Computer Aided Education and Training Tool for Hearing Impaired Children: AURIS
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Conference ICL2009 September 23 -25, 2009 Villach, Austria
Computer Aided Education and Training Tool for Hearing
Impaired Children: AURIS
Gamze Sarmașik1, Bülent Serbetcioglu2, Alp Kut3
1
Muğla University, Faculty of Education, Computer Education & Instructional Technology
2
Dokuz Eylül University, Medical School, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck
Surgery
3
Dokuz Eylül University, Engineering Faculty, Computer Engineering Department
Key words: computer aided instruction, computer aided education, educational
software, hearing impairment, hearing impaired children, deaf children,
language education
Abstract:
The computerized education system which is introduced in this paper is called AURIS.
“AURIS”, is developed to improve verbal communication skills of hearing impaired
children. AURIS, which is the software combining both visual and audio technology;
has been designed as an elementary supplement to strengthen the learning system and
in a way that would support the education of hearing impaired children. AURIS has
been tested for hearing impaired preschool children, who are in the age group of 2
and 6 years with hearing aids or cochlear implant and children who are
unimplantable. In this paper, impact of AURIS as a computer supported educational
tool on preschool children with hearing loss and on their learning, hearing and
speaking improvement has been investigated.
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ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 427Conference ICL2009 September 23 -25, 2009 Villach, Austria
1 The Role of Computer in Preschool Education
As the number of computer aided education software is in a steady increase, the opportunity
to evaluate the success of computer aided education is rising up. Using computer as a tool in
order to improve language learning, computer environment for preschool children is also
becoming increasingly popular and their role in child development is investigated [1]. Research
results show that the computer aided education is more successful than the traditional
education [2,3,4,5,6]. Furthermore, this kind of learning is more enjoyable and long-lasting.
2 Benefits of Computer Aided Education for Hearing Impaired
Children
The function of any organ missing in our body is undertaken by other organs. As the auditory
sensitivity of visually impaired person increases, the eyesight of hearing impaired person
develops much more than individuals who can hear normally. People with bilateral profound
hearing impaired, while do not hear the words, communicate through lipreading; in a way
“they hear by seeing”. Since the computers provide a visual environment, it is an attractive
and pleasant device for the hearing impaired. Computer assisted instruction offers interactive,
customizable, and measurable training environment for disabled children at language learning
[7,8]
. The education of hearing impaired people, which is very difficult, can also be made much
more easily through this aspect of computers.
2.1 The Difficulties in Education of the Hearing Impaired Children
Even early identified infants, at the age of 12 to 16 months old, with moderate to profound
hearing loss exhibit delayed receptive and expressive language skills in oral and sign
languages [9]. Considering that healthy babies start to hear in 5th month inside the mother’s
womb, it is evident that the hearing impaired children are at least 2 years behind of their peers
with normal hearing.
The difference in terms of language acquisition between hearing loss children and hearing
coevals gets greater as time passes. Hearing impaired children typically exhibit extra literacy
difficulties [10]. The reading skills of hearing impaired children have typically been delayed
and this delay has been found to increase with age [11]. As the learning capacity decreases
every passing day, the difference between him/her and his/her peers will increase and
compensation will be impossible. “Cochlear implanted hearing impairment users were well
integrated into the hearing world. …. However, their career perspectives are still not
satisfying [12]”.
Hearing impaired children, at about 2 and 3 years old, do not experience the same language
acquisition phase as their normal peers even they have cochlear implant or use conventional
hearing devices. Unless a verbal communication education is given they can not communicate
orally. The first word they learn is named as the “key word” [13]. “Key word” opens the gate to
the world of normal hearing people. All the words they will learn afterwards would be built
on such a key word. Learning such key word takes months. This is a very tiring process for
the educators in that they repeat the same word to teach persistently. Its difficulty is obvious
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ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 428Conference ICL2009 September 23 -25, 2009 Villach, Austria
thinking of saying a ball for 92 times only in 5 minutes in one session [14]. This education is
not only difficult but also time consuming for both children and educators.
In brief, the difficulties could be summarized as bellow:
• Difficulty in explaining abstract concepts, actions and time concepts,
• Inability to understand the word (concept) when used in a sentence,
• Situations where it is difficult to make materials available with respect to the subject
to be explained,
• Forgetting what was taught quickly,
• Necessity to make so many repetitions,
• Rapid distraction of interest in the classical explanation because they do not hear
properly
As a result, hearing impaired children need to be supported with special supplemental
education continuously, especially during the pre-school period when the intelligence and
language development is at its maximum.
2.2 The Role of Computer in Hearing Impaired Children’s Education
Computer is beneficial in all the fields we listed above as:
• Concepts that are difficult to be taught (actions, abstract concepts) can be presented
easily
• Interest can be kept active all the time through animations and simulations
• Various options can be presented when repetition is needed and thus same
information can be repeated without boring
• The opportunity for correcting the faults is provided by presenting visually through
audio analysis graphics in remedying speech disorder (pronunciation)
3 The Role of AURIS in Hearing Impaired Children’s Education
AURIS is a computer aided instructional tool developed to improve the verbal communication
skills of the hearing impaired children who children who usually have difficulties in language
learning. And this tool is expected to be useful and enjoyable for both the child and the
educator.
The hearing impaired children just start to perceive the voices at a stage when healthy babies
learn to talk. This is a period when both the auditory and mental development process is
ongoing for the hearing impaired children. Hearing impaired child starts to learn the concepts
and to perceive the voice simultaneously. In this respect, the education of preschool hearing
impaired children is a very complicated and difficult process in that they start to perceive
voices through cochlear implant or hearing aids; the concept teaching and language
acquisition are handled together; and this process should be continued by considering their
mental development process compared to their peers.
AURIS is implemented based on the principle of teaching a concept (a key word) for
preschool children who can not even talk. The design of AURIS based on a principle: while
teaching a concept, teach also the language by hearing and seeing with the visual and audio
support of computer (Figure 1, Figure2).
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ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 429Conference ICL2009 September 23 -25, 2009 Villach, Austria
Figure 1: Teaching the concept “Ball”
Figure 2: Articulation training (Sound graph of correct pronunciation in software on the left
side-child’s pronunciation in last session)
3.1 Practical Sessions
AURIS has been tested on 5 preschool hearing impaired children. The age range of these
children was in 2-6 years. For each child, there were four sections which were recorded by
video and microphone.
• Before this testing, every child was evaluated regarding their language levels using
Preschool Language Scale-Version 4 (PLS-4). Receptive and Expressive
communication level was evaluated and the results are presented in (Table 1).
• Initial Evaluation Section: Before we started the study, we also scored the perceptual
and expressive language level of each child.
o We tested whether the children knew the key words that were planned to be
taught with AURIS
o We tested their ability to pronounce the key words
o We tested their ability to study with the computer
• Training Sections 1, 2, 3, 4: Each Section consisted of 20 minutes theoretical and 20
minutes practical sessions. In practical sessions, computer based education and
training is applied with the AURIS.
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ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 430Conference ICL2009 September 23 -25, 2009 Villach, Austria
Table 1: Properties of Hearing Impaired Children
Child Age PLS Degree of
of Hearing Loss
Child Left Right
Receptive comprehension
Another Handicapped
Year implanted
communication
Expressive
Number
1 S.Y. 3,4 6-8 6-8 Total Total 2007 -
moths moths
2 İ.D. 3.5 1,6 1,5 Total Total 2007 -
3 B.Ö 4,5 3,6 2,5 Total Total 2006 -
4 Y.K 4,7 2,5 2 Total Total 2006 -
5 E.A 5,7 5,0 3,6 Total Total Hearing Spastic
Aids
4 Result
The success of Auris software is examined under four categories in further detail:
• Teaching a Concept
• Correcting Pronunciation
• Teaching in a short Time, Easily and Enjoyable
• Retention
4.1 Teaching a Concept
At the beginning of the study, we tested the participants’ knowledge of the target concepts
(key words). Three of them did not know the target concepts; and could not answer the
question “What is this”. They learnt these concepts after two or three sessions. For example;
Y.K., İ.K., S.Y were able to give us the ball when we asked “Give the ball” choosing the
correct object out of three.
4.2 In a short Time, Easily and Enjoyable
The children reached the targets in a comparatively shorter period, achieved concepts more
quickly with the help of moving images and visual effects compared to the theoretical lessons.
We succeeded in teaching the key word to three hearing impaired children who can not
communicate verbally (did not even make sounds as cooing). Teaching only one key word
could take 6-12 months in classic education but in our study group children succeeded to learn
at least one key word within only 4 sessions in 2 months without being tired and bored at all.
4.3 Improving Pronunciation
After they began to pronounce key words, we tried to improve their speaking and
pronunciation problems with the help of AURIS voice analysis method. In the final session,
they were able to pronounce the concepts correctly. When we asked the question again “What
is this?” they were able to answer as “ball”, “car”, and “doll”.
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ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 431Conference ICL2009 September 23 -25, 2009 Villach, Austria
4.4 Retention
Children do not forget the key words they have learnt in first sessions. In the further studies
with AURIS, they also began to understand the meaning of the sentences including these key
words. They were able to hear and distinguish the concept (key words) within the sentence,
and also comprehend the meaning of it “Throw the ball” “Hold the ball” “Ali, throw the ball”
“Throw the ball to your mother”. They could even comprehend three word sentences as well
as able to make meaningful sentences. As a conclusion, teaching a concept with AURIS is
proved to be effective.
5 Conclusion
In these days, children have more tendencies to play with computer and play computer games;
thus children with hearing impaired are likely to accept this kind of education easily. With
this software, AURIS, we aim to lessen the hardships and struggle that children and
educators’ experience during education. With AURIS, they can learn concepts and actions
quickly with the help of moving images and visual effects. Furthermore, this kind of learning
is more enjoyable and long-lasting. Moving images help them to quickly learn the concepts
without feeling bored and thus they do not forget the things they learn. We saw that they
could even comprehend three word sentences and correct their speaking and pronunciation
problems with the help of voice analysis method of AURIS.
References:
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Journal of Research in Childhood Education, Academic Research Library, Summer 2007, 21( 4),
pg.341
[2] Giles R. M.: Connecting Kids and Computers, Childhood Education, Winter 2006/2007, 83 (2),
pg.108
[3] Meyer, R. C.: A case study of one-to-one computing: The effects on teaching and learning, The
University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 2007
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Southern University, 2008.
[9] Vohr B.; Jodoin-Krauzyk J.; Tucker R.; Johnson M. J.; Topol D.; Ahlgren M.: Early language
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[11] Archbold S.; Harris M.; O’Donoghue G.; Nikolopoulos T.; White A.; Richmond H. L.: Reading
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ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 432Conference ICL2009 September 23 -25, 2009 Villach, Austria
[13] Sarmașık G.; Șerbetçioğlu B.; Dalkiliç G.; Kut A., Çebi Y.: Computer Aided Lip Reading Training
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[14] Anadolu Üniversitesi, (Translation of John Tracy Clinic correspondence course for parents of
young deaf children),İșitmeyen Çocukların Okul Öncesi Eğitimi İçin Anne ve Babalara Yaygın
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Authors:
1
Gamze SARMAȘIK, MSc
Muğla University, Faculty of Education, Computer Education & Instructional Technology,
Muğla - TURKEY
gamzesarmasik@yahoo.com
2
Bulent SERBETCIOGLU MD, PhD
Dokuz Eylül University, Medical School, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck
Surgery, İzmir-TURKEY
serbetcioglu@gmail.com
3
Alp KUT, PhD
Dokuz Eylül University, Engineering Faculty, Computer Engineering Department İzmir-
TURKEY
alp@cs.deu.edu.tr
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