The hum of the air conditioner, the roar of traffic, loud voices: whatever the source, noisy classrooms prevent an alarming number of youths from hearing teachers and reduce students' ability to learn, according to recent research. Now, University of Florida architects have developed prescriptions for cutting classroom noise in the design and construction of new classrooms.
Based on computer simulations, tests in schools and experiments with a scale model of a classroom, the recommendations come as the federal government moves toward setting a limit on classroom noise under the Americans with Disabilities Act. "We've come up with where to place acoustic material in rooms, how much should be used, what types of a/c systems cause the least noise and other variables, such as the preferred shape of the room," said Gary Siebein, a UF professor of architecture and researcher on classroom acoustics.