On June 29 and 30, an international community of people from countries participated in the AG Bell Global Listening and Spoken Language Virtual Symposium
By Melody Bertrand
For the third year in a row, attendees came together in a virtual learning environment to hear from leaders in the field of listening and spoken language and improve their own knowledge about best practices.
“Many people around the world are eager to learn more about LSL and related positive outcomes,” said Emilio Alonso-Mendoza, CEO of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell). “I am thrilled we have continued building and bringing our virtual symposium program to people who are eager to learn more about listening and spoken language practice.”
Creating Connection
Attendees to this year’s virtual Symposium tuned in to gain a global perspective on current and emerging best LSL practices as well as provide collaborative opportunities to meet, network, and learn with colleagues. “There was an overall theme of collaboration between disciplines,” one attendee noted.
Producing a virtual learning environment that mirrors in person sessions creates unique opportunities for learning and sharing. “I enjoyed the chat feature so although the symposium was virtual, I still felt like I could connect with colleagues and exchange ideas, resources, and comments,” mentioned one attendee.
The chat rooms became quite lively, with participants offering their own experiences to supplement the presentations. Participants were able to actively discuss the presentations, respond to polls from the presenters to help them direct the session’s content, and ask questions directly to the presenters. As one attendee summarized, “The technology worked so well…I LOVE that the chat room immediately references notations and provides opportunities to greet others, and Q/A is less intimidating in virtual sessions than in live sessions.”
Global Reach
Live captioning was provided in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Arabic. The ability to communicate presentations in multiple languages increased opportunities for people all over the world to learn more about listening and spoken language development and best practices. As one attendee noted, “We are expanding to more and more nations! With technology I can learn from and alongside people all over the world.”
In fact, the number of presenters from other countries increased dramatically, making up nearly half of all presenters. “I love to hear different accents. It shows how international our community has become! Nobody is alone!,” exclaimed one attendee.
As costs for travel can really limit international collaboration, the AG Bell Global Virtual Symposium has been able to overcome those barriers and create a unique learning community. One attendee summarized this aspect nicely: “It was an amazing feeling to be professionally engaged with others interested in LSL internationally.”
World Class Presentations
However, the biggest draw to this year’s Symposium remained the education program, types of presentations, and presenters themselves. From NIH-funded keynote presentations to immersive sessions, there was a little bit of everything for attendees to enjoy. “All of the presenters I viewed in the two days were SUPER knowledgeable and all provided information I can apply immediately with my patients,” concluded one attendee.
In particular, a highlight for many were the NIH-funded keynote presentations. The presenters summarized their research and work around how children build literacy skills as well as the connection of language and socioemotional development. Research and action plans around global health disparity and the importance of parent coaching were also presented. The symposium culminated in a special panel presentation discussing the critical role of a parent-focused society plays in the development and well-being of children. As one attendee said, “the quality and quantity of topics were very high level and very professional.”
New this year were immersive sessions, which provided more content that could immediately be taken and implemented into practice. These sessions were very popular among attendees. “The immersive sessions helped me to be inspired…ACTIONS based on evidence!,” said one attendee.
Another commented, “Listening to others talk about their progress and tips for therapy. It’s been a long pandemic and it’s nice to see us talk about ‘non-covid’ topics, and get back to the basics as listening and spoken language specialists.”
“I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of information that I learned and will be able to apply with my caseload,” said a third attendee.
Symposium Sessions Still Available On-Demand Through August
Although the live sessions included chances for direct interaction via a chat component in the learning environment, the virtual Symposium itself is not yet over. Regardless of where you are in the world, you will still have an opportunity to learn about best practices in the field of listening and spoken language, information that can easily be applied directly to practice. And you can do this on your own schedule, in the comfort of your home.
On July 20- August 31, AG Bell will launch its on-demand Symposium. The recorded sessions will be available to view until the end of August through the Symposium’s online learning platform, and registrants can earn up to 42.5 continuing education credits (CEUs) for the AG Bell Academy, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA). Those who registered for and/or attended the live Symposium will also have access to the on-demand sessions at no additional cost. However, anyone can still register and participate in the on-demand version of the Symposium at www.agbellsymposium.com.
Where To Next?
Plans to combine a virtual component with in-person learning will take focus as the world begins to move past the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, AG Bell will offer an in-person Symposium in Washington, D.C., that will include a virtual aspect for learning.
“With the success of our third virtual Symposium, we are clear about the future of online learning moving forward,” said Gayla Guignard, AG Bell’s Chief Strategy Officer. “However, we are also well aware that some of the best learning, sharing, and growing happens when we come together and share our thoughts, ideas, and best practices. I look forward to working with next year’s committee to offer the same high-quality program both virtually and in-person.”