The Oregon Hearing Research Center announces - New as of July, 2005 on the Dangerous Decibels® website:

1. The Dangerous Decibels® >VIRTUAL EXHIBIT:

8 web games/activities/simulations based on the Dangerous Decibels museum exhibit at the and Industry
Fun, entertaining and educational for anyone who can use a computer
Fantastic adjunct to any hearing loss prevention program
Communicates 3 educational messages

What are sources of dangerous sounds?
What are the consequences of dangerous sounds?
What can I do to protect myself from dangerous sounds?

type="circle">2. Dangerous Decibels® ONLINE DATA BASE AND RESEARCH TOOL:

Do your own NIHL research online with over 28,000 subjects (and growing daily) from 6 - 85 years of age
A data acquisition system placed in a museum exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Extremely easy data access by internet
You pick the age range, gender and degree of hearing loss
Provides incidence of hearing loss (@ 4kHz) and reported noise exposures by age and gender
Great for teaching about NIHL and for class projects
Research directed by the Oregon Hearing Research Center www.ohsu.edu/ohrc
Listed on the website in the Information Center under Exhibit Research

3. Dangerous Decibels® TEACHERS RESOURCE GUIDE and DVD:

Information and a how-to-do-it manual for fully developed, age specific teaching activities about sound and NIHL prevention
Viewable online or download pdf documents
Activities, facts, diagrams, and important images
In alignment with national educational science standards and benchmarks
Info on how to get DVD with demos, activities and information for teachers and students
Listed on the website under Outreach Program

Dangerous Decibels® is a privately and federally funded partnership to reduce the incidence of noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus. The program consists of three components:

A permanent museum exhibition at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland with 12 interactive exhibit components.
Public outreach to K-12 schools, public events including lectures, County Fairs, assemblies, teacher and professional education, and media presentations, and internet activities and information.
Research including effectiveness outcomes of interventions, health communications theory and methods, and epidemiological study of public NIHL and tinnitus.

Federal funding provided by: NIH National Center for Research Resources, Science Education Partnership Award, and NIH National Institute for Deafness and Other Communications Disorders.

For information contact: Linda Howarth, Program Coordinator, Oregon Hearing Research Center howarthl@ohsu.edu