Enhancing auditory physiology: simulating unilateral conduction defects to improve understanding of Rinne's and Weber's tests.

IF 1.7 4区 教育学 Q2 EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES
Advances in Physiology Education Pub Date : 2025-09-01 Epub Date: 2025-05-27 DOI:10.1152/advan.00058.2025
Raju Suresh Kumar, M Ganesh Kamath, Rekha Prabhu, Mohamed Eldigire Ahmed
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Tuning fork tests, particularly the Rinne and Weber tests, are fundamental in assessing hearing loss. However, medical students often struggle with key auditory physiology concepts, such as the auditory masking effect and sound lateralization. This study evaluated a simulation-based teaching method to enhance first-year medical students' understanding of these concepts. A prospective educational intervention was conducted with 123 first-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students using a pretest and posttest design with a validated questionnaire. During laboratory sessions, students performed tuning fork tests on peers while instructors demonstrated a novel method to simulate unilateral conductive deafness by closing the external auditory meatus with a finger. Students replicated this method before completing posttest evaluations. Pretest data showed that 66.66% of students were uncertain or disagreed with their understanding of the auditory masking effect, and 60.16% were unsure about sound lateralization. Posttest results demonstrated significant improvement: 79.67% strongly agreed they understood the auditory masking effect, and 91.05% strongly agreed they comprehended sound lateralization (P < 0.001). Additionally, student engagement increased, with 96.74% reporting they enjoyed the session compared to 26.01% before the intervention. This study demonstrates that a simple, reproducible simulation-based approach enhances medical students' understanding of auditory physiology concepts. By actively experiencing a simulated unilateral conduction defect, students gain deeper conceptual insight and greater confidence in performing tuning fork tests. This innovative method holds promise for broader adoption in medical education.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study introduces a novel, hands-on simulation to teach auditory physiology concepts. Students gain direct experiential learning by simulating unilateral conductive hearing loss, significantly improving their understanding of auditory masking and sound lateralization. The method is simple, cost-effective, and highly engaging, with strong potential for integration into medical curricula to enhance conceptual learning and clinical skills.

增强听觉生理学:模拟单侧传导缺陷以提高对Rinne和Weber测试的理解。
音叉测试,特别是里恩和韦伯测试,是评估听力损失的基础。然而,医学生经常在听觉生理学的关键概念上挣扎,如听觉掩蔽效应和声音偏侧。本研究评估一种基于模拟的教学方法,以提高医学生对这些概念的理解。对123名MBBS一年级学生进行前瞻性教育干预,采用前测和后测设计,并采用有效问卷。在实验室课程中,学生们对同伴进行音叉测试,而教师则展示了一种新颖的方法,通过用手指关闭外耳道来模拟单侧传导性耳聋。学生们在完成测试后评估之前重复了这种方法。前测数据显示,66.66%的学生不确定或不同意对听觉掩蔽效应的理解,60.16%的学生不确定对声音偏侧化的理解。后测结果有显著改善:79.67%的学生强烈认同他们理解了听觉掩蔽效应,91.05%的学生强烈认同他们理解了声音偏侧(p < 0.001)。此外,学生的参与度也有所提高,96.74%的学生表示他们喜欢这个课程,而干预前的这一比例为26.01%。本研究表明,一种简单、可重复的基于模拟的方法可以增强医学生对听觉生理学概念的理解。通过积极体验模拟单侧传导缺陷,学生在进行音叉测试时获得更深的概念洞察力和更大的信心。这种创新的方法有望在医学教育中得到更广泛的采用。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
3.40
自引率
19.00%
发文量
100
审稿时长
>12 weeks
期刊介绍: Advances in Physiology Education promotes and disseminates educational scholarship in order to enhance teaching and learning of physiology, neuroscience and pathophysiology. The journal publishes peer-reviewed descriptions of innovations that improve teaching in the classroom and laboratory, essays on education, and review articles based on our current understanding of physiological mechanisms. Submissions that evaluate new technologies for teaching and research, and educational pedagogy, are especially welcome. The audience for the journal includes educators at all levels: K–12, undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.
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