other community programs (Lean on Me, Gray Matters, Centre for Activity and Aging).

• Course outline

Focus Area: Clinical-Professional

This course will provide an in-depth overview of foundations of counseling for adults and children with communication, hearing, vestibular and tinnitus disorders and their families. Counseling approaches designed to maximize a patient's ability to understand, adapt and cope with a communication disorder will be learned through clinical observations, demonstrations, clinical case studies, and role-playing.

• Course outline

Second-year students will have the option of being placed in the HA Leeper Speech and Hearing clinic or an off-campus site. Students will be provided the ability to function autonomously in a wider variety of appointments, including, but not limited to: CAP assessments, amplification assessments/fittings/follow-ups, FM assessments/fittings/follow-ups, tinnitus assessments, and paediatric (non-IHP) assessments. Improvement in technique and continued growth in clinical skills and knowledge will be expected; second-year students should be working more independently and functioning in a more autonomous capacity with minimal supervision. This placement will provide clinical faculty supervisors the opportunity to work more closely with those students that need additional training or support.

Focus Area: Clinical-Professional

This course will make use of experiential learning strategies (e.g., case studies, observation, reflective practice, resource portfolios) to build competence in protocol knowledge, integration of information, clinical decision analysis, developing recommendations, presentation of information, and professionalism in the context of service delivery. Students will present adult and pediatric clinical cases for discussion, analysis and reflection. Hearing instrument, assistive technology and instrumentation manufacturers will present to inform students of current products and technologies relevant to the practice of audiology.

Focus Area: Clinical-Professional

This course will make use of experiential learning strategies (e.g., lectures, seminars, guest lecturers, case studies, observation, reflective practice, resource portfolios) to build competence in protocol knowledge, integration of information, and professionalism in the context of service delivery.

Focus Area: Hearing Technologies

This course will cover core knowledge of physiology, psychophysics, technology, and clinical practice implantable hearing technologies, with a focus on cochlear implants. [add detail as needed] The course combines lectures, psychophysical and practical laboratory activities, and clinical observation.

Focus Area: Hearing Science, Physiology, Disorders

This course will approach hearing disorders from a broad perspective, beginning with pathophysiology and etiology and encompassing medical and audiological approaches to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. The focus will be on the adult population.

Focus Area: Clinical-Professional

This course focuses on the theory, practice and issues related to the provision of aural rehabilitative (AR) services to deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing individuals of all ages. The role of the audiologist in the provision of these services, and in partnership with other health professions, and consumer-based organizations will be explored. Students will transition from theory to practice through observation and participation in a variety of practical experiences for different age groups. Practical experiences may include in-house and external placements in settings that include: adult group aural rehabilitation programs (speech reading, communication strategies and management, school board placements for high school (Montcalm) and elementary school age children (including Hear Together and Discovery Day, work with school board audiologist and possibly itinerant teachers, Fairmont), cochlear implant program, Canadian Hearing Society, Infant Hearing Program, other community programs (Lean on Me, Gray Matters, Centre for Activity and Aging)

In this module, the focus is on theory-to-practice and covers issues related to noise in occupational and non-occupational settings, including educational facilities. Noise control, noise exposure measurement, hearing loss prevention through personal hearing protection, and room acoustics including noise issues related to the educational setting will be covered. Public education programs relating to noise will also be incorporated into this learning experience.

Second-year students will be placed at clinical practicum sites within Canada. The external placement is the second-year students’ second experience with a full-time audiological placement. The placement will last approximately 8-12 weeks and include 30-40 hours of practicum per week. The final external placement is intensive and allows the second-year student the opportunity to fine-tune their assessment skills, and achieve competence for entry to clinical practice.

Focus Area: Major Professional Area

Each year, one advanced topic will be offered by a content expert. Using a graduate seminar style, students will explore issues of advanced or emerging knowledge that impacts practice today or that may drive practice change in the future.