Talking in Time: The development of a self-administered conversation analysis based training programme for cochlear...

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Conversational speech, especially with overlapping talk, presents challenges for individuals with Cochlear implants (CI).
• Existing communication training programs may not adequately address real-world conversational dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop user-centered training software for CI users to improve conversational participation.
• To incorporate feedback from CI users throughout the software development lifecycle.

Main Methods:

• Extracted examples of conversational overlap from a 3.5-hour British English corpus.
• Conducted eight meetings with an expert panel of five CI users to refine training program ideas.
• Developed interactive software modules focusing on turn-taking, competitive, and accidental overlaps.

Main Results:

• A computer-based training program was created based on CI user feedback.
• The program includes introductory videos and interactive modules on various conversational overlap scenarios.
• The training exclusively uses naturally occurring conversational speech.

Conclusions:

• The project successfully involved CI users throughout the development process.
• The use of ecologically valid speech material offers potential for effective speech rehabilitation.
• The developed software addresses practical challenges in self-administered communication training for CI users.