Verification of Assistive Technology Interfaced with Personal Computers Used by Children with Hearing Loss in Virtual Learning.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students with hearing loss were required to learn through virtual instruction in their homes, while still receiving their public school accommodations, including remote microphone technology. The purpose of this project was to evaluate three virtual learning arrangements to determine acoustic characteristics of the transmitted signals. Two simulated testing arrangements were used: 1) An instructional inperson setup in one room: control (non-virtual) and 2) A remotelearning setup in two rooms (Virtual). In the virtual learning environment, three conditions were evaluated. The first condition was Hearing Aid in Soundfield (HA/SF) where the signal was received by the hearing aid worn by KEMAR via the speakers of the computer. Condition 2 was Bluetooth where the signal was received via a Bluetooth connection between the hearing aid and the computer. Condition 3 was Remote Mic where the signal was received via a digital modulation connection between the hearing aid and a Phonak Roger Touchscreen, which was hardwired to the computer. When comparing listening arrangements, the remote microphone and Teams platforms condition showed the least variability in relative output. There is a need for audiological intervention in virtual learning environments for students with hearing loss to ensure audibility is optimal. A protocol is suggested for verification of assistive technology interfaced with personal computers used by students with hearing loss in virtual learning environments. Audiologists need to be involved in the fitting and verification of assistive technology beyond dispensing the devices. If transparency is not achieved, and a student is in a challenging acoustic environment, educational success may be compromised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]