Survey of the classroom acoustics in Utah elementary and secondary schools and voice amplification systems

Abstract

Poor acoustics in a classroom can lead to vocal strain and heath challenges for teachers using these rooms over many years. In some cases, voice amplification can be used to help alleviate vocal strain. The acoustics of various types of elementary and secondary school (K–12) classrooms in Utah were assessed with speech parameters calculated from impulse response measurements for teacher to student interactions (using a dodecahedron loudspeaker and microphone) as well as oral binaural impulse responses for the teacher’s perception of the room (using a KEMAR mannequin with a mouth simulator). The use of and impact on speech intelligibility of voice amplification was also investigated. This study is part of an overall effort to better assess the degree to which rooms with poor acoustics may impact vocal strain.