1. What causes high
noise levels and other acoustical problems in classrooms?
• Most
noise problems are caused by excessively loud heating-ventilation-air
conditioning units (HVAC).
• Other
noise sources in the classroom include the lights, AV and electronic equipment,
pencil sharpeners, aquariums, and children moving about the room and talking.
• Street
and playground noise from outside the building penetrates classrooms.
• Hallway
and adjacent classroom noise also infiltrates the classroom.
2. Who is at risk for learning problems due to poor
classroom acoustics? Crandell, Smaldino & Flexer (1995) identified the
following groups of students as at risk for learning problems in the classroom:
• Children
with any hearing loss whether unilateral, bilateral, high frequency, minimal,
or fluctuating
• Children
younger than age 13
• Children
who have articulation disorders
• Children
who have language learning problems
• Children
who have learning disabilities
• Children
who are non-native English speakers
• Children
who have a history of otitis media
• Children
who have auditory processing disorders
Or,
about up to 20% of all school-age children
3. What are the effects
of noise on hearing in the classroom?
Noise masks speech sounds --> decreased speech perception abilities
--> decreased comprehension of information --> reduced academic
achievement increased social-emotional problems
4. What are other effects
of poor classroom acoustics?
• Increased
voice fatigue for teachers (Allen, 1995); Iowa study found highest percentage
of teacher absences was due to voice-related problems.
• Students'
listening effort increases (Ross,1992); the more energy put into just
trying to hear the teacher reduces ability to focus on what is being said.
• Developmental
factors related to language capacity cause younger children to have more
problems than older ones.
• Students
with a hearing impairment listen through a filter created by their hearing
loss.
√ hearing
aids amplify all sounds
√ assistive
technology improves signal-to-noise ratios
√ assistive
listening devices are a necessity for most students with hearing loss
5. What actions are
being taken to improve classroom acoustics?
• US Architectural
and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (the Access Board) has recommended
that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) be amended to improve acoustical
accessibility in schools for children
• Petition
for rulemaking; Request for Information of Acoustics - June 1, 1998, Federal
Register, 63,104
• Response
to Petition for Rulemaking on Classroom Acoustics (36 CFR Chapter XI.
November 8, 1999) - the Access Board reported that it would support the
development of a standard of classroom acoustical design by the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) Committee of Noise (S-12), under the
secretariat of the Acoustical Society of American (ASA).
• Final
report due to Access Board 5-1-2001; rules to affect new construction,
remodeling and potentially other classrooms or buildings as determined
by an individual student’s needs
• President
Clinton and Congress have legislation pending to promote school facility
renovation
• The High
Performance Schools Act of 1999 (US Representative Mark Udall, 10/25/99)
to promote better learning environments for children and operational efficiency;
US Department of Education would administer program
6. What will it cost
to improve classroom acoustics?
• Retrofitting
poorly designed HVAC systems or installing wall, ceiling, or floor treatments
costs twice to five times more than proper original design and construction.
• While
the cost to provide proper acoustical environments is estimated to raise
construction costs by 5%, the benefit-to-cost ratio over time when comparing
the educational benefits of improved signal-to-noise ratios is estimated
to be 40:1 (Lubman & Sutherland, 1999)
7. What can be done
to increase awareness about the problems associated with classroom acoustics?
• Get together
school facilities personnel who are responsible for school facility planning,
design, and remodeling along with school audiologists, building principals,
teachers, parents, and others who are knowledgeable and/or interested
in this problem; also include local architectural firms and acoustical
engineers.
• Have
a meeting to raise awareness of the problems, the pending ADA regulations
on classroom acoustics, and to discuss plans for addressing the problem.
8. What can teachers and
schools do to improve acoustical conditions in their classrooms?
• Add carpet
or rugs to the floor; if this is not possible, put rubber tips or tennis
balls on the chair legs or, use cushions in place of chairs
• Put drapes
on windows and walls
• Use
cork board on walls for bulletin boards to reduce reflective surfaces
• Use bookshelves
as room dividers to create quiet classroom spaces
• Landscape
with trees and burms to reduce outside noise
• Close
doors to hallways
• Suspend
acoustical tile
• Make sure
lighting is adequate
For more information on classroom acoustics see: www.classroomacoustics.com
References:
Allen L (1995) The effect sound field amplification has on teacher vocal
abuse problems. Paper presented at the Educational Audiology Association
Summer Conference, Lake Lure, NC, June 1995.
Crandell C, Smaldino J, Flexer C (1995) Speech perception in specific populations,
Sound-Field FM Amplification, 49-65. San Diego: Singular Publishing
Group, Inc.
Lubman D & Sutherland L (1999) Good classroom acoustics are a good
investment for America. Invited paper presented at the 138th Annual Meeting
of the Acoustical Society of America, Columbus, OH, Nov 1999.
Ross M (1992) Room acoustics and speech perception. In M. Ross (Ed.), FM
Auditory training systems: Characteristics, selection, & use, 40-41.
Timonium, MD: York Press.
Permission to reprint granted by the Educational Audiology Association
Educational Audiology Review 17 (2), Spring 2000
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