This new research summary is now available and lifts out evidence from a variety of research studies around the world. These studies address a broad range of important aspects which need to be considered in learning environments. It is based on a recent extensive literature review by Professor Emerita Bridget Shield made for Ecophon. We […]
educational environments
Language students in Slovakia now appreciate the importance of good acoustics
Improved language lessons at Bilingual Grammar School in Žilina Slovakia. Before the acoustic improvements, students had to cope with poor speech intelligibility and excessive reverberation during their language lessons. It was not only the students who complained about the poor acoustics, but also teachers were angry about the environment because they had to strain their […]
Is it really possible to predict the room acoustic values in a non-diffuse room?
We made acoustic measurements as part of a remodelling of our training area at our head offices during the different phases of the acoustic treatment in the refurbishment. This is outlined in a previous Acoustic Bulletin post which highlighted the need for wall absorbers to remove the flutter echos, thus reducing the reverberation time and […]
Euronoise 2018 – Room acoustics and learning environments
Did you miss out? Our editor Pauli Pallaskorpi, Concept Developer for Education in Finland, attended Euronoise in Crete – and here are his main takeaway bullet points from the afternoon session: Effect of room acoustics and noise on speech intelligibility and task performance in schools’. Experimental investigation of effect of background noise and reverberation on listening comprehension […]
Interview with Acoustic Bulletin Editor – Holger Brokmann
It’s time to meet another Acoustic Bulletin Editor, and this time we go to Germany and have a chat with Holger Brokmann. Holger has a Diploma in Educational Science and a passion for music and guitars. He loves playing them, even building them and modifying the ones he buys. In fact, when asked how many […]
School acoustics in 5 European countries
How does the view of school acoustics vary between five European countries? Working across several countries, it’s interesting to reflect on the differences we see in terms of the role of acoustics. In some countries the sound environment barely gets a mention in a building process, in others only in certain types of specialist spaces […]
Understanding Innovative Learning Environments
Innovative Learning Environments, or ILEs, is a concept that keeps popping up and within the realm of school architecture debates are taking place and research is being conducted on open vs closed, agile, flexible or dynamic. Outsiders may find it difficult to keep up, and as for us in acoustics, we know that we’re in […]
Conference on inclusion and hearing impaired children
So, the iCARE research project (improving Children’s Auditory Rehabilitation) is coming to an end, and I had the privilege to participate in one of the last major milestones, recently executed (November 20-21 in Leuven, Belgium) – namely the iCARE conference. Professor Dr Astrid van Wieringen has been project managing all of us during these years, […]
Snow – the sound of silence in the classroom…..
Västervångskolan, a school in southern Sweden, modified the acoustics and lighting in four classrooms on a trial basis in 2013. The experiment proved so successful that In 2015 the municipality decided that all schools in Landskrona would undergo similar acoustic and lighting upgrades. Class A sound absorbing suspended ceilings were installed, along with bass absorbents […]
Acoustic fine tuning transforms award winning science museum
Guest blog post by: Nick Treby focusing on recent alterations for Thinktank the Birmingham Science Museum Thinktank Birmingham is an award winning science museum, absolutely packed with exhibits that range from steam engines and talking robots through to gurgling guts and a chocolate wrapping machine. It features a Planetarium, and lots of changing exhibition spaces. It […]
