An educational platform to demonstrate speech processing techniques on Android based smart phones and tablets

•We present a new speech processing educational platform for mobile devices.•This platform is called Speech Enhancement for Android (SEA).•We describe the positive effects new mobile technology can have on learning.•Some speech processing theory and how it can be demonstrated in SEA is presented.•We asses the effect SEA has on several factors, showing great potential for learning.

This work highlights the need to adapt teaching methods in digital signal processing (DSP) on speech to suit shifts in generational learning behavior, furthermore it suggests the use of integrating theory into a practical smart phone or tablet application as a means to bridge the gap between traditional teaching styles and current learning styles. The application presented here is called “Speech Enhancement for Android (SEA)” and aims at assisting in the development of an intuitive understanding of course content by allowing students to interact with theoretical concepts through their personal device. SEA not only allows the student to interact with speech processing methods, but also enables the student to interact with their surrounding environment by recording and processing their own voice. A case study on students studying DSP for speech processing found that by using SEA as an additional learning tool enhanced their understanding and helped to motivate students to engage in course work by way of having ready access to interactive content on a hand held device. This paper describes the platform in detail acting as a road-map for education institutions, and how it can be integrated into a DSP based speech processing education framework.