Education & Training Solutions
A soundfield is a hearing augmentation system that is perfect for educational spaces. This enhances learning for the entire class by improving the acoustic environment for everyone, whilst transmitting sound to hearing aids and receivers within the learning space.
When a soundfield is used in the classroom, all students, regardless of where they are seated in the room, can hear the teacher and other students at the same volume. This helps all students hear what is being said and has been shown to improve student attentiveness, participation, comprehension and concentration. As a result, the teacher is not required to speak loudly for their voice to reach all students, which has the benefit of removing the risk of vocal strain.
If you require a solution that is compliant with BCA D3.7, please contact us before placing your order.
Recommended Applications:
- Classrooms
- Meeting Rooms
- Small Rooms
- Flexible & Opening Learning Space
Both Soundfield packages come with Dynamic Soundfield Speaker, Mount, Touchscreen Microphone and Power Supplies. Apart from GPO’s (standard power points), the soundfield does not require any additional equipment or infrastructure.
- Halls and some classrooms may benefit from a Roger Wall Pilot to automate connections.
- Our Hand-held Pass-Around Microphone are very useful in group sessions to allow students to speak confidently.
- Where the PA is required to be included in the feed, a Roger Media-hub is recommended to have a constant audio input and allow the teacher to move freely around the room.
For a personalized recommendation please email us at info@hearingloop.com.au
Hearing aids and/or Cochlear implants provided to Australian children are equipped with Roger Receivers.
The use of a Roger™ Touchscreen Transmitter (teacher microphone) with a Roger Dynamic Soundfield Speaker in the classroom in combination with the Roger receiver is considered best practice. This combination ensures transmission of sound directly to the Roger Receiver on the child’s hearing aid, as well as dynamic adjustment of all sound within the classroom.
Phonak Soundfield Speakers are dynamic which means that they adjust the sound amplification to achieve the best acoustic environment for everyone in the room.
Soundfield usage offers:
- reduction of background noise,
- improved classroom behaviour,
- reduction in stigma associated with wearing a hearing aid, and
- greater control and quality of input from the teacher.
We recommend Roger Hearing Solutions and Assistive Technology, particularly in education.
Here is why……
Australian Hearing are the sole CSO funded provider of services that can be accessed by children and young adults under the age of 26 in Australia. Due to the size requirements, product ranges, support and many other reasons the majority of Australian children are provided with Hearing Aids, and/or Cochlear Implants with Roger Receivers (depending on suitability etc). Most children are also provided with a Roger Touchscreen Microphone (or Transmitter).
NCC / BCA D3.7
The NCC/BCA Requirements (D3.7) Hearing Augmentation, states that, any room or space with an in-built amplified sound system, or public interface requires a hearing augmentation system. Typical areas in educational facilities can include:
- Teaching/learning spaces,
- Resource spaces,
- Performing Arts & Theatres,
- Sports Halls & Multi‐Purpose Halls,
- Front counters, Receptions, conferences rooms, meeting rooms, Ticket Boxes etc.
We recommend Roger Hearing Augmentation in an education setting for the following reasons:
- Optimum performance and increased compatibility with a children’s hearing aids as they use the same technology,
- Minimal wiring required / low installation cost,
- No interference / feedback issues with metal structures, other technology, music equipment,
- Children have no need for a neck loop, reducing stigma and increasing uptake, and reducing number of neck loops required therefore decreasing cost,
- Simple maintenance / support (no need to remove carpet or redo wiring),
- Expandable to a Soundfield solution to benefit all children including covering the teachers voice (normal hearing, and hearing impaired),
- Not dependant on T‐coil in hearing devices. Majority of child hearing instruments will not have T‐coil activated by their audiologist,
- BCA D3.7 – The number of receivers should be adjusted to exclude children as they do not require receivers. For a BCA C3.7 compliant solution please contact us.
The soundfield speaker is a specialised hearing solution that dynamically adjusts sound to improve the learning environment for all listeners. Soundfield speakers improve the listeners understanding of speech by providing an even distribution of sound between the teacher, the students and any multimedia equipment.
Sensors within the Roger Digimaster Soundfield Speaker detect the sound in the room and adjust the acoustics to an optimal level. The volume automatically adjusts to:
- Minimise reverberation,
- Maintain sound to noise ratio at 15db above ambient noise,
- Reduce feedback.
The Digimaster 5000 V2 Soundfield is designed for a areas from 15 – 100 metres square – various classroom designs. A Basic Soundfield Package is an inclusive starting point to help all students, ranging from neuro-typical with an acute ear infection to severely disabled.
The DigiMaster 7000 V2 Soundfield is stronger speaker that can be combined with multiple speakers to cover large areas.
The datasheet with technical information can be downloaded for the Datasheet Roger Soundfield Digimaster 5000 V2 and Datasheet Roger Soundfield Digimaster 7000 V2.
Basic computer or building knowledge is sufficient to install or use most items. Use caution when drilling if wall mounting the Perspex Box or Soundfield Speaker. A licensed electrician is required to perform any electrical work such as installing or moving powerpoints.
Hearing Loop Australia have a team of installers in most capital cities. Please contact us to request a quote for installation or training if required.
Soundfield Speakers are an invaluable tool in a classroom, however we understand that it is not always possible to put a soundfield in every classroom from the outset. We recommend that you purchase systems that can be upgraded to a complete soundfield solution. Some Roger products are not compatible with a Soundfield Speaker. If you require assistance with your order, please contact us about this before placing you order.
Hearing Loop Australia offers a variety of solutions, ranging from hearing augmentation solutions designed to comply with the BCA D3.7 through to speaker systems that improve understanding for all listeners.
Look for these symbols to check its inclusiveness.
Our inclusive solutions benefit all participants including people living with hearing impairment
Hearing Augmentation solutions are tailored to those with Roger Receivers and Telecoil enabled Hearing Aids.
There are a number of soundfield style speaker systems in the market. We recommend Roger™ for various reasons.
- Using a non-dynamic system can cause a 54% degradation in speech recognition in a high background noise situation. This substantially affects the clarity of sound for children with a hearing impairment.
- By using One Roger transmitter to simultaneously communicate with both the Soundfield Speaker and Roger Receiver / Hearing Aid dynamically adjusts and avoids overwhelming the listener caused by having multiple systems,
- Users may experience feedback, squeaking or “buzzing bees” sounds from using 2 different systems.
- Multiple systems can cause latency,
- Some systems only accept one hearing aid receiver and will not communicate to multiple people with hearing impairment,
- Using one system allows the teacher greater control and awareness of the system, to refine and get a better audio output for all listeners,
- Speakers often wear multiple microphones as a quick fix due to complicated setups, causing OH&S issues.
Third party speaker systems can be connected to Roger ™ hearing augmentation solutions to achieve compliance, however connecting multiple branded speaker systems it is not recommended. Various options may be available depending on the type of system you are looking to connect. Contact us for assistance in finding a solution.
We recommend that school purchase the Touchscreen and Soundfield for the following reasons:
- A Soundfield cannot be used without the touchscreen, therefore the speaker can’t be used when the student isn’t at school, or forgets their touchscreen.
- The touchscreen needs to be available for after school personal use, and therefore will need to charge during the day.
- The soundfield benefits all students, including those who are not hearing impaired. Having a complete kit enables them all to benefit.
- The touchscreen benefits the teacher and saves their voice.
