This paper reviews research on issues relating to the effects of noise on children at school. Areas covered include factors affecting speech intelligibility in the classroom; the effects of environmental and classroom noise on children's academic performance; children's annoyance due to noise; and surveys of classroom noise levels. Consistencies and discrepancies between the results of various studies are highlighted. The paper concludes by outlining some current acoustic standards for classrooms.

The effects of noise on children at school: a review

This paper presents the results of new studies based on speech intelligibility tests in simulated sound fields and analyses of impulse response measurements in rooms used for speech communication. The speech intelligibility test results confirm the importance of early reflections for achieving good conditions for speech in rooms. The addition of early reflections increased the effective signal-to-noise ratio and related speech intelligibility scores for both impaired and nonimpaired listeners. The new results also show that for common conditions where the direct sound is reduced, it is only possible to understand speech because of the presence of early reflections. Analyses of measured impulse responses in rooms intended for speech show that early reflections can increase the effective signal-to-noise ratio by up to 9 dB. A room acoustics computer model is used to demonstrate that the relative importance of early reflections can be influenced by the room acoustics design.

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On the importance of early reflections for speech in rooms.

Classrooms are often filled with deterrents that hamper a child’s ability to listen and learn. It is evident that the acoustical environment in classrooms can be one such deterrent. Excessive backg...

Background Noise Levels and Reverberation Times in Unoccupied Classrooms: Predictions and Measurements

Cognitive Hearing Science or Auditory Cognitive Science is an emerging field of interdisciplinary research concerning the interactions between hearing and cognition. It follows a trend over the last half century for interdisciplinary fields to develop, beginning with Neuroscience, then Cognitive Science, then Cognitive Neuroscience, and then Cognitive Vision Science. A common theme is that an interdisciplinary approach is necessary to understand complex human behaviors, to develop technologies incorporating knowledge of these behaviors, and to find solutions for individuals with impairments that undermine typical behaviors. Accordingly, researchers in traditional academic disciplines, such as Psychology, Physiology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Anthropology, and Sociology benefit from collaborations with each other, and with researchers in Computer Science and Engineering working on the design of technologies, and with health professionals working with individuals who have impairments. The factors that triggered the emergence of Cognitive Hearing Science include the maturation of the component disciplines of Hearing Science and Cognitive Science, new opportunities to use complex digital signal-processing to design technologies suited to performance in challenging everyday environments, and increasing social imperatives to help people whose communication problems span hearing and cognition. Cognitive Hearing Science is illustrated in research on three general topics: (1) language processing in challenging listening conditions; (2) use of auditory communication technologies or the visual modality to boost performance; (3) changes in performance with development, aging, and rehabilitative training. Future directions for modeling and the translation of research into practice are suggested.

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The emergence of cognitive hearing science.

Objectives:The purpose of this study is to determine how combinations of noise levels and reverberation typical of ranges found in current classrooms will affect speech recognition performance of typically developing children with normal speech, language, and hearing and to compare their performance

Combined effects of noise and reverberation on speech recognition performance of normal-hearing children and adults.

In 1997, the parent of a child with a hearing loss petitioned the U.S. Access Board to include guidelines for classroom acoustics in the accessibility guidelines the Board maintains under the ADA. The Board agreed that poor listening conditions in schools could be a barrier to the education of children with hearing impairments and other disabilities and arranged to collaborate with ASA and other stakeholders on an acoustical standard for classrooms. The Board will submit the completed standard to the International Codes Council for reference in the International Building Code adopted by many states and local jurisdictions, making it enforceable through the local permitting and inspections process. Reference in the ADA Accessibility Guidelines may follow in its next review cycle in 2005. Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) required under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) may also reference the new standard.

Lois Thibault

Papers

Implementation of ANSI S12.60 acoustical performance criteria, design requirements and guidelines for schools