Case study: Emma Shuey Elementary

CHALLENGES

Brian Lopez is a K-6 Bilingual/ELL teacher with more than 20 years of educational experience. As an expert in digital teaching and learning, Brian continually looks for ways to leverage educational technology to support the needs of his students, inside and outside of the classroom.

In particular, Brian saw an opportunity to improve student focus and engagement during independent reading time.

Over the course of an 8-week study during fall 2023, Brian set out to measure the impact of headset technology on student reading performance. To accomplish this, he used Epic, a leading digital reading platform with over 40,000 ebooks and audio-based reading experiences, such as audiobooks, videos, and Read-To-Me books. The study included over 50 students in grades K-6.

“Epic is our gateway to the world of information via online books. It has a plethora of books to choose from and it creates an inclusive learning environment for students that are unable to read on their own,” said Lopez. “The Read-To-Me feature allows students to visually see the words move with directionality across the page, while simultaneously hearing the words read aloud from the story. This blend of visual and auditory learning opens up stories that were hard to grasp in traditional books, making it easier for students to focus and learn new information.”

For the first half of the study, Brian’s students used wired plug-in earbuds while reading books, listening to audiobooks, and doing activities in the Epic app. The wired earbuds, however, presented several challenges for students. Because the earbuds were not designed to block out ambient noise, students were more easily distracted by classroom chatter and other external noises. In addition, students often fiddled with their earbuds to keep them from falling out of their ears, or from coming unplugged from their computers.

SOLUTION

For the second half of the study, Brian implemented Zone Learn, an adjustable headset designed specifically for young learners and tuned for learning. Students paired the Zone Learn headset with the Epic reading app for independent learning, read-alouds and for various reading activities and assignments. 

With audio drivers tuned for vocal clarity rather than music, Zone Learn proved to be ideal for digital learning and reading applications like Epic. With its rigid boom mic, gasket and noise suppression filter, Zone Learn surpassed the wired earbuds in quality, user experience and noise reduction. Unlike the wired earbuds, Zone Learn’s soft, comfortable ear pads and adjustable slider arms provided a personalized fit for students’ smaller heads, which helped the headset stay in position.

Zone Learn also seamlessly integrates into every school’s technological ecosystem. With swappable and upgradable over-ear and on-ear pads and three different input options (3.5 mm AUX, USB-A, and USB-C cables) that securely remain plugged in to the device, Zone Learn also provides a longer lifespan in the classroom, which is better for the environment and schools’ bottom lines.