Sound quality matters for learning.
Effective communication is the first step toward teaching and learning, and in traditional classrooms and learning spaces, most communication happens verbally. Investing in balanced acoustics is therefore an investment for both staff and student wellbeing. Poor acoustics can impact teaching and learning as students struggle to hear and pay attention, and teachers strain their voice to be heard, often without much luck.
Read the latest print edition of School News online HERE.
Jack Soffe, technical advisor at Autex Acoustics said effective acoustics play an important role in determining the quality of a learning space, alongside factors like lighting, air quality, and temperature levels.
“In education spaces, too much noise or reverberation can cause students to miss key words and phrases, making it harder to follow lessons and leading to confusion and decreased engagement. This is especially important for students still developing their language skills—whether it’s their first or second language—and those with hearing impairments or other learning challenges,” Mr Soffe said.
Many classrooms and learning spaces suffer from high reverberation times. This means that sounds echo around the room, often due to the presence of hard surfaces. With high reverberation times, background noises are amplified. During group work, as learners and kaiako try to hear one another, volume can gradually increase to unworkable levels. In areas with poor acoustics, this happens much faster and more often.
One solution to this problem is to introduce more soft furnishings to the space. Hardwood floors should be covered in carpets, and linoleum areas should be kept to minimum.
Of course, there are other practical considerations like ease of cleaning breakout spaces. Places such as lunchrooms and art rooms necessarily need hardwood floors and hard objects like sinks and whiteware. When these spaces are multifunctional, acoustic properties need to be balanced against other considerations.
If carpets are not an option, schools can consider covering hard objects when not in use and employing soft furniture like couches, beanbags and heavy drapes to absorb excess noise.
Auditoriums, halls and gymnasiums face specific acoustic challenges. These structures often have poor acoustic design due to features like speciality sports surfaces or high ceilings. This creates challenges when using these spaces for other events like performances and presentations.
“Sound-absorbing wall panels and ceiling treatments are among the most effective acoustic solutions for classrooms and other learning spaces. They help to absorb sound energy and reduce reverberation time, which improves sound clarity and speech intelligibility,” Mr Soffe said.
For classrooms, other innovative solutions exist such as sound field systems. These are a combination of microphones, amplifiers and speakers built into the space to create an area of even sound. This ensures all students, including those at the back of the room, can hear instructions and remain engaged with lessons.
Sound systems like these are a good option for classrooms with odd shapes, where dead zones can occur—areas of the classroom with reduced sound quality. These systems are also good for larger spaces, such as flexible teaching areas that may accommodate more than one class or teacher at a time.
For schools looking at adding new facilities, improved sound design can be built-in rather than an afterthought, with integrated sound field systems neatly installed behind wall panelling. Soft carpets and furnishings can also be included at the outset, reducing future costs and ensuring new learning areas are built to a high quality.
Mr Soffe said, “When designing large, open-plan learning spaces, which are becoming increasingly popular in schools, it is also beneficial to incorporate irregular shapes for sound diffusion, along with acoustic zones and alcoves. These design elements help create breakout areas for students, enhancing both learning and engagement.”
