The importance of acoustics in the educational process has become the subject of debate among educators, acousticians, audiologists, speech therapists and acoustical engineers. Apart from the question of criteria for an acoustically appropriate classroom, opinions have been expressed on the benefits and proper use of soundfield amplification systems, standards for acoustical materials, vocal stress in teachers, student behavior and safety in schools. Anyone interested in contributing to the discussion is encouraged to visit the "ONElist" and sign onto the classroom acoustics e-mail circle.
The nation needs learning environments that "Enhance teaching and learning and accommodate the needs of all learners"
"The quality of the learning environment impacts student achievement. In a sense, a school building is an important tool for learning and, like any tool, it can enhance the process or hinder it. We must insure that our school facilities are designed to facilitate what we know today about providing the best possible education for all students. While most of the existing facilities housing the 86,221 existing public school institutions in America were designed to sustain a model of education characterized by large-group, teacher-centered instruction occurring in isolated classrooms, current knowledge and research about learning calls for new models. These new models of education are characterized by more active student involvement, by students doing rather than just receiving, creating rather than recreating, thinking, working and solving problems. They are supported by strategies such as cooperative, project-based and interdisciplinary learning, all requiring students to move about, work in various sized groups and be active. Furthermore, new models call for all students to learn to higher standards. This in turn has resulted in increased emphasis on learning styles, multiple intelligences and the special needs of each student. Educational facilities should be designed to support these and other examples of current best practices and on-going research in the learning sciences (our italics). It is also imperative that research on the impact of the physical environment on learning be accelerated."
(Extract from a draft document presented at the National Symposium on School Design sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education in October 1998)