New technology to create a better classroom environment

Nuance Hearing, a leading provider of targeted listening technology, has developed the Voice Selector Study, a new technology solution to help young people focus in noisy and distracting classrooms. Developed by a team of technology and health experts, the device leverages Nuance’s leading technology advancements to support focused listening.

The Voice Selector Study helps focus and attention in the classroom by cutting out background noise, sharpening the speaker, and tuning everything else. The device is intended for any student who has difficulty concentrating in learning environments and is also helpful for those with ADHD and other sensory and auditory processing problems. Clinical research showed a significant improvement in the ability to listen to the teacher in a noisy classroom.

Nuance Hearing (www.nuancehear.com), a leading provider of targeted listening technology, has launched the Voice Selector Study, a new technology solution to help young people focus in noisy and distracting classrooms.

The device creates a better learning environment for young people, helping them to listen to the teacher and follow instructions, while eliminating other distractions. A clinical study* testing the effectiveness of the Voice Selector Study in the classroom in 31 adolescents with ADHD showed very significant improvements in the ability to focus and listen to the teacher and in the ability to avoid distractions in the classroom. ignore.

Eight built-in microphones automatically follow the teacher’s (or dominant speaker’s) voice as they move around the classroom, reducing background noise and allowing the user to focus with less cognitive effort.

Nuance Hearing’s advanced beamforming technology delivers an industry-leading signal-to-noise ratio of 15 dB (the relative reduction of overall noise in relation to the target sound), compared to an industry standard in real-time applications of 4 -5 dB.

The Voice Selector Study is an easy-to-use, small tabletop that works with any wired headset. In addition to automatically following the dominant speaker, the user can also manually select up to two dominant speakers to follow.

The device is intended for any student who has difficulty concentrating in learning environments and can also be particularly helpful for those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who tend to struggle with concentration in class. ADHD is estimated to have about 2-5% (about 1 in 30) students at school. APD is estimated at 0.5-1% of school-age children.

A clinical trial testing the effectiveness of the Voice Selector Study in the classroom in 31 adolescents with ADHD showed highly significant improvements in the ability to focus and listen to the teacher and in the ability to ignore distractions in the classroom .

Tami Harel, director of clinical research at Nuance Hearing, said: “Classrooms can be very noisy and distracting these days. In a noisy environment, it is difficult for everyone to tune in to the teacher, but for some children this task is even more difficult. Some children have trouble focusing and concentrating on the teacher, and this effort affects their ability to learn and participate in the classroom.We are proud to launch the Voice Selector Study to help children avoid unwanted noises and distractions. ignore and focus on the teacher, which we believe can facilitate learning and empower students.”

According to the ADHD Foundation, the ‘core symptoms’ of ADHD are usually present before the student is 12 years old and can persist throughout school life. ADHD students typically have short attention spans and therefore find it difficult to concentrate and learn, especially in group situations. This can affect their education and many of these students underperform in school. Among children aged 6-16, there is a clear link between ADHD symptoms and academic performance. In addition, recent research has shown that: medication alone does not help children with ADHD to learn.

About Nuance Hearing

Nuance Hearingwas founded in 2015 with the fundamental goal of developing a technological solution to the “cocktail party problem” – the difficulty of understanding speech in noisy environments.

Over the years, the company has made significant technological advances and algorithmic advances in acoustic beamforming, becoming a global leader in directional signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

These developments have resulted in an impressive array of collaborations with business partners in the hearing aid and assistive technology industry, clinical researchers, scientists, educators and EdTech advocates. This includes a table microphone designed for use with hearing aids and developed in collaboration with Starkey, the market leader in hearing aids.

Nuance Hearing

Nuance Hearing was founded in 2015 with the fundamental goal of developing a technological solution to the “cocktail party problem” – the difficulty in understanding speech in noisy environments.

Over the years, the company has made significant technological advances and algorithmic advances in acoustic beamforming, becoming a global leader in directional signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

These developments have resulted in an impressive array of collaborations with business partners in the hearing aid and assistive technology industry, clinical researchers, scientists, educators and EdTech advocates. This includes a table microphone designed for use with hearing aids and developed in collaboration with Starkey, the market leader in hearing aids.