Audible Speech and Intelligibility

another suggestion

To summarize so far, designers should focus on providing an acoustic environment that promotes intelligible speech while reducing background noise, reducing impact sound and providing appropriate reverberation.

How do we achieve this?

Background noise must be treated in tandem with room acoustics, because without addressing both, speech intelligibility will suffer, and as a result, students’ ability to learn and comprehend will suffer.

Recent studies indicate that younger students require extremely high intelligibility of speech, because they are not able to “fill in the blanks” for garbled sounds or words the way older students can (see study x in list of references at the end of the booklet).

The figure below shows the difference in intelligibility  in two rooms identical in size and finishes, except that one has an acoustic tile ceiling and the other has a hard gypsum ceiling.  Note that the room with the acoustic tile achieves a MUCH more favorable intelligibility rating (here as STI (Speech Transmission Index).

I will need to get my name off of the graphs (DSW)

The following issues require careful examination to achieve an appropriate classroom design to optimize speech and hearing comprehension:  (to be moved to “page 3” ?)

OR

To summarize, the preceding sections have identified the following issues that require careful examination to achieve an appropriate classroom design to optimize hearing and comprehension of speech:

1. Outside noise sources (building shell)
2. Inside noise sources (interior walls and floors/ceilings)
3. Mechanical  system noise (HVAC and plumbing noise control)
4. Room acoustics (reverberation time)

 

OR SHOULD THIS BE A STOPPING POINT (separate page) OR A SPECIAL BOX LIKE A TEXTBOOK?

Advertisement