Soundfield Systems

Evidence is growing to show that improved classroom sound quality results in better student comprehension, better test results and fewer behavioural problems. To improve sound quality, we have to do more than make teachers voices louder; we have to make them clearer, so that the teacher’s speech overcomes the background noise. This can’t be achieved by simply raising your voice, or even using a simple PA system.

 In a typical classroom, the class teacher is standing in front of the class, talking to the children.

Sound levels decline dramatically over relatively short distances, creating dead-zones within the room leaving some students out of the centre of attention, and in turn not receiving clear communications from the class teacher.

Once a soundfield system is installed into the classroom environment, the teacher's voice is distributed into the room via four strategically placed speakers, giving a much improved 'field of sound' to the students.

The teacher can move around the classroom with complete freedom, communicating with much improved clarity to the students.

“Surround-Sound for teachers and pupils”. Working in a similar way to home multi-channel systems, but with robust professional components and the complete freedom of movement that wireless microphones bring.

From portable systems to fully-installed infra-red or FM radio technology, these Systems provide a clarity and depth of sound, in particular benefiting children with the following disabilities:

   HEARING IMPAIRMENT
   AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER
   ADHD
   AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

and above all they also improve the quality of learning for ALL children.

Half of all teachers experience voice disorder at some time in their career, compared to approximately five percent for the general population (University of Iowa National Center for Voice and Speech).
 
Children spend 45% of the school day engaged in listening activities (Berg, 1987). 

Children’s auditory processes aren’t fully developed until their mid-teens (Crandell & Bess, 1987) 

Even in an acoustically ‘good’ classroom, children ‘receive’ 83% of a teacher’s voice ‘signal’ when they sit in the front row; 66% in the middle rows and only 55% in the back row. (Crandell & Smaldino, 1994) 

The average primary school student misses 25% of what a teacher says. (Crandell & Smaldino, 1994) 

On any given day about 43% of primary level children could fail a basic hearing test because of middle-ear infections (Flexer, Wray, & Ireland, 1989). 

FrontRow classroom amplification products are sometimes referred to as soundfield systems – wireless voice amplification systems that vastly improve a teacher’s clarity so that children in the back of the classroom hear as clearly as those in the front. 

The use of classroom amplification (sound field) technology is the most cost-effective and acceptable means for facilitating classroom listening. (Berg, 1993) 

The first classroom amplification system was developed by Dr. Lewis Sarff in 1977. 

Students in classrooms with classroom amplification (soundfield) technology show significant improvements in Scholastic Reading Achievement scores (Mainstream Amplification Resource Room Study; Sarff, Ray, & Bagwell, 1981). This improvement was greater than or at least equal to that experienced by students receiving resource room instruction. 

96% of teachers have noted improvement in student attentiveness, listening, and comprehension after using an classroom amplification system (Rosenberg, 1996) 

Elementary school teachers surveyed have rated classroom amplification systems their most useful teaching technology (Allen, 1993) 

92% of teachers noted less emotional strain — and as much as 60% fewer sick days from vocal problems — after using an classroom amplification system (Rosenberg, 1996 & Allen, 1996. 

Spelling scores of 3rd, 4th, and 5th year levels have improved by 15%, 12%, and 21% respectively after using an classroom amplification system (Zabel & Tabor, 1996) 

92% of teachers noted less emotional strain — and as much as 60% fewer sick days from vocal problems — after using an classroom amplification system (Rosenberg, 1996 & Allen, 1996)

Customer Service is of paramount importance to us here at the Cora Barclay Centre. We believe that Soundfield systems and associated equipment should be easy to use and install. We also understand how new equipment should be installed correctly and training on that equipment be undertaken as quickly and thoroughly as possible to achieve the full benefit for all your staff and students.

Product training is available on all Cora Barclay equipment including:

* FrontRow Pro
* FrontRow Tempo
* FrontRow to Go
* Amigo Personal FM
* Puzzle Loop system products

Testing in classrooms is a vital component to the correct installation of a Soundfield system. Here at the Cora Barclay Centre we use sound level meters and reverberation testing equipment to gain the necessary information to install the speakers in the correct places thus giving the best coverage for that particular room design. We do this by entering the data into the PhonicEar testing software which runs through all the different placements and speaker design types to give the best Acoustic coverage for that area.

Installation
We can help with classroom acoustic testing and assessments and will assist your school in the whole installation process. We are dedicated to making the process of purchasing a Soundfield system as simple as possible.


Terry Furness 
Classroom Acoustic Technician /Soundfield Trainer
Email: tfurness@corabarclay.com.au

If you have any further questions or sales related enquiries, please do not hesitate in contacting our team at sales@corabarclay.com.au

All proceeds from Soundfield sales go towards helping South Australian children who are deaf or hard of hearing.