Immersion learning at an aphasia camp: Analysing student video reflections

Abstract

Purpose

Aphasia camps provide a learning context where students can gain knowledge and skills for clinical practise and regarding the lived experience of individuals affected by aphasia. The aim was to examine student learning experiences at a rustic, residential aphasia camp and explore the potential utility of video reflections.

Method

Twenty-two student participants, who served as volunteer staff at an aphasia camp, reflected daily on their learning experiences. Manual, qualitative coding was used to characterise individual, verbal reflections conducted through video modality.

Result

Three overarching themes were identified: applied learning, service, and clinical experience. Categories within applied learning included increased application of content knowledge, an evolving perspective of living with aphasia, and collaborative learning. Within service, students identified a commitment to making a meaningful impact, interpersonal relationships, and meeting the challenge. The clinical experience theme included increased confidence/self-efficacy and inspirational/rewarding categories.

Conclusion

Aphasia camp is a unique learning environment where hands-on experiences influence students’ knowledge, sense of civic responsibility, and developing clinical skills. Being immersed in a remote environment alongside individuals affected by aphasia fosters insights into the lived experience of aphasia and may enhance empathy. Video reflections appear to be a viable means of capturing authentic, organic, and emotional reflections.

Keywords:

• aphasia camp
• immersion learning
• service learning
• video reflections

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge programmatic support for the CV-AC from Mayo Clinic Health Systems – Eau Claire (MCHS-EC) and UWEC. A special thanks to Erika Freezy for transcribing, censoring, and segmenting transcripts for coding and to Seemah Gunasagaran who was a research coder but is not listed here as an author. Further, we wish to thank the students who provide invaluable logistic and communication supports at camp and the camp attendees.

Declaration of interest

All authors in the present investigation are staff members at the CV-AC. Further, authors 1 and 2 are employees at UWEC, who funds student attendance at the camp. Author 3 was not a staff member nor student volunteer when she served as RA in the investigation. Both authors 1 and 2 are professors at UWEC and instructed and mentored the student participants. Authors 2 and 4 are employees of the MCHS-EC that primarily funds camper participation. No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2020.1844294