The Essex School Study – optimum classroom acoustics

The Essex study ran for 5 months during the academic year 2007/8 during which period classrooms were repeatedly modified acoustically. Many objective and subjective measures were obtained and initial findings have been described as ‘very powerful’!

Multiple perspectives are always important when considering the impact of the acoustic environment on a system as complicated as a classroom. The Essex School Study held an open meeting during the National School Environment Week in June 2008. During the meeting attendees, including interested people from education, acoustics, charities, parents’ groups and the government, completed a semantic differential questionnaire devised by Dr Markus Meis.
The Essex study ran for 5 months during the academic year 2007/8 during which period classrooms were repeatedly modified acoustically in a counterbalanced experimental design. The 11 staff and 400 children (including hearing impaired children) were kept blind to the acoustic modifications. Many objective and subjective measures were obtained and initial findings have been described as ‘very powerful’ by a consultant from the National College of School Leadership. For further information please contact David Canning at [email protected]. More information will be provided as it becomes available at www.hear2learn.co.uk.
Subjective evaluation of different classrooms by 24 professionals

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MA1 (red) = Gypsum + small amount of wall panels (meets BB93, section 1)
MA2 (green) = 15 mm class A absorber + small amount of wall panels (meets BB93, section 6, hearing impaired)
MA3 (purple) = 40 mm class A absorber + low frequency absorber + Wall panels (meets BATOD requirements)
MA5 (blue) = acoustically untreated