A Human-Centered Design Approach to SOVTE Straw Phonation Instruction

Area of Science:

• Vocal Pedagogy
• Human-Centered Design
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Straw/tube voice exercises (SOVTEs) are recognized for enhancing voice quality.
• Understanding pedagogical practices in SOVTEs is crucial for effective vocal training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore pedagogical practices for straw/tube voice exercises (SOVTEs).
• To apply human-centered design (HCD) principles to examine teacher-student workflows in SOVTEs.

Main Methods:

• Conducted five participatory role-playing workshops at a vocology conference.
• Included speech-language pathologists, voice scientists, and various voice teachers.
• Collected written and verbal feedback from participants and expert evaluators on teaching dynamics and best practices.

Main Results:

• Identified common themes in instructional teaching, experiential learning, and SOVTE mechanics.
• Differentiated successful and unsuccessful teaching and learning techniques.
• Observed variability in teaching approaches but emerged common themes.

Conclusions:

• SOVTEs, particularly straw phonation, offer clear benefits for voice quality.
• Integrating HCD experts into multidisciplinary teams can refine SOVTE tools for precision and effectiveness.
• This research aids in differentiating SOVTE approaches within vocal habilitation and rehabilitation.