Evaluating effectiveness of dynamic soundfield system in the classroom

Abstract

Research has reported on the use of soundfield amplification devices in the classroom. However, no study has used standardized tests to determine the potential advantages of the dynamic soundfield system for normally hearing students and for the teacher's voice. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of using dynamic soundfield system on the noise of the classroom, teacher's voice and students’ academic performance. This was a prospective cohort study in which 20 student participants enrolled in the third year of basic education were divided into two groups (i.e., control and experimental); their teacher participated. The experimental group was exposed to the dynamic soundfield system for 3 consecutive months. The groups were assessed using standardized tests to evaluate their academic performance. Further, questionnaires and statements were collected on the participants’ experience of using the soundfield system. We statistically analyzed the results to compare the academic performance of the control group with that of the experimental group. In all cases, a significance level of P < .05 was adopted. Use of the dynamic soundfield system was effective for improving the students’ academic performance on standardized tests for reading, improving the teacher's speech intelligibility, and reducing the teacher's vocal strain. The dynamic soundfield system minimizes the impact of noise in the classroom as demonstrated by the mensuration of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and pupil performance on standardized tests for reading and student and teacher ratings of amplification system effectiveness.

Planilha de triagem acústica da sala de aula: tradução e adaptação cultural para o Português Brasileiro

“…The benefits of using CADS for children with normal hearing are, thus, described in the literature: improvements in school performance and speech recognition (6,26) . The literature indicates a reduction of effort and vocal fatigue, and greater ease of teaching as benefits for teachers, with the use of this system (6,27,28) .…”

“…The literature indicates a reduction of effort and vocal fatigue, and greater ease of teaching as benefits for teachers, with the use of this system (6,27,28) . It is expected that the "Planilha de triagem acústica da sala de aula" may be used by Audiologists in order to get information about the acoustic characteristics of the classroom, once it is important schools be instructed about the acoustic adaptation in classroom and the impact that may cause, since these acoustic characteristics can interfere with the learning process.…”

“…Besides disturbing the communication between teacher and student, noise may also cause physical, emotional and educational prejudice such as hearing alterations or hearing loss, tinnitus, listening effort, stress, and learning gaps, as the student shall miss part of the content or even receive a distorted message. Noise is also considered as a risk factor for the alterations on the voice of teachers (3,5,6,20,21,22) . Based on the information gathered through the screening, the Audiologist may guide and make suggestions for structural adaptations in the classroom; since simple school environment accommodation, for example, suggesting the feet of the chairs and tables to be rubberized, requesting the use of curtains and carpets, among others, which do not depend on structural changes linked to major project budget; as well as using Assistive Technology (AT), for example, the Frequency Modulation System (FM System) in soundfield system to improve speech recognition in a noisy environment (23,24) .…”

“…In the school environment, teachers feel uncomfortable teaching in noisy classrooms and realize the difficulty of students in hearing the information, as well as the dispersion of their attention. The most frequent reports of teachers concerning noise in the classroom are: feeling uncomfortable in teaching in noisy classrooms; presenting voice problems by intense vocal effort; students difficulty in hearing the teacher speech and their dispersion; all of them harming the learning and the welfare (5,6) . The noise may cause stress, difficulty of concentration, delay of neuropsychomotor development, aggressiveness, and low performance.…”

I Have a Child With a Cochlear Implant in My Preschool Classroom. Now What?

“…The purpose of this technology is to enhance auditory learning for all students. Classroom amplification systems positively influence student learning and behavior, and decrease vocal strain for teachers (Cruz et al, 2016). It is important to consult an educational audiologist to discuss options.…”