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The Design and Evaluation of a Simulation Tool for Audiology Screening Education: Design Science Approach
John Gerdes1, Benjamin Schooley2, Dakota Sharp3
1Department of Integrated Information Technology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
JMIR Formative Research
|February 20, 2025
Summary
A new hearing screening simulation software significantly boosted speech-language pathology students' confidence in performing audiology screenings. This tool enhances training by providing hands-on, self-paced learning for essential hearing health procedures.
Area of Science:
- Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
- Medical Simulation Technology
- Educational Technology
Background:
- Early identification of hearing loss and ear disorders is crucial for timely treatment.
- Regular hearing screenings are recommended across all age groups.
- Effective procedural training for speech-language pathology students is essential but often limited by physical access.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an innovative hearing screening simulation software platform.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of this simulation tool in training graduate speech-language pathology students in hearing screening procedures.
Main Methods:
- Developed an audiology simulator modeled after commercial audiometer and tympanometer devices.
- Employed a design science approach with iterative prototype development and clinical faculty feedback.
- Evaluated the simulator with 33 graduate students, comparing a control group (in-person instruction) with a test group (in-person instruction plus simulation tool).
Main Results:
- Students using the simulation tool reported significantly greater confidence in explaining procedures to children (P=.02).
- The simulation group showed increased confidence in determining normal (P=.02) and abnormal (P=.03) otoscopy results.
- Qualitative feedback highlighted the simulator's ease of use and its contribution to increased confidence in performing hearing screenings.
Conclusions:
- Software-based audiology screening simulation tools offer a beneficial educational approach for students and professionals.
- The developed tool facilitates individualized, self-paced learning with performance assessment and feedback.
- This simulation technology provides an extensible platform for diverse audiology screening training needs.
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