MESHGuides

• Classroom Audio Distribution (Sound Field) Case Study - 2016

  Manchester Communication Academy (MCA)

  This case study and video provides evidence of how a new secondary school in Manchester that has some very large teaching spaces (4-5 classes per space), has been able to overcome the problems of excessive noise and poor levels of speech intelligibility, through the installation of classroom audio distribution systems.

Classroom Audio Distribution (Sound Field) Case Study - 2016. 

Adrian James has produced a 10-step guide to acoustic design, which gives suggestions on ways of producing a good acoustic environment.

The addition of curtains, blinds, carpeting, drapes, soft furnishings etc can all help towards improving the reverberation times in a classroom.

Here are some of the main points from the legislation and guidance* on acoustics standards for school. The requirement that particularly applies to schools is Building Regulations 2000 Approved Document E which has the descriptive statements: 

The key components that create a classroom acoustic are:

• the room design
• the levels of background noise - internal/external noise IANL (indoor ambient noise level)
• the levels of reverberation

The following factors need to be taken into consideration when thinking about speech intelligibility.

Speech banana

As the detrimental impact of poor acoustics on pupil learning became clear, a variety of solutions developed over a period of years. These included the development of regularly updated school acoustic standards and guidance by Governments (see Context column), acoustic materials and the use of soundfield technology (see Interventions column). You will also find details of the impact on learning of these product developments in the Case Studies column.

Several studies and written reports over the last 40-50 years have shown the extent to which poor classroom acoustics impact negatively on children’s learning performance.

The research of Ross (1972) and Ross, Giolas & Carver (1973) presented, for the first time, powerful evidence of the effect of classroom conditions on speech intelligibility. When these research studies were undertaken, there were no articles available dealing with the behaviour of sound in a classroom and its impact on children and nothing on reverberation time and critical distance.

Historically schools were built without regard for the need of good acoustics and listening conditions.

References

Boothroyd, A. (2002) Room Acoustics and Speech Perception, Seminars in Hearing