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Speech Recognition in Classrooms
Objective
To investigate children's ability to understand speech in typical classroom situations and to develop a basis for classroom acoustics design criteria.
Background
There are indications that excessive noise and inadequate acoustics are common problems in classrooms and in some cases may impair children's ability to understand spoken words. Because most learning situations involve listening, the potential impact of these deficiencies on educational development is very significant. The same acoustical factors are thought to lead to voice problems in teachers, who must speak more loudly to be understood. Research was needed to develop a solid technical basis for design guidelines.
Better design will improve classroom acoustics
Statement of Work
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Measured three acoustical factors in typical classrooms: teachers' voice levels; ambient noise levels; and room acoustics conditions
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Determined, using speech recognition tests, how children's ability to understand speech varies with these factors as well as with age (grades 1, 3 and 6 students)
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Using speech test material recorded in simulated classroom conditions of varied room acoustics (reverberation time), determined the effects of reverberation on children of varied ages.
Results
The project provided a more precise and more comprehensive assessment of the likelihood of speech communication problems for students and teachers in typical classrooms. Younger children were shown to have much greater difficulties than older children or adults in understanding simple speech in noise. Reflected sounds can be beneficial to speech intelligibility but can also degrade intelligibility. A range of reverberation times was found to be acceptable for classrooms. The results can be used to derive recommendations for identifying the acoustical conditions that would enable teachers and students to speak and be understood without straining. The results also help avoid unnecessarily stringent and costly acoustical requirements based on speculations from partial results.
Partner
This project was supported by the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network (CLLRnet): http://www.cllrnet.ca/.
Start/Completion Dates
The project began in 2003 and was completed in 2008.
Publications
Effects of room acoustics on the intelligibility of speech in classrooms
Yang, W. Bradley, J.S.
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 125 (2)
pp. 1-12. 2009-02-01
[Full citation / Référence complète]
Evaluation of acoustical conditions for speech communication in working elementary school classrooms
Sato, H. Bradley, J.S.
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 123 (4)
pp. 2064-2077. 2008-04-01
[Full citation / Référence complète]
Does the classroom assist or impede the learning process?
Bradley, J.S.
Canadian Association of Principals Journal, 13 (1)
pp. 32-34. 2005-01-01
[Full citation / Référence complète]
Speech recognition by grades 1, 3 and 6 children in classrooms
Bradley, J.S. Sato, H.
Canadian Acoustics, 32 (3)
Canadian Acoustical Association Conference (Ottawa, Ontario, 2004-10-06)
pp. 26-27. 2004-09-01
[Full citation / Référence complète]
