Digital Guest Speakers Who Stutter: Student Perceptions of Videoconferencing Within a Fluency Disorders Course

Purpose: The purpose of this pedagogical research study was to understand how the use of audio/visual Internet-based communication systems, such as Skype, effect student learning, when digital guest speakers who have a fluency disorder (e.g., developmental stuttering) visit the classroom via videoconferencing technology. Methods: A mixed-method approach was used to explore if the use of videoconferencing technology was a valuable method of supplemental instruction for graduate-level speech-language pathology students in a Fluency Disorders course. Twenty-six students enrolled in the course participated in this study and provided numerical and descriptive responses to questions in an optional and anonymous paper-based, pre and post survey. Throughout the course, four guest speakers of varying ages who were people who stutter were brought in, via Skype, and participated in 20–30-minute semi-structured interviews that explored the attitudes and beliefs of people who stutter. Results: Paired sample t-tests revealed that students rated their knowledge of stuttering and confidence to work with populations with fluency disorders as significantly higher after interacting with the digital guest speakers. Thematic analysis revealed 3 major themes of the students’ perceptions of utilizing videoconferencing technology: (1) Innovative (2) Informative and (3) Insightful. Conclusions: Findings from the data suggest the use of videoconferencing technology to present students with digital guest speakers who have a fluency disorder and how that learning experience seems to benefit the students. Students reportedly gained a deeper understanding and perspective on the subject matter through the real-time interactions that existed between the digital guest speakers, the professor, and the students.