BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology) / Course details

This module will provide students with a background of the concepts of physics and measurement including the basics of acoustics relevant to audiology and physical concepts of mechanical systems.

The units aims to:

• Provide basic knowledge and understanding of the background principles of physics and measurement relevant to neurosensory sciences, and audiology in particular.

Students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Describe the basic properties of different acoustic signals and be able to explain concepts such as amplitude, frequency, phase, waveforms, spectra and spectograms and decibels.
• Describe the basic acoustic properties of speech signals and how different sounds are produced.
• Explain the basic differences between linear and nonlinear systems (using audiology and hearing science examples).
• Describe the basic properties of sound and light including their similarities and differences in transmission.
• Describe the basic aspects of electromagnetic and nuclear radiation and how these can be used in medical imaging (inc. X-ray, PET and MRI).
• Describe the basic physical principles that underlie a range of assessment techniques in neurophysiology and audiology.

Intellectual skills

• Critical thinking and analysis.
• Enhancement of evaluative and interpretive skills.
• Develop the ability to think critically and question received information.

Practical skills

• Development of the ability to express issues clearly and succinctly, using appropriate terminology and scientific units.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

• Mathematical skills.
• Interpretation of data and graphs.
• Use of library to support further reading.

Note, the order in which these are delivered may vary and this list does not necessarily indicate individual lecture topics.

• Introduction to sound and acoustics (inc. basics of simple and complex sounds; introduction to speech production and acoustics and acoustic cues for speech identification; room acoustics and hearing aid acoustics).
• Introduction to physical concepts and mechanical systems (inc. forces and motion; basic physical laws and physical quantities; examples of biomechanical structures, vestibular system, forces in the auditory system).
• Signals and systems (including basic principles of filters, gain, signal-noise ratio).
• Basic principles behind biomedical measurement and imaging techniques (inc. examples of neurophysiological and audiological measurements, electromagnetic and nuclear radiation; X-ray; PET; and MRI imaging).
• Revision session.

Lectures and tutorial sessions are compulsory, and it is expected that you spend 3-5hr using the online material in preparation for each session. 

The following are suggested/estimated hours of additional work:

• Directed Reading – approx. 30hr total
• Assessment preparation and revision – variable (est. 50hrs)

1. MCQ quizzes (online/in session, formative)
2. MCQ exam (1 hour, 100%)

Formative assessment – online MCQ assessments with revision sessions.

Sound and Acoustics

• Speaks, C.E. (2018) Introduction to Sound. (4th Ed.) Plural Publishing.
• Sahley, T.L. & Musiek, F.E. (2015) Basic Fundamentals in Hearing Science. Plural Publishing.
• Raphael, LJ., Borden, GJ. And Harris. KS (2011) Speech Science Primer (6th Ed) Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Physics, Imaging and related topics

• Franklin, K. et al (2010) Introduction to Biological Physics for the Health and Life Sciences. Wiley.
• Davidovits, P. (2008) Physics and Biology in Biology and Medicine (3rd Ed.) Academic Press.
• Barker, R.A. and Barasi, S. (2008) Neuroscience at a Glance (3rd Ed.) Wiley-Blackwell.

Audiology and Hearing Science topics

• Gelfand, S.A. (2017) Hearing: an introduction to psychological and physiological acoustics. 6th Edition. New York, Dekker.
• Gelfand, S.A. (2016) Essentials of Audiology. 4th Edition New York, Dekker.

More specific references, including online resources, will be provided in lectures.