How Audio Technology is Transforming the Modern Day Classroom

The ways in which the capture and transmission of sound is being used in instruction is quickly evolving along with many other aspects of technology use in teaching.

Audio technology has become an important part of the modern classroom. We use it in giving presentations, capturing lessons and playing music, but do you really know the full potential of incorporating classroom audio systems into your day to day teaching?

Audio Technology in the Classroom

Classroom audio technology has evolved leaps and bounds since the days of CD players. It now has the potential to give teachers back control of the classroom, and the tools to transform their classes into an engaging resource for students.

Small wireless microphones attached to audio systems allow teachers to amplify their voices above the disturbances of the classroom. Chatting children, scraping desks, passing cars and other outside noises can all pose a distraction for students. By amplifying a teacher’s voice to a higher decibel, learners become more focused on what the teacher is saying. This can be especially helpful to children sitting in the back of the class where distracting noises may almost completely cancel out the teacher’s voice.

Studies have found that audio technology can not only improve behaviour in the classroom, but also encourage participation. Students feel more confident in answering questions and giving opinions when they understand exactly what is expected of them. A more engaging presentation breeds a more engaging class.

How Audio Technology Helps Teachers

Teachers spend a lot of their time trying to talk over the noise of children. Straining their voices can become hazardous to their health in the long run. 11 percent of all voice clinic patients are teachers. This is because they have to put pressure on their voices more than almost any other profession.

By using a wireless microphone, teachers no longer have to strain their voices, but can talk at a volume that is comfortable to them while still being heard by the whole class. This also reduces stress levels, as raising your voice can often cause tension in the class. In a study by Sound for Schools, 92% of teachers reported less vocal and emotional stress when using a classroom sound system.

Audio Technology in the Flipped Classroom

Audio technology can add massive value when it comes to the concept of the flipped classroom. Lesson capture technology such as the Juno Lesson Capture allows you to record your lessons and automatically accompany them to any smartboard presentations you may have. These are then saved as video files and can easily be uploaded online for students to refer back to at a later time.

This form of the flipped classroom is becoming increasingly popular throughout schools because it creates easily accessible and understandable content for children to interact with.

Audio technology and Inclusion

Learning levels and disabilities in classrooms can be wide and varied. Because of common childhood illnesses or other issues, learners can develop partial hearing loss. This can make it difficult for them to engage in classes and to understand everything that the teacher is saying.

Learning disabilities such as ADHD also make it difficult for children to concentrate on lessons and make them highly susceptible to distractions. This can have a detrimental effect on their ability to learn and retain information.

Using microphones and portable speakers in the classroom helps these children be included in the lesson and aids them in concentrating on what is being taught. This ensures that the modern day classroom is not just a technologically advanced one, but also one that is inclusive of all learners.

Classroom audio technology has yet to be introduced into every classroom but it is starting to gain popularity because of its many benefits. For the future of the modern day classroom, adding this to your list of essentials will make sure that the classroom helps everyone from the teacher down to the last student sitting in the back row.

*Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

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