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January 11, 2023Roger SoundField makes school more effective
Christine Pihlqivst is a teacher in Sweden who uses Roger SoundField in the classroom. She shares how it makes teaching and learning more effective.
More Effective School Days
Nibbleskolan in Köping has 320 students in the first to fifth grades. Christine Pihlqivst has taught the 20 pupils in 3.B since they started at the school. She uses Roger SoundField in the classroom every day. It is particularly used when giving oral presentations on various subjects. It can also be connected to a PC for screening films and to smart boards.
“The major advantage is that I can capture and hold the students’ attention,” Pihlqivst said. “I switch on the microphone and the sound from the loudspeaker is spread around the classroom. The students can focus and maintain their concentration throughout the introduction. This means that they find it easier to understand the instructions. In turn they can get going more quickly with what they have to do. School days have become far more effective.”
Why Roger SoundField is Effective
According to a study, using a Roger SoundField System in a classroom for just one period of the school day was enough to improve voice quality and symptoms of dry throat. It also reduces vocal strain and fatigue while talking.1
“I use my voice for 18 lessons a week,” Pihlqivst said. “What’s hard is constantly needing to adjust my voice to different levels. Sometimes, I have to raise my voice to a higher level and then lower the level again. The best option would be to be able to talk at a normal pitch all the time and to be clearly heard.”
One teacher at Nibbleskolan was feeling hoarse and suffering from a cold. She was allowed to borrow a Roger SoundField system and was so satisfied with it that she just didn’t want to return it. The principal of the school then purchased a number of the systems for the school to evaluate.
Easy to Use
Pihlqivst first thought she needed a huge loudspeaker in the classroom to use Roger SoundField. She figured she had to stand and talk into a microphone.
“But it wasn’t like that at all,” she said. “The system is problem-free, doesn’t take up space, and spreads a natural sound throughout the classroom. The Roger Touchscreen Mic is small and easy to use, and there’s no need to make any special preparations before lessons. The only thing I need to remember is that the microphone must be charged. But the battery lasts a long time.”
Better Education
Teaching is intensive, with many meetings and a lot of acoustic challenges. “Fans running, tables rattling, pupils talking, sound from outside,” Pihlqivst described. “A lot of factors affect the acoustic environment, but the system means that I don’t have to strain my voice so much. It’s less of a burden and doesn’t take it out of me. As a result, I’m nowhere near as worn out at the end of the day. When the working environment is so harmonious, education is clearly much improved.”
When the working environment is so harmonious, education is clearly much improved.
Read more: How Roger technology changed this teacher’s life
Language Development
Half of the students Pihlqivst teaches are of non-Swedish ethnic origin. “Differences are our strength at Nibbleskolan,” she said. “We come from different cultures, look different, like different foods; we’re not all cast from the same mold. We have many students at the school for whom Swedish isn’t their native language. It allows all students in the classroom to concentrate, learn, confidently participate, and achieve academic performance.”
Progress for All
Pihlqivst’s vision is for all students to be able to strengthen their knowledge regardless of their level. She teaches every subject to her class, along with craft, music, and sport.
“The best part of my job is seeing the progress made by each individual pupil,” she said. “Reading their texts, checking their advanced calculations, and following their development from year to year. My role is to guide the student along the right path based on their learning plan, advancing step by step. It’s great to see when they feel they have succeeded. Being a teacher is a job that generates so much energy.”
Text by Helene Falk
- Cruz, A. D. da, Silvério, K. C. A., Ribeiro, V. V. & Jacob, R. T. de S. (2016). Dynamic soundfield system impact on the teacher’s voice: case report. Revista CEFAC, 18(5), 1260–1270.
