IDK presented on ‘Sound Effects’ at CESI‘s 2014 conference on Galway’s GMIT campus, with this year’s theme of ‘Spark The Imagination‘.
This presentation explored how certain aspects of sound are experienced similarly, regardless of a person’s hearing level, and particularly now that digital hearing-devices can be mapped to a wearer’s specific hearing-levels.
Sound fields were also discussed – but classrooms are rapidly altering.
Digital Acoustics For Learning Spaces
Digital tools were shared, for students and educators in a learning group (or space) to optimise their personal and environmental sound – remembering that classrooms are moving away from traditional rows of desks and chairs.
For instance… will children who wear gaming goggles for gamified education have sound-gear, too? Or, will they work off their personal hearing-devices?
Trying the Oculus Rift headset at the MissionV stand at the event was a real insight into using ears-only for communication, with eyes locked onto the headset’s 3D views, that swiveled as heads turned to the left or right.
Too Noisy – A Sound Level App
Educators have recommended the Too Noisy app for school communities to gauge sound in their vicinity. Sound levels in a noise-treated classroom or library can clock at 45 decibels (dB), but rapidly skyrocket to 85dB or more, in a dining area or assembly hall where sound bounces off hard surfaces.
Containing Potential Noise Damage
Too Noisy gives a visual monitor of noise in a physical space, with exposure to 85dB of sound for 8 hours, known to lead to temporary hearing loss. As noise levels in shared spaces rises, say to 115dB at a sports event, an individual’s hearing may be damaged by this noise in less than a minute.
Educator – And Student Awareness
Separate figures from the US show almost 12 per cent of children aged 6 to 19, have noise-induced hearing loss from blasting music via their iPods – and this damage is cumulative as the years pass.
Educators need noise awareness – and knowledge of emerging digital tools to manage sound levels in physical spaces, wherever they practise.
More Reading
- Soundfields For Learning – The Need To Know
- Classroom Hearing-Technology Options And Tips
- Feilte 2013: School Acoustics From A Pupil’s View
- Our Technology in Education Event (October 2011)
- Advice on FM Systems ‘Versus’ Soundfields
- Teacher Question: Sourcing A Soundfield System
- Soundfields Explained in our article, “Hearing On One Side Only”
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