UQ creates change in accessibility for students

The Bluetooth technology enables a single transmitter – such as a microphone – to broadcast to an unlimited number of receivers, including hearing aids and headphones.

Audeara Auracast transmitters have been installed in 65 of UQ’s lecture theatres across St Lucia, Gatton and Herston, with further rollout this year.

Dr Barbra Timmer, Senior lecturer in Audiology at UQ’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences said the system ensured lecture content was accessible to all students.

“Hearing loss can have significant consequences on one’s ability to learn, as well as their overall quality of life,” Dr Timmer said. 

“First year students at UQ are used to small class sizes from secondary school and here they may sit in a lecture room filled with hundreds of students.

“Some may discover in that environment they have difficulties hearing the content, which could be due to hearing loss, auditory processing issues or listening fatigue.

“In the past, we would always encourage students with hearing loss to have an assistive listening device – for example a little wireless microphone that the lecturer wears which sends their voice straight into the student’s hearing aids.

“However, this can cause some anxieties for the student: they have to sit towards the front of the room and approach the lecturer to ask them to wear the additional microphone.”

The streaming technology means a signal can be picked up regardless of whether the lecturer is using a lapel, handheld or lectern microphone.

Second year Master of Audiology student, Hardy Chau, has seen the benefits for both his fellow students and the patients he has worked with.

“I led a communication workshop last year and was teaching people with hearing aids how to stream with Auracast, and the common feedback I received was that the technology is extremely intuitive,” Mr Chau said.

“I could clearly communicate with my patients with just the click of a button.

“I’ve also had friends who have found their ability to concentrate during lectures has improved because they are able to completely focus on what the lecturer is saying without the ambient sound.”

Improved accessibility across campus

Each lecture theatre with the technology displays a QR code, providing information about how the streaming works, how students can connect their devices, and where they can borrow compatible headphones if needed.

Dr Timmer said the technology also benefits international students who speak English as their second or third language.

“At least a quarter of our audiology cohort are international students and they are finding they need to strain less to hear well, requiring fewer cognitive resources to take in the content,” she said.

“We’ve also heard that some of our students who don’t have hearing difficulties have purchased Auracast enabled headphones because they found it required less listening effort.”

UQ alumni involvement

Audeara is a hearing technology company founded by UQ alum Dr James Fielding, which has provided technological support during the roll-out by installing both the transmitters and the compatible personal listening devices.

Dr Fielding said Auracast streaming removed many barriers that traditionally come with assisted listening and normalises the experience.

“Everyone can access the same audio stream, and everyone can optimise it for themselves. That combination of accessibility, independence and dignity is a significant step forward,” Dr Fielding said.

“We're helping students by offering Auracast receivers as standalone devices and in personalised ear buds, so all needs are catered for, including recording, transcribing and real time translating. 

“Once people experience direct streaming in a learning environment, the value becomes obvious — not just for those with hearing difficulties, but for anyone who wants to focus, capture information more accurately, or learn in a way that suits them best.”

Dr Fielding said he found it incredibly meaningful that his alma mater is using devices developed by the company that he founded.

“Universities are where students form habits around how they learn, collaborate and engage with ideas, so seeing UQ adopt technology that improves the listening experience feels like a full-circle moment,” he said.

“What excites me most is that it helps students recognise how central listening is to learning.

“Once people experience the benefits of personalised, direct audio, expectations change — and that shift in awareness is exactly what Audeara set out to create when we started the company.”