What to consider when selecting and buying audiovisual equipment and materials, what to expect from dealers, how to negotiate prices and services, and what special services are available. (LS)

The Improving Classroom Acoustics (ICA) special project was designed to determine if students' listening and learning behaviors improved as a result of an acoustical environment enhanced through the use of FM sound field classroom amplification. The 3-year project involved 2,054 students in 94 general education kindergarten, first-, and…

Enumerates criteria for the selection of audio system speaker equipment for archivists interested in achieving sound reproduction fidelity, noting frequency response, flat response, intermodulation distortion, arrival time, and placement of equipment. Illustrative materials and three references are provided. (EJS)

Briefly discusses the potential of radio theater for high school drama. Sketches a modest equipment layout that will provide students with the fundamental combination of hardware and wires to produce audio drama. (PD)

Describes new audio alarm systems, their installation requirements, and advantages. (MLF)

Presents a music educator's guide to selecting audio equipment. Tells what to look for when choosing speakers, amplifiers, cartridges, turntables, and tapedecks. Charts are used as guides for price ranges and a glossary of terms that will be encountered in audio showrooms. (Editor/RK)

Stanford University (California) and the Yamaha Corporation have agreed to pool over 400 patents and patent applications, most involving sound synthesis, and to license them as a package along with rights to the trademark, and share the royalties. The deal builds on a 23-year relationship between Stanford and Yamaha, one which is both fruitful and…

Notes that fewer than 10% of American high schools offer radio production opportunities. Describes several high school radio stations. Discusses Radio as a major, how the stations raise grant money, and the special status for low-power radio stations. Includes a sidebar by Amy Medlock concerning procedures for radio stations. (RS)

The author discusses the issue of copyright, oldies, and digital preservation. He examines efforts being made to create digital sound repositories for music record prior to 1970 at such places as Yale, Syracuse, the New York Public Library, and the Library of Congress. These issues are explored by contrasting the music industry's concern for loss…

In 2003, Touch Graphics Company carried out research on a new invention that promises to improve accessibility to science museums for visitors who are visually impaired. The system, nicknamed Ping!, allows users to navigate an exhibit area, listen to audio descriptions, and interact with exhibits using a cell phone-based interface. The system…

This study investigated the effects of text notes and voice notes on the comprehension of science texts by fifth grade students. The study was conducted to determine whether digital note taking was an effective reading strategy, and whether one form of digital note taking was more effective than the other. Results revealed that general education…