Basic Audiometry Learning Manual

Description

The Basic Audiometry Learning Manual, a volume in the Core Clinical Concepts in Audiology Series, is designed to provide beginning clinicians and students with experiences and instruction in the art and science of clinical audiometry techniques. Learning outcomes, review of concepts, observation exercises, guided practice, and review materials serve as catalysts for active learning of concepts and provide opportunity for utilization of fundamental audiometry methods. The Learning Manual can be used in conjunction with a text of the instructor’s choosing, or with the books of the complementary Core Clinical Concepts in Audiology: Basic Audiometry Series to promote reflection, application, and assessment of learned information. The comprehensive content of the Learning Manual encompasses the breadth of audiologic evaluation, including history taking and patient communication, ear canal assessment, immittance, pure-tone testing, masking, speech audiometry, otoacoustic emissions, and patient counseling. Along with its family of texts in the Core Clinical Concepts in Audiology Series, the Learning Manual is designed to cultivate successful learning by students and professionals. Each chapter of the Learning Manual consists of various components designed to guide the reader through an engaging process of active learning. The first component, Learning Outcomes, provides the reader with clear goals for knowledge and skill building and a foundation for readers to evaluate their progress toward clinical competence outcomes. The second component, Review of Concepts, provides a concise review of the theoretical knowledge necessary for performance of clinical activities. This section provides examples that serve as a preparation for practice of the clinical skill. The third component, Observation, challenges readers to witness the behavior of seasoned professionals in the act of clinical practice. Observation exercises may be performed by watching clinical instructors or practicing professionals in the laboratory, classroom, or clinic, utilizing the pertinent techniques with patients, students, or volunteers. The Observation component encourages students to learn by example and provides the opportunity for instructors to model exemplary clinical behavior. The fourth component, Guided Practice, leads the reader step-by-step through exercises designed to provide first-hand experience performing clinical activities. Components of each clinical activity are segmented into manageable modules, allowing readers to experience success with the individual elements of clinical techniques and systematically guide readers toward clinical competence. The final component, Reflection and Review, provides readers with opportunities to incorporate newfound understanding gained through Observation and Guided Practice into their theoretical and conceptual knowledge base through answering reflective and review questions. By explaining methods, describing experiences, and answering questions related to techniques, readers will demonstrate their understanding of concepts and have opportunity to assess learning in relation to expected outcomes, set forth in the Learning Outcomes section. Chapters of the Learning Manual can be completed in a serial fashion, following the sequence of a typical audiologic evaluation. Alternatively, the order of activities can be tailored to suit a particular instructional curriculum, or as individual topics coalesce with the reader’s immediate goals. Topics addressed in each chapter are explored indepth in the books of the associated Basic Audiometry Series of the Core Clinical Concepts in Audiology Series, and references are provided to these books to provide an integrated learning experience for readers. Readers may also find additional information from other sources as well to be used as a supplement to or in lieu of these texts. We wish to thank all the individuals who have assisted in the process of the creation of this book. We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to create this Learning Manual as a component of the series. We appreciate the efforts of all of the individuals at Plural Publishing who have guided us through the publishing process. We also thank those users of the first edition who provided valuable feedback regarding suggested modifications for the second edition of this text. It is our sincere hope that instructors and students will find the material in this book helpful in their quest for translating theoretical material into clinical skills