Classroom acoustics in the developing world: A student project to develop simple assessments and treatments.

Abstract

An inadequate educational system can be crippling to a developing country struggling to advance in the modern world. Poor classroom acoustics are a significant factor that can contribute to an inadequate education. Classroom acoustics is a mature field of research in the developed world; however, the classroom conditions and resources found in the developing world present new research challenges. A special project course was developed at Purdue University to give undergraduate students the opportunity to learn about and address classroom acoustics problems in underdeveloped regions. The goal of this special project course was to develop an evaluation and design manual that can be distributed to teachers and educational officials in those regions. The purpose of the manual is to help identify acoustic problems in classrooms, provide suggestions of simple noise control solutions, and outline best practices for the design of new classrooms. The manual specifically addresses problems related to excessive reverberation, poor signal-to-noise ratios, and noise transmission from outside the classroom. The ultimate intent of this project was to increase awareness of the unique classroom acoustic conditions in the developing world.