Know-How: Acoustics

Feb. 1, 2005
Schools can improve how children hear in a classroom.

Creating a classroom environment in which students can hear and comprehend what a teacher or other students are saying will create a more effective learning environment.

“Classroom Acoustics,” a guide put together by the Acoustical Society of America, provides many suggestions for improving the listening conditions for students and teachers:

  • Reverberation

    Reducing the reverberation time (how quickly sound decays in a room) can improve acoustics. Decreasing the volume of a classroom or increasing the amount of sound absorption will reduce the reverberation time.

    “Adding a suspended ceiling of sound-absorbing tile can significantly improve the acoustics by simultaneously decreasing the volume and increasing absorption,” the guide says.

  • Equipment

    Noise from mechanical equipment can detract from a student's ability to concentrate and learn. Avoid placing any major mechanical equipment “inside, above, below or adjacent to classrooms.”

  • Windows

    Windows may allow unwanted sound into a classroom.

    “To provide noise reduction, windows must be well sealed,” the guide says. “Double-paned glass provides better sound reduction than single-paned glass.”

  • Wall construction

    In general, the thicker the wall, the greater the noise reduction.

    “However, a thick, solid wall is usually too expensive and heavy and wastes valuable floor space,” the guide says. “An effective compromise is to construct a wall of a layer of heavy material, an airspace, and another layer of heavy material.”

  • Sound system

    Some classrooms can benefit from sound amplification; a teacher wears a microphone, and speakers amplify the speech.

“This can be useful in a room with a moderate amount of mechanical noise that would otherwise be difficult or expensive to silence,” the guide says. “However, such systems also have their limitations.”

For instance, amplified sound in a room with a high reverberation time may remain unintelligible, and such systems usually do not provide amplification for students. Using a combination of reflective and absorptive materials will provide the most effective acoustical conditions.

NOTABLE

Sound-pressure levels (in decibels) of common sound sources:

20

A whisper

50 to 70

Speech range

80

Cafeteria

100

Accelerating motorcycle

140

Jet engine (75 feet away)

Source: “Classroom Acoustics,” Acoustical Society of America

Sponsored Recommendations

How to design flexible learning spaces that teachers love and use

Unlock the potential of flexible learning spaces with expert guidance from school districts and educational furniture providers. Discover how to seamlessly integrate adaptive ...

Blurring the Lines in Education Design: K–12 to Higher Ed to Corporate America

Discover the seamless integration of educational and corporate design principles, shaping tomorrow's leaders from kindergarten to boardroom. Explore innovative classroom layouts...

Room to Learn: Furniture Solutions for Education

Preparing students for the future. Utilizing our experience in the education market, we offer a dynamic selection of products that pair technology with furniture to help stimulate...

Transforming Education: A Case Study in Progressive Classroom Design

Discover how Workspace Interiors and the Baldwin School District reshaped learning environments in Long Island, New York, creating pedagogically responsive spaces that foster ...