Examples of Individual Projects

Examples of Individual Projects

Individual projects can take many forms. There is the “traditional” essay where the student researches a topic and then writes a report that critically reviews the literature. Alternatively the topic can be presented as an aural presentation to other staff members in a “journal club/audit meeting” type forum. Often a project takes the form of a piece of work that benefits the department (and hence the patients) where the student is placed. This is good for the department and also for the student who feels they have produced something useful, helpful and relevant that can be in use after they have moved on. Students may want to present to their placement centre information about some aspect of work they have undertaken at the university. The ideas set out below are examples of projects that previous students have carried out. It is by no means prescriptive.

1. 
   Essay/presentation - Bilateral hearing aids give better outcomes with presbyacusis than a single hearing aid. Discuss whether the evidence supports this statement or not.
   

2. 
   Essay/presentation - Several types of transducer are available for carrying out air conduction audiometry. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different transducers making reference to relevant evidence.
   

3. 
   Essay/presentation - For carrying out caloric testing and recording the British Society of Audiology’s Caloric Test Protocol states that, in the absence of local normative data, a canal paresis of greater than 20% is abnormal. Discuss the evidence that has lead to this figure.
   

4. 
   Essay/presentation - The Health Visitor’s distraction test can be performed quickly and requires little specialist equipment. Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of this technique compared to Visual Reinforcement Audiometry. Use evidence from the literature to justify your conclusions.
   

5. 
   Normative data collection - The department may have a new piece of equipment for which normative data are required. A good example of this is diagnostic ABR. Although the test is not often carried out there may be rare occasions where it is needed. Each piece of equipment needs its own normal values for latencies and inter-peak intervals. As well as the data being obtained, there is the added advantage of giving the student practice in this area and thus the appropriate section of the ENCAPP can be filled in.
   

6. 
   Protocols – the department may be revising their protocols or indeed devising new ones for new processes (eg open fits). The project may involve synthesising the latest research in the area and drawing up an evidence-based, best practice protocol. Other examples include designing patient leaflets/noticeboards.
   

7. 
   Previous Learning at University - students may want to brief other staff about interesting initiatives they have previously undertaken at university. Examples might be the peer review process or Inter-professional Learning, This type of activity is good for staff because that are undertaking professional development by finding out about new topics from their students.