The effectiveness of Sound Field Systems in the classroom
Children spend at least 45% of their school day engaged in active listening activities, with today’s classroom acting as a primarily auditory verbal environment. However, a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that 14.9% of children aged 6~19 have some degree of hearing impairment. Studies further show that 80% of young learners will have some form of fluctuating hearing loss during the academic year.

The following studies and reports provide detailed information into the effectiveness of a Sound Field Voice Reinforcement System in the classroom:

• SAM WISE: Acoustic Consultant and Principal Contributor to BB’93
• JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
• RUSSELL BRETT: Contributor to BB’93
• The MARRS Project: Mainstream Amplification Resource Room Study
• Improving the classroom listening skills of children with Down Syndrome by using Sound Field amplification: Department of speech and languages, University of Canterbury, NZ
• Classroom Amplification to Enhance Student Performance: Neil J. DiSarno, Melissa Schowalter & Patricia Grassa
• Improving the acoustic environment of schools for pupils and teachers: London South Bank University & Institution of Education, University of London
• Hearing Loss Classroom Sound Field Systems: Dr. Mark Ross and Dr. Harry Levitt, Rehabilitation Centre on Hearing Enhancement
• Quantification of the Ecobehavioral Impact of a Soundfield Loudspeaker System in Elementary Classrooms: Catherine V. Palmer, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA

BUILDING BULLETIN ’93: Acoustic Design of Schools
In response to such findings, the recent Department for Education & Skills (DfES) paper – Building Bulletin ’93 – sets legislative standards for the acoustic design of new schools. Highlighting the significance of Sound Field Voice Reinforcement as an ideal solution to acoustic performance in the classroom, the BB’93 recommendations ensure effective levels of speech recognition for children in a learning environment.

Download a copy of the full Building Bulletin '93 HERE

SAM WISE – Acoustic Consultant and Principal Contributor to BB’93
Consultant and Principal Contributor to BB’93, Sam Wise, has noted a marked increase in the use of Sound Field Systems in the United States over the past 15 years and now sees its integration into the UK classroom as a significant opportunity for improved academic performance and the continued development of special educational needs inclusion.

“The use of Sound Field allows all children in a learning environment to share the same experience, including not only the amplified sound but also normal verbal communication and other sounds generally around them. This differs, of course, from other auditory aids such as student-worn headphones where ambient sound and communication is removed.

“Under quiet conditions, most teachers will have enough strength in their voice to communicate with and control groups of children the size of a school class, even for the length of a full day’s teaching of around six hours. However, often lively, noisy classes can make clear, consistent and effective communication with all class members difficult – a Sound Field System helps to raise the sound level of the teacher’s voice and distribute it evenly, yet unobtrusively, throughout the room.”

The publication of BB’93, Section 6 highlights the many benefits of Sound Field systems in the classroom for young and hearing-impaired learners, as well as teachers themselves stating that: ‘During the early years of language development, particularly up to age nine, children do not have the language experience that allows adults to decipher messages amongst interference…young children must hear and understand more of what is said to them to be able to decode the meaning.’

Whilst researching into the recommendations for BB’93, a wide range of academic improvements were observed resulting from successful use of Sound Field Systems.
Sam Wise again: “We visited several example schools in the UK using Sound Field systems and interviewed the staff. At primary school level, the benefits extended beyond the hearing impaired pupils to include everyone, since all were said to have improved speech development and discipline. The latter stemmed mainly from the teacher…being audibly ‘all over the room’, even while dealing individually with children.”

Within the school utilised for the test, the principal, teachers and students completed questionnaires, with results stating that overall attention spans improved, students followed the directions more easily and they showed less hesitation when beginning their work. The majority of students said it was easier to hear the teacher and that the teachers did not have to yell or raise their voices.

RUSSELL BRETT – Contributor to BB’93
Providing expert advice in Audiology, BB’93 contributor Russell Brett is currently completing his PhD in the examination of the benefits of Sound Field in mainstream primary schools in the UK. ‘After one year of using a Sound Field system, we saw improvements in all learning areas tested – vocabulary scores, discoursive language, sentence length, reading and mathematics. Results also showed clear improvements in attention and class participation. A questionnaire of primary school teachers showed that 70% of Reception and Year 1 teachers would unconditionally support the use of a Sound Field system in the classroom’.

The MARRS Project – ‘Mainstream Amplification Resource Room Study’
MARRS is a National Diffusion Network (NDN) project that uses a wireless FM microphone system for sound field amplification of the classroom teacher’s voice in order to enhance oral instruction, lessen teacher voice fatigue, and improve student academic achievement. Amplification of the teacher’s voice above background noise is provided to all students in the classroom so that those in the back row can hear as clearly as those in the front of the class.
DOWNLOAD A COMPLETE SUMMARY OF MARRS PROJECT STUDIES

DOWNLOAD DETAILS OF THE COMPLETE REPORT