LM305 - From Clinician to Educator: Empowering New Audiology Educators and Clinical Supervisors

Abstract: Many audiologists find themselves teaching, supervising students, or managing clinical education program for their facilities without formal preparation. This session provides practical strategies for effective didactic and clinical teaching and introduces new tools to improve student and preceptor/facility evaluations and facilitate effective delivery of clinical education services. Attendees will learn about the principles of adult learning and approaches for mentoring diverse students through challenging interactions. Participants will assess and provide feedback on new evaluation tools designed by the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education for instructors in both classroom and clinical settings through externship.

Summary: Audiology education is supported by practicing clinicians who find themselves in teaching and/or supervisory roles, often with little or no formal training in educational methods. Many audiologists who serve as adjunct or part-time faculty, guest lecturers, or externship preceptors bring rich clinical expertise but limited preparation for structured learning experiences, assessing student performance, navigating challenging interactions, or developing processes to manage clinical education requirements. This session aims to address that gap by providing practical and evidence-based strategies for effective teaching and clinical education, while also engaging attendees in evaluating new instructional and supervisory tools to support clinician-educators. In keeping with the ACAE’s priority of fostering professional ownership and maintaining the highest standards of audiology education, this presentation aims to provide clinical audiologists with strategies to enhance their effectiveness as educators and mentors.

The session will begin by exploring the commonalities between didactic and clinical teaching. Both require understanding how adults learn, setting clear expectations, and aligning learning outcomes with competencies. Professional behavior and self-reflection are also expected in the classroom and clinic. We will review principles of adult learning with examples from audiology settings, including case-based learning, simulation, and interprofessional education. Discussions about how these approaches can translate to externship and clinical supervision and classroom instruction, including in online courses.

A major focus will be strategies for mentoring and evaluating students in didactic and clinical contexts. We will introduce new evaluation tools designed to improve consistency and transparency in student feedback across programs. The tools address areas such as communication, professionalism, and competencies. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact and evaluate the tools directly through discussion, case-based scenarios, and real-time feedback about their usability, clarity, and application to instruction. The interactive component will serve as the first step to refining these tools before broader implementation.

Attention will be given to supporting students from diverse backgrounds, managing difficult supervisory or classroom situations, improving communication, and maintaining professionalism. Discussion will also address how to stay up-to-date with clinical and educational trends while juggling roles and limited institutional or organizational support.

Brief Summary of Clinical Takeaways: The clinical takeaway from this session is that audiologists can elevate their teaching and clinical supervision by applying adult-learning principles, setting clear competency-aligned expectations, and using standardized feedback tools to promote consistent and equitable training in the classroom and clinic.

Learning Objectives:

• Upon completion, participants will be able to summarize how adult learning theory applies to audiology education.
• Upon completion, participants will be able to evaluate strategies and tools for consistent and competency-based evaluation.
• Upon completion, participants will be able to discuss approaches for creating inclusive, professional, and effective learning environments in the classroom and clinic.