Computer-based acoustics projects for audiology and speech-language pathology students

Graduate and undergraduate students studying audiology and speech-language pathology are often required to have a basic working knowledge of acoustics. However, convincing these students the necessity of this knowledge is a common challenge for the acoustics instructors. Consequently, motivating students to be enthusiastic about the material may be facilitated by including methods that replace or supplement traditional teaching methodologies. Computer-based projects that reinforce acoustic concepts learned in the classroom provide an outstanding hands-on opportunity to expose students to the principles of acoustics. Importantly, they also offer clear examples of how knowledge of acoustics is core to the fields of audiology and speech-language pathology. Here, I will illustrate a number of Matlab-based projects that apply acoustics to the topics of hearing, hearing loss, speech production, and speech disorders. These projects are designed to be discipline-specific and also target specifically the abilities and needs of students in audiology and speech-language pathology.