The global Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the way we live and work. Connection is both far more challenging due to social distancing measures, and also far easier because of the connectivity that is provided through the internet and digital platforms. Everywhere one looks, there is another previously face-to-face activity that has been moved online […]
ILETC
How close are we to understanding how buildings affect our emotion?
Having met Isabella Bower while she was a research associate with the research team LEaRN we have been following her own research about how buildings affect our emotion. So we asked her to share insights from her research examining how design characteristics of buildings modulate neural networks involved in emotion regulation. Isabella’s work explores what […]
Better speech communication and learning in the classroom
At this years Transitions18 Education research seminar in Copenhagen, Viveka Årlander Lyberg Associate Professor at Lund University, presented the latest developments around Suvi Karjulainen’s PhD “Better communication and learning in the classroom”. This unique and applied study around the quality of speech communication for teachers and students also links to the investigation of the classroom […]
School acoustic research overview says minimise sound levels whilst maximising speech intelligibility
Professor Emeritus Bridget Shield recently presented a comprehensive school acoustic research overview at the Transitions18 education research symposium in Copenhagen. Bridget’s overview highlighted that the importance of acoustics in schools has been know about for a long time although the research has only really accelerated over the last 50+ years. BS looked at the typical […]
Acoustics is part of the conversation – when transitioning to innovative learning environments
For the second year running the University of Melbourne and the ILETC project organised a series of three Transitions18 research symposia around learning spaces in Melbourne, Phoenix co hosted by Steelcase and Copenhagen co hosted by Ecophon. Attending the Copenhagen event, there was a wealth of groundbreaking research studies and discussions about the transition of […]
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 […]
How open should a learning space be – acoustically? School Case Study 1
Noise is not something we only hear but something we feel, making teachers stressed and disturbing students. However, what feels like unwanted noise for some over distance, may be wanted sounds for another locally. This can create a conflict, so it is important to be able to separate these in order to create a sound […]
If Carlsberg built a University and hosted an education conference, they would discuss the value for good acoustics…..”probably!”
Well, not only does the Campus have good acoustics but it was host to the Annual European Education Research Association conference where acoustics was indeed a key part of one of the sessions…. The LEaRN team from the University of Melbourne organised an interesting session where the focus was industry and academia collaboration around educational […]
Transitions17, where education and architecture meet
Going beyond the traditional borders, be it education and pedagogy, architecture or geographical borders was the red thread of the Transitions symposium, the traveling ‘roadshow’ of the ILETC project when it came to London and Regent’s University for the first ever European edition (full program here). The world we live in is changing rapidly and […]
I can’t hear myself think – lessons learned!
During a recent weeklong visit to Melbourne, my main purpose was to attend the Innovative Learning Environments and Teacher Change (ILETC) research project partners meeting and attend the ILETC education research Transitions Symposium “Transitions Inhabiting Innovative Learning Environments Symposium”. However, it was also an excellent opportunity to discuss and raise awareness about the importance of […]
