Presented by Lissa Power-defur

Ethics education is a fundamental component of any graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders (speech-language pathology). Longwood’s program includes a 2-hour class on ethics and professional issues based on the principles of constructivist teaching; in which students actively seek out new knowledge through discussions, written reflections, class debates, and simulations. Students’ knowledge and attitudes was studied in pre- and post-tests for nine classes, 8 face-to-face and one on-line. Changes were most noted in knowledge of the Code of Ethics of the profession and decision-making processes. Results suggest that students’ attitudes about ethics and morality are formed prior to entering graduate education.

Dr. Power-deFur is a Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Longwood, where she was instrumental in creation of the graduate program. She designed the Ethics and Professional Issues course and has taught it since the program was created in 2006. She served as a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Board of Ethics from 2004 – 2006. She currently serves as the Vice President of Standards and Ethics in Speech-Language Pathology for ASHA. She was the recipient of Longwood’s Maria Bristow Starke Award for Faculty Excellence in 2012.