Regional education in Australia has been thrust into the spotlight with the recent election results and the announcement of a regional education fund, highlighting lack of resources in these areas. Media Access Australia’s research backs this up suggesting that support for hearing impaired students in these areas falls far behind support in the cities.
The Classroom Access Project 2 pilot, an initiative of Media Access Australia (MAA), partnering with Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta and Cerdon College Merrylands, uses integrated, affordable and readily available classroom technologies to better support hearing impaired students, and goes some way to addressing the needs of these students and their teachers in remote and regional communities.
As with many issues in regional Australia, distance hampers access to services. Feedback from teachers and Coordinators of Sensory Impairment Programs suggests hearing impaired students in regional or remote areas receive little if any support from specialist teachers, while many hearing impaired students in the city receive several hours per week.
Bronwyn Geoghegan, Adviser Sensory Programs, Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta, said, “I’ve worked in a country school and resources are in very short supply, so anything that makes it easier for students and teachers in these areas to access curriculum content would be very welcomed.
“The technologies being trialled, particularly the Interactive Whiteboard solution, would provide much needed support for remote communities.”
A key component of the pilot, the trial of the Interactive Whiteboard solution, utilises existing equipment likely to be already available in a school, or which at the very least can be purchased at a minimal cost and used for many other purposes. The solution involves the use of a data projector, a Wiimote, infrared LED pen and a Bluetooth-enabled laptop with appropriate Wiimote Whiteboard software. The only significant cost for this pilot is the Soundfield amplification system, at approximately $3,500.
The mainstream technologies used in this solution dramatically reduce the expense associated with the project, making it more accessible to schools in remote and regional areas facing financial and geographical barriers to curriculum support.
Anne McGrath, Education Manager at Media Access Australia, said, “The Classroom Access Project is a package of integrated technologies bringing together several key strategies, such as captions and better sound quality, which assist students who are hearing impaired.”
The mix of technologies in the Classroom Access Project includes:
- The trial Interactive Whiteboard solution which displays learning content in a visual format, and captioned audiovisual resources such as videos and DVDs.
- A laptop to access MAA’s Accessible Education Database, an online catalogue that lists captioned content and links to the National Library of Australia for borrowing.
- A Soundfield amplification system to lift the teacher’s voice above background noise and spread it evenly across a classroom, benefiting all students and most particularly, those who are hearing impaired.
The pilot also features a wikispace for Media Access Australia, students and teachers to share comments, advice and resources relating to the project. This online forum is intended to encourage all participants to become more actively involved in the project.
“We’ve taken a collaborative approach to the Classroom Access Project at Cerdon College, which has really encouraged staff, students and parents to take ownership of the project. MAA’s involvement in the school’s existing mentoring program for hearing impaired students, and the introduction of a project wikispace, have been key in fostering engagement of hearing impaired students, enabling them to contribute to and gain further benefits from the project,” said Anne McGrath.
MAA has released a short captioned and audio described video showing first-hand the advantages of the Classroom Access Project. The video takes a look inside the classroom and features interviews with the Principal, students and teachers, the Adviser of Sensory Impairment Programs, and Media Access Australia CEO Alex Varley and Education Manager Anne McGrath.
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