A preliminary investigation into the use of an auditory brainstem response (ABR) simulator for training audiology students in waveform analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if a computer simulation can be used to improve the ability of audiology students to analyse ABR waveforms.


METHODS
A pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental design was used. All participants completed a pretraining examination of their ability to analyse ABR waveforms, eight hours of ABR analysis training over eight weeks using one of three training modes-manual, simulator or combined manual and simulator training, and a posttraining examination of their ability to analyse ABR waveforms.


METHODS
Fourteen third-year audiology students (13 female, one male, aged 21 to 22 years) participated in this study.


RESULTS
Participants who completed the manual or the combined manual and simulator training achieved significantly higher normalized gain scores on their ABR waveform analysis examinations compared to those who completed the simulator training (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the improvements seen in the ability of these audiology students to analyse ABR waveforms were driven primarily by the manual training. The minimal improvements seen in the students who received the simulator training suggest that face-to-face instruction could be required to enhance the ability of audiology students to analyse ABR waveforms.
* Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia , Kuantan , Malaysia.
Ahmad Aidil Arafat
AA
Dzulkarnain
Wan Mahirah
WM
Wan Mhd Pandi
Wayne J
WJ
Wilson
Andrew P
AP
Bradley
Faizah
F
Sapian
D001298:Audiology / Q000193:education*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D011897:Random Allocation; D012984:Software
ABR waveform analysis; Auditory brainstem response (ABR); computer-based simulation (CBS); simulator training