Improved Listening Solution for Class-Rooms

Give Your Ears Preferred Seating

What is "the classroom experience"?
When most people are asked this question, the answer would involve the simple exchange of information from the instructor to the student. If this were true, all courses could be taken on line and information could be passed by reading. The classroom experience goes far beyond this simple exchange. There is the interaction with other students, the sharing of ideas, questions and remarks from the audience. We learn from the knowledge of the instructor and the collective curiosity of other students in the classroom.

Unfortunately, bringing this experience to the hard of hearing student has been met with some challenges. Until now, conventional assistive listening devices have had their limitations.

Microphone - The microphone is the 'heart" of the system. It acts as the student's new ear. The system is only as good as the information that can be heard by the microphone. Microphones attached to instructor's lapel are designed with a small sound field. They are able to pick up the instructor's voice and not much more. If a question is asked from the classroom, it needs to be repeated by the instructor for the benefit of the hard of hearing student. This disrupts the flow of the dialogue. The HOH student may feel self conscious that the pace of the dialogue needs to be adjusted for them and is constantly reminded every time a question is repeated. We have found that some instructors feel uncomfortable wearing a microphone. Add the fact that extraneous, unwanted sounds are generated by the movement of the instructor, contributes to a "less than desirable" listening experience.

Circuitry- Once the sound is received by the microphone, it needs to be "balanced" to create the best listening experience for the user. Loud sounds need to be instantly attenuated, and soft conversation needs to be slightly boosted. This balance reduces listener fatigue. Remember, a HOH student may use this system for six hours a day. It is imperative that sound quality is clear, understandable and balanced. Our system holds 5 patents in this area.

FM Delivery - As the sound is received and processed, it is delivered to the HOH student. We have found that FM delivery has its' limitations. Information can drift between classrooms causing interference. Static and ?hiss? contributes to listener fatigue. FM frequencies are used by the public for other purposes, unwanted information being broadcasted from outside sources may find their way into the student?s reception.

Hard of hearing students can be helped by assistive technology. Unfortunately, current systems need to be improved. We have a better way.

Our Difference

Remember, our goal is to include the HOH student in the classroom experience. To accomplish this, the HOH student must have the same listening experience as the normal hearing student. Our small portable SC-186k microphone / emitter unit along with a small stethoscope style headset, is carried by the student to their classes. The HoH student plugs the unit in the front of the class in the vicinity of the instructor, takes a seat anywhere in the class and uses the headset. The headset is amplified and an adjustable volume control can set a volume level that meets the students? needs. The microphone is a surveillance microphone, the most sensitive available. It will faithfully reproduce the instructor and any questions or comments from the class. There is no need for the instructor to repeat questions or to change their delivery. Sounds and information heard by the hard of hearing and the normal hearing student are the same.