The Power Of Acoustics In Education

Noise is inevitable in all its forms. Irrespective of decibel levels, sound waves are an accompaniment to any space. In an educational context, unnecessary amounts of noise can distract both teachers and students from the task at hand. Acoustics in educational spaces, therefore, must be able to mitigate noise levels.

Poor acoustics in schools, namely schools with dated classrooms, can lead to cognitive fatigue, reduced access to speech and language acquisition skills, increased anxiety and poorer learning outcomes.

Autex Acoustics is intent on remedying noise levels in classrooms, to become congruent with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 that require classrooms to be built to a certain standard, and to create contemporary educational spaces with a renewed emphasis on learning.

An ideal learning space should be able to provide clear speech communication, minimal noise levels and counter distractions, disturbances and creators of stress. Studies conducted worldwide have demonstrated that acoustic quality can affect classroom behaviours.

Autex Acoustics offers a multitude of customisable and bespoke solutions that allow students and teachers to flourish within an educational context. With a specific focus on sustainable practice and manufacturing, the company aims to provide acoustic treatments that do not skip on environmental consciousness or poor styling.

Acoustic Ergonomics of School, a study conducted in a group of German schools in 2006, surveyed 2000 teachers finding 80 per cent of teachers stated noise was a major distraction that leads to stress. The 2014 paper, New generation learning environments: creating good acoustic environments – policy to implementation, published by Internoise, recommended the development of universal strategies for accessibility in learning spaces. These will see hearing access technology become a fundamental requirement in all learning spaces, with inbuilt amplification in both new and renovated classrooms.

While new classrooms are built with the correct acoustic treatments that have them ready for learning activities, older spaces that require remodelling are a challenge for companies that must transform the buildings in question into modern classrooms.

Autex Acoustics’ solutions are used by the country’s foremost designers to remodel a range of commercial and residential spaces, and an extension into the educational sphere is certainly not a bridge too far.

Eventually, all schools nationwide will receive refurbishments that will bring them into the 21st Century. What remains important throughout these fit-outs is that the ability to learn and collaborate with teachers and fellow students is not compromised. Central Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) affects approximately 10 per cent of the Indigenous Australian population and 64 per cent of adults over 55 years of age, according to Australian Hearing. The Australian Association of Audiologist in Private Practice estimated in 2014 that approximately 15 per cent of the Australian population may have an APD described as a listening in noise difficulty with or without the presence of a diagnosed hearing loss.

Autex Acoustics supports these findings with solutions that enable thoughtfully designed learning spaces that offer auditory ambience for all. The ultimate vision is that students and teachers alike are able to educate and learn, and subsequently grow, within the walls of any classroom.

Distraction-free learning spaces are paramount to students’ development, and ensuring a room is adequately sound treated goes a long way towards productivity.