Dialogkompetens i skolans vardag - Publikationer - LTU - Luleå ...

part in communication where the language is chosen on the basis of situation and
environment.
The pupils use hearing aids as personal aids 43 . To correct impaired hearing by
means of a hearing aid is not like correcting impaired vision by means of spectacles.
The hearing aid cannot restore hearing like a normal ear, since it cannot distinguish
sounds in the same way. To concentrate on what is being said, the person
is forced to screen out irrelevant sounds. Listening situations in noisy environments
can require so much energy that people sometimes choose to assume a passive
role (Arlinger, 1999; Gullacksen, 2002).
The traditional technological solution in classrooms has been individual microphones
on each pupil’s desk (Figure 1). The microphones are activated by mechanically
pressing a button. The technical equipment is tied up to the room and,
through fixed cables; it also determines the arrangement of the furniture. The
technology that was used in the project was a cordless conference system lying on
the desk (Figure 2). This is a flexible system that can be carried to other rooms. In
both cases the teacher can choose to have a microphone round her/his neck.
Figure 1. Traditional Technology
Figure 2. Technology tested within the project.
In multi-voice environments, the oral and written dialogue is there as a basis for
jointly developing knowledge (Dysthe, 1996). For hard-of-hearing pupils the oral
43 Most pupils taking part in the study had traditional hearing aids, but there were also pupils with
cochlear implants (CI). Both alternatives are personal aids and may be regarded as different forms
of hearing aids. A CI is operated into the cochlea, and for children with a CI, training of speech
and the ability to perceive speech is emphasized (cf. Preisler, Tvingstedt & Ahlström, 2003; Roos
& Fischbein, 2006).
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