Abstract
In this paper, we assess the acoustic environment comfort at the University of Sharjah after classes have been reconfigured in response to COVID-19 pandemic protocols, which included reducing the number of seats to comply with social distancing to support the hybrid teaching model. First, we measured the background noise and reverberation times for the different types of classrooms. The results showed classrooms do not comply with international standards where acoustic comfort indicators are higher than the recommended values. For example, the background noise levels were found to range from 43.9 - 49.6 dB(A), which is higher than the recommended WHO limits. To evaluate the acoustic comfort from the perspective of the main stakeholder; the students, we conducted a subjective survey to evaluate students' perception of the acoustic conditions at the classrooms. The results indicate that the majority of the students surveyed, (88%) felt that noise in classrooms affected their understanding of the material and communication with the instructor and peers. Noise sources were mainly identified to originate from corridors, maintenance work, and construction sites within close proximity to the classrooms. Better designs are highly recommended to improve acoustic comfort to ensure an excellent student experience and the best learning environment.
Published Version
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