Post 2: "Cochlear Implant Online"

Today I started exploring different blogs that would help me research my driving question about assistive technology for cochlear implant users. One blog that I found especially helpful was called "Cochlear Implant Online." The blog is dedicated to sharing information about all things related to cochlear implants, which made it a helpful source for information about assistive technology.

By searching within the blog for assistive technology, I was able to find various posts pertaining to the subject. One in particular that related to my 20% project was about FM Systems vs. Soundfields. This post informed me more about two types of technology that could help middle and high school students hear a teacher or speaker more clearly in class or at a large assembly.

FM speakers and Soundfields are two types of assistive technology that are similar in the sense that they both allow the speaker to directly talk into a microphone that will transmit sound to the student with a hearing impairment. FM systems, however, direct the transmitted sound directly into the listeners implant, whereas Soundfields direct the sound into an amplifying speaker system located near the student. Although both systems can be equally effective in enhancing the student's hearing, those monitoring the system have to make sure that the student is able to report sound quality accurately (this comes through practice). If the student is not yet skilled at determining sound quality, which is basically how accurately the student is able to rate if the device is working to the best of its ability, then instructors must rely on objective tests of sound quality, such as testing hearing in a sound booth, until the student is able to do so on his or her own.

This blog introduced me to two important types of technology that can help students hear better in large group settings. Next time, I hope to look into ways to hear more clearly through headphones or when talking to someone on the phone.

Post 1: My Driving Question

When first considering a topic for my 20% project, my first instinct was to look into one of my strongest interests - cochlear implants. These devices have always fascinated me, so naturally I wanted to learn more about them, specifically more about how other technologies could be used to enhance the benefits of cochlear implants. This led me to start searching for assistive technology for children with cochlear implants. I wanted my focus to involve school age children (middle-high school students) because these are children I hope to work with in the future. Also, these students are often involved in large group activities and social settings. Although cochlear implants allow people with profound hearing loss to hear, these individuals still often face difficulties hearing in large group settings where noise interference can get in the way. This makes it difficult for children with cochlear implants to do some everyday activities such as talk on the phone, listen to music on iPods, or hear a speaker at an assembly. With further thought I was able to formulate my driving question for this project...What types of assistive technology can be used to help school-age (middle/high school) students with cochlear implants hear more clearly in large group or social settings?

To research this question, I first started broadly searching for assistive technology for cochlear implants. This search yielded many results about FM systems, which use radio waves to directly funnel sound from a microphone into a person's cochlear implant. Additional searching also revealed other types of assistive technology involving infrared systems, personal amplifiers, and bluetooth technology. These devices are all used in similar ways as FM systems in that they transmit sound straight to the cochlear implant user in order to eliminate noise interference. These results were helpful, and further research into them might help me discover more ways to help middle and high school students hear better with their cochlear implants.