Hearing Conservation Education for Children
Susan Naeve-Velguth, PhD, Communication Science & Disorders
Laurie Simon & Kelly Hansen, Sacred Heart Academy, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Summary
Partners
History of the Partnership
Acknowledgements
Goals of the Partnership
Benefits to CHP
Research suggests that children are increasingly at risk for noise-induced hearing loss and that hearing-conservation education programs are effective in addressing this concern. Since 2010 and in partnership with classroom teachers, Doctor of Audiology students under the supervision of Dr. Susan Naeve-Velguth have provided in-person lessons on healthy hearing to local elementary school children. This partnership provides relevant health and science content to children and a service-learning opportunity for CHP graduate students. The goal of the present project is to redesign the existing program and create loaner materials kits that will allow for the children to participate in hands-on classroom activities in conjunction with online instruction designed and provided by Audiology students.
Benefits to the Community
The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions (CHP): Susan Naeve-Velguth, a Full Professor of Audiology. Dr. Naeve-Velguth is the instructor for AUD 763 (Audiological Rehabilitation Considerations in Education). The service-learning activity of the present project is included in AUD 763. ��Community Partners: Mrs. Laurie Simon and Mrs. Kelly Hansen, second-grade teachers at Sacred Heart Elementary School (SHA). Mrs. Simon and Mrs. Hansen host the AUD 763 students each year. ��Dr. Naeve-Velguth, Mrs. Simon, and Mrs. Hansen worked together to design the original program and will collaborate on its redesign.
Audiology students enrolled in Dr. Naeve-Velguth’s AUD 763 course first began providing annual hearing conservation education to second-grade students at SHA in 2010. The partnership gives Audiology students a service-learning experience aligned with what they may expect to do as expert volunteers while in professional practice, and allows them to prepare lesson plans and materials that they may take with them upon graduation. Cooperatively designed by Dr. Naeve-Velguth, Mrs. Simon, and Mrs. Hansen, the program seeks to teach children about the auditory system and better hearing health at a time in their academic development when they are beginning to learn relevant health and science concepts. Hands-on learning and classroom-based activities are central to the lessons. �
During COVID, presentations have been limited to remote access only, and implementing classroom activities has been challenging. The present project is intended to redesign the format of the program and create loanable classroom materials kits to allow for hands-on classroom activities to be completed in coordination with online content delivery. This work will include CHP Audiology students.
The overall goals of the partnership are to provide a service-learning experience for Audiology students as part of teaching children about the auditory system and better hearing health.
The purpose of the present proposal is to redesign the existing program and create loaner classroom materials kits that will allow for hands-on classroom activities to coordinate with online content delivery. The goal is to create a flexible and sustainable version of this long-standing program, in support of future Audiology students and local schools.
This program benefits SHA by offering expertise-based instruction on content aligned with the State of Michigan’s health and science curricular goals:
In addition to helping SHA meet their goals, the children and their families benefit from this partnership by acquiring new information and practicing behaviors in support of healthy hearing. Finally, redesigning the program as proposed will allow these community benefits to continue regardless of in-person access restrictions and potentially expand to additional schools.
This program benefits CHP by providing Audiology students with a community based service-learning experience that meets the following course learning objectives for the associated course:
In addition, this program provides Audiology students with an example of and effective practice in a service activity commonly offered by Audiologists to their community and otherwise not typically available. In doing so, the program reflects positively on the Audiology program and College of Health Professions by preparing students for entry into professional practice across a range of practice settings and aiding in the development of professionals who contribute to an inclusive, healthy society.
�Finally, redesigning the program as proposed will allow these CHP benefits to continue regardless of in-person access restrictions and potentially serve as a model for other similar service-learning programs in the College.�
Many thanks to Laurie Simon and Kelly Hansen of SHA for their support of this project over the years, and to all the dedicated Audiology students for their commitment to the Mt. Pleasant community. Photos used with permission.