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A. ACOUSTIC
1.Introduction
Good acoustical quality is critical for a classroom to function well for its intended principal purpose. In elementary school classrooms, most learning involves listening to the teacher and to each other (Goodland, 1983). Even quite modest amounts of background noise or reverberation (i.e., many delayed reflections of the original sound) can interfere with speech perception and, consequently, can impair educational outcomes.
Speech intelligibility studies indicate that students' ability to recognize speech sounds is reduced for younger children. This problem is frequently not appreciated by adults, who are better able to recognize speech in the presence of noise. Research has shown that noise exposure affects educational outcomes, and provides evidence of mechanisms to explain the effects of noise on learning. Careful attention to acoustical design is essential for creating an effective learning environment. Key Research Questions
1. What are the effects of noise on students?
2. What are the effects of noise and reverberation on speech perception?
3. What groups of children are considered more sensitive?
Recent Research Results
Effects of Noise on Students
Excessive noise can interfere with children's learning by affecting memory (Hygge, 2003) and acting as a distraction that impairs a student's ability to pay attention. The ability to pay attention is most important when students are engaged in tasks that demand higher mental processes, such as learning new concepts or when teachers are verbally presenting new or complex information (Hartman, 1946). (See also Anderson, 2004, for a review).
In one of the most comprehensive and rigorous studies to date, Stansfeld et al. (2005) conducted a cross-national, cross-sectional study to assess the effect of exposure to aircraft and road traffic noise on cognitive performance (reading comprehension) and health in children. The study assessed 2,844 children ages 9 to 10
1.Introduction
Good acoustical quality is critical for a classroom to function well for its intended principal purpose. In elementary school classrooms, most learning involves listening to the teacher and to each other (Goodland, 1983). Even quite modest amounts of background noise or reverberation (i.e., many delayed reflections of the original sound) can interfere with speech perception and, consequently, can impair educational outcomes.
Speech intelligibility studies indicate that students' ability to recognize speech sounds is reduced for younger children. This problem is frequently not appreciated by adults, who are better able to recognize speech in the presence of noise. Research has shown that noise exposure affects educational outcomes, and provides evidence of mechanisms to explain the effects of noise on learning. Careful attention to acoustical design is essential for creating an effective learning environment. Key Research Questions
1. What are the effects of noise on students?
2. What are the effects of noise and reverberation on speech perception?
3. What groups of children are considered more sensitive?
Recent Research Results
Effects of Noise on Students
Excessive noise can interfere with children's learning by affecting memory (Hygge, 2003) and acting as a distraction that impairs a student's ability to pay attention. The ability to pay attention is most important when students are engaged in tasks that demand higher mental processes, such as learning new concepts or when teachers are verbally presenting new or complex information (Hartman, 1946). (See also Anderson, 2004, for a review).
In one of the most comprehensive and rigorous studies to date, Stansfeld et al. (2005) conducted a cross-national, cross-sectional study to assess the effect of exposure to aircraft and road traffic noise on cognitive performance (reading comprehension) and health in children. The study assessed 2,844 children ages 9 to 10