The Subjective Experience Depending on Type of Acoustic Treatment Recently, PHD student Emma Arvidsson, published an article regarding different acoustic treatments in ordinary rooms and how they are perceived. The article concerns how people subjectively experience different acoustic environments and furthermore, if the experience was different depending on where in the room they were sitting. […]
Education
Sound masking in schools: panacea or auditory Band-Aid?
A vibrant soundscape in any educational context, be it within a preschool, school or university, usually means a healthy learning environment. Students engaging with their education actively often generate more sound as they enthusiastically critique, consider and explore their learning materials and communicate with their teachers and peers. To counteract this, acousticians have striven for […]
Counteracting post-pandemic literacy delays through better classroom acoustics
Effects of COVID-19 on children’s literacy levels worldwide After COVID-19 struck in January 2020, schools were some of the first institutions to close as wave upon wave of restrictions and lockdowns were applied globally. With such a sudden discontinuation of many children’s schooling, the effects of the pandemic on the learning and development have been […]
Noisier teaching methods pose serious challenges for classroom design
Teaching methods shape the classroom sound environment Teachers of today have the shared goal of maximizing student engagement whilst maintaining a controlled sound environment. This has resulted in decades of innovation in educational approaches, classroom design and acoustic standardization. When additionally considering the influence of advancements in technological tools which have further augmented the field […]
How do acoustics impact children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?
The has been a lack research focusing on which facets of the indoor environment should be impacting ASD students’ behavior. Especially regarding the acoustics impact on children with Autism. “A lot of research has been conducted around children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but little has been available that has focused on facets of the […]
Good acoustics and air quality combine to increase student concentration, well being and learning conditions
Good classroom design works as a 3rd Pedagogue! In a post-Covid world this applied study has become even more relevant to ensure sustainable teaching and learning environments. This research carried out by University of Bremen ISF – Institute for interdisciplinary School Research into the impact of improving ventilation was based on previous studies (Bremen III) […]
Room acoustic quality to support inclusion in schools: Research presented at Internoise 2020
Teaching has changed and so have learning approaches of our children. The school is no longer the place for endless teacher monologues and our children are expected to participate in discussions, in group work and in cross discipline projects. Mainstream teaching today is not the same as it was only 15 years ago and the […]
Combination of Absorbers and Diffusers – An Experimental Study in a Classroom
This study provides information on how different acoustic treatments can be used to obtain different room acoustic qualities, and can be used to improve and fine-tune the room acoustic parameters for better speech and listening conditions in classrooms. The background overview The most common acoustical treatment in ordinary classrooms is a suspended sound absorbing ceiling. […]
Breaking the “sound barrier to science” at Winchester Science Centre
In the International Year of Sound, new acoustic solutions will make the Centre accessible for all The small but beautiful city of Winchester was once the capital of England. Winchester Science Centre, a more modern addition to the city, is on a mission to make STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) accessible to everyone. Over […]
Heart rate is a medically recognised stressor – Noise reduction gives teachers a significant long-term benefit
This is not new, however it is a fundamental aspect to consider when designing optimal sustainable indoor environments. By measuring/recording the heart rate of teachers, an indicator of stress was apparent in lessons and also over a longer more sustained period. Here is a short insight overview on stress as stated by ASA (American Heart […]
