Four b-learning models in childrens speech-language therapy

B-learning is a new tool in children’s speech-language pathology, one which has not previously been tested empirically by Polish scholars. Polish speech-language pathology has used information and communication technologies for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes for more than 30 years. Originally, speech-language pathologists in Poland used computer software translated from other languages, but in the 1990s, they began to develop their own programs to accommodate the specificity of the Polish language. The advent of the Internet brought with it speech-language therapy e-learning platforms. The author of this paper created a remote speech-language therapy course concept in 2009, which was used to create the first Polish e-learning platform for children with speech impediments, available at www.elogo.edu.pl. Developed in 2010, it was part of the EU project: “Stworzenie internetowego serwisu E-Logo-Edukacja, opartego na innowacyjnych e-usługach: e-logopedia i e-statystyka” (“Development of the E-Logo-Edukacja online service based on innovative e-services: e-speech therapy and e-statistics”). The platform has been used in the speech-language therapy of children with speech impediments in order to verify if new technologies can help improve articulation. The creator of the concept named it b-learning, and it incorporates online exercises into traditional speech-language therapy. A study conducted between 2011 and 2014 on two 35-person groups (an experimental group and a control group) proved that b-learning can be effective when applied in children’s speech-language therapy. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of four b-learning models. The results obtained proved that the most effective b-learning model involved the concurrent use of traditional speech-language therapy and the e-learning platform.