Page 57 - spaces4learning, Fall 2023

In Modern Learning Environments, Instructional Audio Isn’t Optional
By: Ray Young, Director of Education Design and Development, Lightspeed
One of the best ways to boost student achievement is to ensure students can clearly hear their teacher and classmates.
A simple and tangible step that architects, engineers, and K–12 leaders can take to make sure students can hear their teachers and their classmates is to invest in instructional audio.
Today’s classrooms are active spaces where learning occurs throughout the classroom and beyond. There may be a small group working in the hallway on a project, students progressing individually, and yet another group getting direct instruction.
Without an instructional audio system in place, the following barriers can greatly impede teach- ing and learning:
Hearing loss: Mild hearing loss is pervasive. About 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears.
Voice strain: Teaching is considered a high-risk occupation for voice disorders. Nearly 600,000 teachers miss at least one day of work per year because of voice issues.
Distance: Students seated at the back of the room get less access to their teacher’s voice. Per the inverse square law, distance decreases the “signal strength” and sound intensity.
Noise: To achieve LEED certification, a classroom’s background noise level must not exceed 45 dBA—which can be difficult to achieve. Using even the most conservative of research studies, the aggregation of classroom background noise typically ends up around 60 dB.
Today’s learning environments look, sound, and feel much different. Remote, hybrid and other modalities are much more common, as instruction has long since evolved from “sit and get.”
Implementing instructional audio into classrooms and other learning environments can help K–12 leaders solve many of the challenges they are facing today—and also help them prepare to meet the changes that will inevitably come tomorrow.
Whether they are seeking to modernize their campuses, prioritize inclusivity or enhance class- room design, K–12 leaders can look to instructional audio as a simple, impactful solution.
Lightspeed delivers the best distribution of intelligible sound throughout the room and
wireless connectivity for media sources, all with no audio dropout, and no interference with Wi-Fi networks or other technology. Systems grow with your instructional needs, supporting all types of student-centered and small-group learning.
When students can hear instruction clearly, everyone benefits.