There is a difference between hearing and understanding. I can HEAR German. I can’t understand it.
In the classroom, when a student appears to understand the teacher even without a remote microphone, it’s usually because there is a lot of context and the teacher has said something predictable (such as the word “Abacadabra!” in the video). When you take away the context and the ability to anticipate what is said, it becomes obvious that the student is hearing, but not understanding.
Background noise and distance from the teacher make it quite challenging to listen in the classroom. Remote microphone technology such as DM systems reduce the cognitive effort required to understand. It’s important to use remote microphone technology even when the student appears to be hearing what the teacher is saying without it. We want the student not just to hear, but also to understand.
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