Students’ ability to hear their teachers has long been a challenge, one which only increases as students and teachers return to classrooms under mask-wearing guidelines. That's why Lightspeed, a leading provider of powerful instructional audio solutions, today released a comprehensive eBook that details prominent research studies examining the impact of instructional audio systems.
“Studies over the past four decades have underscored the crucial link between being able to hear clearly and learning,” said David Solomon, CEO of Lightspeed. “These studies have identified consistent and evidence-based benefits of the use of instructional audio systems to distribute sound equally throughout a learning environment.”
Contents of the eBook include:
- Barriers to Hearing in the Classroom
- Instructional Audio Facilitates Student Learning
- Amplified Classrooms Support Educators
- Instructional Audio Systems Represent A Proven Learning Solution for Today's Classroom
- Instructional Audio System Case Study: Edmonds School District
Researchers have identified essential benefits of hearing in the classroom for all learners, including increased speech intelligibility, increased academic achievement and listening abilities. While the systems are designed to benefit all students, English language learners and those navigating learning differences experience the most significant gains––without being singled out. The substantial improvement for this population of students underscores the existing equity and accessibility issues in unamplified classrooms.
Studies demonstrate that students need to be within 6 feet of their teacher for maximum intelligibility, which is unrealistic given class sizes and classroom design. Teachers often move around the room while instructing. Even seated 6 feet away, students show a 17 percent loss in critical speech recognition. Students sitting in the back of a classroom may miss 30 percent of what their teacher says.
The positive impact of instructional audio systems on learning is broad and well-established. In additional to speech perception improvement, instructional audio systems have been shown to improve learning and social behaviors, including increased communication with peers and teachers. One seminal body of research – Improving Classroom Acoustics (ICA) Studies – found 95 percent of students said instructional audio made it easier to hear their teacher and helped them listen better.
To learn more, visit https://www.lightspeed-tek.com/.
About Lightspeed
Lightspeed is on a mission to help every student hear every word. To that end, the company has brought powerful instructional audio solutions to K-12 institutions around the globe for more than 30 years. Each product inspires communication and collaboration by delivering crystal-clear, low-volume and highly intelligible sound. Lightspeed offers solutions for several learning environments, including distance, hybrid, whole- and small-group instruction. Passionate about its culture of service, Lightspeed remains dedicated to improving the lives of educators and students through its products, research and partnerships. To learn more, visit https://www.lightspeed-tek.com/.
