Abstract
Since verbal communication is used as the primary learning means, acoustics became one of the most important attributes of classroom architectural design. Adverse acoustic conditions in the classroom negatively affect the studentsâ learning, achievement and cognitive development. In 2015, the Chilean Ministry of Education introduced acoustic design criteria for educational buildings. This paper presents a review of these criteria by comparing them with international standards and considering the database of the urban noise map of Santiago. The results show shortcomings in the current acoustic criteria for learning environments in Chile, in relation to international standards. Furthermore, they indicate that, with the current urban noise levels, the acoustic design criteria for learning environments of the Ministry of Education cannot be applied to more than 70% of the educational institutions in Santiago.
Highlights
It is usually accepted that certain features of the architectural design of educational environments such as lighting, color, ventilation, temperature and acoustics, among others, have an influence on the attitudes, behavior and achievement of the students (Lewinski, 2015) (Maxwell, 2016) (Tanner, 2009) (Uline and Tschannen-Moran, 2008)
Children educated in classrooms with bad acoustics –noisy or reverberant classrooms, or with little speech intelligibility- learn less and show a lower academic achievement and cognitive development
Negative effects start showing at 4 years of age, and children up to 13 years old are regarded as a risk population in the face of bad classroom acoustics
Summary
It is usually accepted that certain features of the architectural design of educational environments such as lighting, color, ventilation, temperature and acoustics, among others, have an influence on the attitudes, behavior and achievement of the students (Lewinski, 2015) (Maxwell, 2016) (Tanner, 2009) (Uline and Tschannen-Moran, 2008). Evidence shows that an increase of half a standard deviation in the individual performance in mathematics and science entails a 0.87% increase of the annual growth rate of the GDP per capita This relationship between quality learning environments, academic achievement and economic growth is a virtuous circle that justifies, in the long term, the implementation of public policies on this matter. Unfavorable acoustic conditions in learning environments, such as excessive ambient noise and reverberation, interfere in the verbal communication and have adverse effects on learning, the academic achievement and the cognitive development of the students (Klatte et al, 2013). For the first time in 2015, the Chilean Ministry of Education incorporated acoustic criteria in the design guidelines for learning environments in the country (MINEDUC, 2015). The validity of the criteria established in Chile is discussed through the comparison with acoustic criteria adopted in a number of OECD countries, and the database of the Noise Map of Santiago (Ministry of Environment - MMA 2016), which contains urban ambient noise measurements carried out in the facades of 2155 schools in the city
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