Yael Shraga Roitman, Institutional accessibility advisor, Ono academic college.
Last week I was sitting in a cafe with some co-workers. We had a conversation about the current state of special education in Israel. Though the conversation was interesting, I didn’t enjoy it. The music was loud, and other people were talking around us. I was struggling to listen to my friends, tried to read their lips, to lean against the table, and to assemble coherent sentences from the fragments I’ve heard. At some point, I got tired, and although I had a lot to say, all I wanted was to go back to the office.
I often hear about similar experiences when I talk to students and lecturers. As an Institutional accessibility advisor, complaints about noise are one of the most common complaints in academic environments. Students tell that they couldn’t get a clear understanding of the learning material because of noise interruptions, and lecturers explain that they had difficulties giving clear and coherent explanations to the students due to the same reasons. Both students and lecturers told me that the class took a lot of effort, and on many occasions, they didn’t fulfill their learning and teaching goals.
Julian Treasure, a sound and communication expert, said in his Ted lecture “Why architects need to use their ears”: “If you can hear me, you can understand me without seeing me. If you can see me without hearing me, that does not work”. In other words, excellent acoustics are essential to any learning experience. The discussion about acoustics in learning spaces becomes more relevant when we talk about students with cognitive disabilities, hearing disabilities, and visual disabilities. A quiet environment prevents distractions and makes it easier to grasp the information more clearly.
Generally, acoustic adjustments in learning spaces include noise isolation coming from outside, noise reduction originating in the interior space, and echo reduction from the floor, walls, and ceiling. For starters, it’s recommended to identify the most influential factor that affects the acoustics and address it. If, for example, traffic noise coming from the windows is the most disturbing factor in the lecture hall, sealing the windows might be the most effective solution for this particular space.
Furthermore, lecture halls should have a good sound system that includes a high-quality set of microphones and speakers that are distributed equally in the learners’ area.
Due to the contribution made in 2017 by the Ian Karten Charitable Trust, we improved the acoustics in 14 lecture halls and the Support center for students with disabilities in Ono academic college. Because of this, more students are choosing to come and study in the Support center. Also, students and lecturers become more aware of the importance of a quiet environment and a high-quality sound system in the lecture halls and other learning spaces. They ask to learn and teach in the lecture halls with acoustic accessibility and direct our attention to problematic areas on the campus.
As the number of students in higher education increases over the years, the physical environment plays a significant role in students’ engagement in campus activities. Acoustic design around campus can ensure quiet as well as noisy areas that can be planned according to the type of use and users. Hopefully, professionals who are involved in space design will refer to diverse users and optimize their academic experience.
Article meta data
Clicking on any of the links in this section will take you to other articles that have been tagged in the same category.
- This article was written by the ONO Karten Centre
- Featured in the Karten Summer 2020 Newsletter
- This article is listed in the following subject areas: Centre News