Virtual Patients: Impact of Computer Simulation on Audiology Learning and Practice

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Audiological assessment relies on practical skills.
• Simulation tools can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical application.
• Evaluating user satisfaction is crucial for effective educational technology adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess student satisfaction with an audiometric simulator's interface.
• To evaluate the self-perceived impact of the simulator on practical audiology skills.
• To identify areas for improvement in the audiometric simulation tool.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, observational study with 35 Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology students in Brazil.
• Two-phase evaluation: 1) satisfaction with simulator for learning, 2) self-perception of impact on practical performance.
• Data collected via anonymous Google Forms questionnaires after theoretical module completion.

Main Results:

• Students positively rated the simulator as an auxiliary tool for audiology learning.
• Participants also positively assessed the simulator's impact on their audiological practice.
• The simulator demonstrated high acceptability and user satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• The audiometric simulator is an interactive system with high user satisfaction.
• The simulation tool has significant potential to positively impact practical audiology performance.
• Findings support the integration of this simulator in audiology education.