We are preparing for all scenarios this year and are currently planning to hold the 2021 ASHA Convention as an in-person/virtual hybrid event. To support education programing for our hybrid event, we have modified the session formats this year to accommodate both live, in-person sessions for the in-person event and pre-recorded sessions for our virtual library. Please email us at papers@asha.org if you have any questions about the session formats.
Master classes provide a more intensive, advanced learning opportunity for seasoned professionals or those whose work has a specialized focus. They are two-hour oral seminars that may be presented either in person or virtually (pre-recorded), with emphasis on clinical applications and/or science backed by appropriate levels of evidence and are presented at an advanced level. Presenters, who are invited by the Convention Program Committee, demonstrate recognized expertise in their area and have experience presenting continuing professional education programs. Master classes count for 2 hours of Professional Development Hours (PDHs).
Seminars are standard concurrent sessions intended to provide in-depth, continuing education for audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech-language-hearing scientists. Emphasis is on clinical applications and research advances, backed by appropriate levels of evidence. Content is tailored to fit the time period. Oral seminars may be presented as either live, in-person sessions or pre-recorded virtual sessions. Some presenters may be invited by the Convention Program Committee to present on a particular topic to enhance the education program. Oral seminars count for 1 hour of PDHs.
Poster presentations combine a verbal presentation with a visual aid to facilitate the rapid communication of scientific ideas. During these presentations, viewers visually guide themselves at their own pace through the basics of the study displayed on the digital poster, while a pre-recorded presentation focuses on explanation, clarification, and discussion of key elements of the work. Presenters will have a scheduled 90-minute time period to answer questions live, virtually (Thursday and Friday only; all scheduled times will be Eastern Time), which provides the opportunity for viewers to engage in discussion and to have one-on-one interactions with both the presenter and fellow viewers. Viewing each poster counts for 15 minutes of PDHs; participation in the live, virtual question and answer portion counts for 15 minutes of PDHs.
Technical sessions are 30-minute pre-recorded oral presentations. The purpose of a technical session is to communicate scientific information or highlight clinical innovations in an efficient form. A technical session may have either a research or clinical focus. Technical research sessions present recent research findings, or research in progress. Technical clinical sessions address the applied clinical aspects of the professions, such as the methodology of a specific diagnostic, a therapeutic strategy, or a unique service delivery model used by the clinician. Technical sessions count for 30 minutes of PDHs.