Sound-proof class helps kids imbibe more, say experts
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Priya Menon & Yogita Rao TNN
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IS your child is easily dis
tracted in the classroom? If so, the area where his or her school is
located, the strength of the class, and exactly where he or she sits in
the room may be responsible. With research showing a strong link between
classroom acoustics and academic achievement, doctors and educators are
now stressing on the need for professionally designed classrooms.
With cities getting more densely populated and noisier, many schools are
located in noisy places. And none seem to
have paid attention to classroom acoustics. “In India, we do not have a
norm for classroom noise level. A student with normal hearing is able to
receive speech signal of 15 decibel above the speech level. But for
students with mild hearing loss or loss in one ear it becomes difficult.
Not all schools can afford air-conditioned classrooms, so they need to
have windows for ventilation.And therefore, noise from an outside source
is unavoida
ble,“ said A K Sinha, director, Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for
the Hearing Impaired.
Noise can also come in due to internal sources as fans and AC systems give out a hum that masks speech and makes it less intelligible. Children with auditory processing disorder where the child has normal hearing but cannot make the best use of what he or she hears are particularly affected. Sinha also said that source of noise can be from outside the classroom as well as inside.“If the classrooms are big, with more than 40 students, students' attention also drops with the noise in the classroom. Long-term exposure to such noise can trouble students with mild hearing loss or even students with normal hearing. Schools need to ensure they make some acoustical changes in their structures,“ said Sinha.
Acoustical consultant Roopa Krishnamurthy , who owns Bangalore-based firm Soundscape India, says, in classes, high levels of background noise due to noise intrusion leads to what is known as the Lombard effect, with the teacher having to shout higher than the din, just to be heard. “The teachers end up with a raspy voice and sore throat at the end of the day. The students also use up brain power in constantly having to tune out external noise, and this is far from a relaxed mind that can soak up information and process it in peace,“ she says.
Quiet environments foster assimilation, percolation, evaluation and processing of knowledge, leading to a large shift in interest levels of students. “It also has far-reaching social effects. The self-confidence of students goes to an all-time high when they feel they can be interested in and do well in their academics, leaving their mind free to think of many other things,“ says Roopa, whose firm has worked on corporate spaces, hospitals, residential areas, clubs, hotels, auditoria, studios, malls, and museums.
Noise can also come in due to internal sources as fans and AC systems give out a hum that masks speech and makes it less intelligible. Children with auditory processing disorder where the child has normal hearing but cannot make the best use of what he or she hears are particularly affected. Sinha also said that source of noise can be from outside the classroom as well as inside.“If the classrooms are big, with more than 40 students, students' attention also drops with the noise in the classroom. Long-term exposure to such noise can trouble students with mild hearing loss or even students with normal hearing. Schools need to ensure they make some acoustical changes in their structures,“ said Sinha.
Acoustical consultant Roopa Krishnamurthy , who owns Bangalore-based firm Soundscape India, says, in classes, high levels of background noise due to noise intrusion leads to what is known as the Lombard effect, with the teacher having to shout higher than the din, just to be heard. “The teachers end up with a raspy voice and sore throat at the end of the day. The students also use up brain power in constantly having to tune out external noise, and this is far from a relaxed mind that can soak up information and process it in peace,“ she says.
Quiet environments foster assimilation, percolation, evaluation and processing of knowledge, leading to a large shift in interest levels of students. “It also has far-reaching social effects. The self-confidence of students goes to an all-time high when they feel they can be interested in and do well in their academics, leaving their mind free to think of many other things,“ says Roopa, whose firm has worked on corporate spaces, hospitals, residential areas, clubs, hotels, auditoria, studios, malls, and museums.
Source: Aug 04 2016
:
The Times of India
(NaviMumbai)
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