Sound to support studying

The unusual spring brought with it a variety of unpredictable challenges. One of them was the organisation of distance learning in schools on a tight schedule. For higher education institutions, distance learning has been utilised at least to some extent before the coronavirus, but for most comprehensive schools, distance learning practices were a leap into the unknown. During the spring, teaching combined pupils' independent work and video teaching in a completely new way. Studying took on completely new dimensions.

Opiskelu. Poika vilkuttaa edessään olevalle tabletille. — Studying took on a whole new dimension during the coronavirus spring when teaching was organised remotely.

The importance of sound in teaching is enormous. The teacher can explain the subject to be studied with their speech, and on the other hand, the students' mutual group work is planned and presented orally – either on site or via video. Learning takes place in that interaction.

The importance of sound in teaching has also increased in terms of learning materials. According to the statistics of the Finnish Book Publishers' Association, In 2019, the number of audiobooks intended for comprehensive school learning increased by 133.3% compared to the previous year.

Peruskoulun oppimateriaaliksi käytettävien äänikirjojen kasvua kuvaava diagrammi. — *The number of audiobooks intended for comprehensive school learning material has been increasing. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of books published increased by 133.3%.*

Difficulties in the background of studying

Sometimes studying becomes more difficult, and there can be many reasons behind the challenges. For example, various special learning difficulties are quite common. At least one in 20 schoolchildren and adults suffer from various special learning difficulties. If left undiagnosed, special difficulties often lead to school and study performance that is lower than one's own level of intelligence.

The most common learning disability is dyslexia, the prevalence of which in Finland is 3–10% according to the disease classification. It is estimated that about 10% of children have some kind of reading difficulty, but about 2% have clearly noticeable and long-term difficulties. Dyslexia is when a child has both reading and writing disorders.

For a person with learning difficulties, audio learning material or other discussion in a teaching situation can promote learning. The most important thing is to identify the means by which learning is most successful.

"We are different learners. How do you learn best: by reading, listening, seeing, doing it yourself? Make use of your own good practices and other bad ones"

Enhance your learning by listening

If you learn best by listening, here are a few tips for you to enhance your learning:

Focus on listening. Writing unnecessary notes distracts from listening.
Talk to others, especially about difficult areas.
Explain the subject you are studying to someone else in your own words.
Minimizes distracting noises.
If necessary, use earplugs.
Read complex instructions or sections of text aloud. Here's how to help your memory.
Dictate what you want to learn on tape and listen to your recording.
Ask for a verbal explanation of the diagrams.

If you wish, you can also ask the teacher if it is possible to record the teaching situation. Then you can return to the material later. However, consider using this method carefully, as listening to lectures or lessons can be very time-consuming.

Would your organization benefit from a website that can be listened to?