“Hear Me Out”: ‘tour guide’ microphone/earpiece sets to address barriers to fieldwork
Project leaders: Steven Rogers with Ian Stimpson
There are many barriers to student learning and engagement in all educational environments, but fieldwork has more compared to traditional classroom teaching. Some of these are obvious (fieldwork can be physically demanding, it can be hard to hear in challenging weather conditions), some are less obvious (toilet stops, periods, social anxieties) and others invisible (sexuality, gender identity).
This project specifically targets some of these barriers, including hearing difficulties, social anxiety, confidence issues and disabilities requiring students needing to sit or distance themselves whilst listening to instructions and discussions, by implementing a simple “tour guide” microphone/earpiece system.