Course syllabus for Observation and Documentation

Observation och dokumentation

Essential data

Course code: 1EE121
Course name: Observation and Documentation
Credits: 3
Form of Education: Higher education, study regulation of 2007
Main field of study: Not applicable
Level: GX - First cycle
Grading scale: Fail (F), fail (Fx), sufficient (E), satisfactory (D), good (C), very good (B) or excellent (A)
Department: Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology
Decided by: Education committee CLINTEC
Decision date: 2023-04-20
Revised by: Education committee CLINTEC
Last revised: 2023-10-10
Course syllabus valid from: Spring semester 2024

Specific entry requirements

Incoming student on exchange in the Study Programme in Speech Language Pathology. Additionally, a good command of English, corresponding to 550 TOEFL scores. At least one year of study (bachelor level) in speech language pathology or equivalent at the foreign partner university.

Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, the student is expected to be able to:

  • plan and document communicative interactions using instrumental (audio and video recordings) as well as non-instrumental methods.
  • process collected data in an appropriate fashion and discuss ethical issues of audio and video recordings
  • use appropriate terminology and tools to process, annotate and analyze audio and video recordings.

Content

The course provides an overview of audio and video recording techniques in the context of observation and documentation. Several types of observational and non-instrumental methods for documenting communicative behavior are discussed. The course consists of lectures on recording techniques (e.g., microphone placement, microphone types, recording levels, recording environment, room acoustics, camera placement and lighting) in combination with students' own observations and recordings in the field.

The course also provides an introduction to software used for processing, annotation and analysis of audio and video recordings. Furthermore, it includes a lecture on research ethics, informed consent forms and other ethical aspects of making recordings, as well a lecture on the observer's role. The course concludes with group discussions and an exchange of experiences of making recordings and assuming the observer's role, illustrated with examples from students' own recordings.

Teaching methods

Instruction is given in the form of lectures and laboratory work. Observations and recordings carried out outside of the course schedule are also included.

Examination

The course is examined on the basis of individual and group assignments as well as active participation in the group discussion. The group discussion is based on all parts of the course, including recordings and home assignments. The examination is in English.

The course director decides if, and if necessary, how, absence from compulsory learning activities can be made up for. The final study results cannot be reported until the student has participated in the compulsory parts (or compensated any absence with assigned tasks in accordance with instructions from the course director). Absence from a compulsory learning activities component can result in that the student cannot make up for the activity until next time the course is offered.

A student who do not pass the regular examination is entitled to retake the examination on five more occasions. The third examination occasion is the next regular examination on the course. If the student has carried out six failed exams/tests, no additional examinations will be given. The number of times the student has participated in one and the same exam are counted as an examination trial. Submission of a blank exam counts as an examination trial. Examination to which the student registered but not participated in, will not be counted as an examination trial.

If there are special reasons, or a need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may make a decision to depart from the syllabus's regulations regarding the form of examination, number of examination opportunities, the possibility of supplementation or exemption from compulsory educational elements, etc. The content and learning objectives and the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities may not be changed, removed or reduced.

Transitional provisions

Examinations can take place according to the previous literature list for a period of one year after the time when the bibliography was renewed. Examinations will be provided for a period of two years after any discontinuation of the course.

Other directives

Course evaluation will be carried out according with Karolinska Institutet's local guidelines.

The langauge of instruction is English. However, if circumstances permit, the course can be given in Swedish.

The course may not be credited in the degree at the same time as the completed and approved course, whose content fully or partially corresponds to the content of the course.

Literature and other teaching aids

  • Svec, JG; Granqvist, S, Guidelines for selecting microphones for human voice production research, 2010 Ingår i: American journal of speech-language pathology [Elektronisk resurs]., Rockville, Md. : American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, ISSN: 1558-9110, LIBRIS-ID: 11338519, 19 (2010) : 4, p. 356-358,
  • The softest sound levels of the human voice in normal subjects, Sramkova, H; Granqvist, S; Herbst, CT; Svec, JG, 2015 Ingår i: The journal of the Acoustical Society of America., New York : American Institute of Physics for the Acoustical Society of America, 1929- ISSN: 0001-4966, LIBRIS-ID: 3402251, 137 (2015) : 1, p. 407-418,
  • Styler, W, Using Praat for Linguistic Research, University of Michigan Linguistics, 2016 http://savethevowels.org/praat/UsingPraatforLinguisticResearchLatest.pdf,
  • User Guide for ELAN Linguistic Annotator., The Language Archive, MPI for Psycholinguistics, The Netherlands., http://www.mpi.nl/corpus/manuals/manual-elan_ug.pdf,