The acoustic quality of classrooms plays a crucial role in fostering learning. However, many Italian school buildings do not meet the minimum regulations, turning classrooms into acoustically unfavorable environments. Typically, teaching is conducted with lectures, which is why most studies have focused on the impact of noise on listening. However, noise also interferes with non-auditory cognitive abilities. This research aims to fill the gaps in literature by focusing on the effects of exposure to acute noise on cognitive and learning performance of primary school children in relation to acoustic characteristics of classrooms and environmental parameters. Executive functions such as working memory, attention, and inhibition were assessed by administering neuropsychological tests on tablet devices; learning skills were assessed with comprehension and sentence generation tests distributed on paper media. Through a structured protocol, studies were conducted in real classrooms, comparing silent and noisy conditions, with detailed measurements of acoustic (reverberation time, Speech Transmission Index) and environmental parameters (temperature, air humidity, CO₂ concentrations and illuminance). This research, with unattended noise monitoring activities, investigated what sound levels children are exposed to during the course of educational activities. Through the calculation of new parameters that allow the assessment of the sound climate in classrooms, such as the Intermittency Ratio, IR, the temporal variability of noise was more accurately described by distinguishing the teaching activities carried out in the classroom. Innovative interventions were also developed to improve classroom acoustics, including the design and implementation of sound-absorbing panels made of sustainable materials and the participation of students in their decoration, which gave the interventions pedagogical value as well. These findings significantly contribute to understanding the effects of noise on learning and offer practical solutions to creating more inclusive school environments that are conducive to student well-being and performance. This research proposes an integrated approach which considers subjective human responses, objective measurements and technical applications, thus providing methodological innovation and practical solutions to improve the school environment and reduce the impact of noise on learning.

La qualità acustica delle aule scolastiche riveste un ruolo cruciale nel favorire l’apprendimento e il benessere degli studenti. Tuttavia, molti edifici scolastici in Italia non rispettano i requisiti minimi previsti dalle normative, trasformando le aule in ambienti acusticamente sfavorevoli. Tipicamente, la didattica viene svolta con lezioni frontali, per questo motivo la maggior parte degli studi di sono focalizzati sull’impatto del rumore sull’ascolto. Tuttavia, il rumore interferisce anche sulle abilità cognitive non uditorie. Con questa ricerca si vogliono colmare le lacune presenti in letteratura focalizzandosi sugli effetti dell’esposizione ad un rumore acuto sulle prestazioni cognitive e di apprendimento di bambini di scuole primarie in relazione alle caratteristiche acustiche delle aule scolastiche e ai parametri ambientali. Le funzioni esecutive come memoria di lavoro, attenzione e inibizione sono state valutate somministrando test neuropsicologici su dispositivi tablet; le abilità di apprendimento sono state valutate con test di comprensione e generazione di frasi distribuiti su supporto cartaceo. Attraverso un protocollo strutturato, sono stati condotti studi in aule reali, confrontando condizioni di silenzio e rumore, con misurazioni dettagliate dei parametri acustici (tempo di riverberazione, indice di trasmissione del parlato) e ambientali (temperatura, umidità, livelli di CO₂ e illuminamento). La ricerca, con attività di monitoraggi acustici non presidiati, ha investigato a quali livelli sonori sono esposti i bambini durante lo svolgimento delle attività didattiche. Attraverso il calcolo di nuovi parametri che permettono la valutazione del clima sonoro nelle aule, come l’Indice di Intermittenza IR, è stata descritta più accuratamente la variabilità temporale del rumore distinguendo la tipologia di didattica svolta in classe. Sono stati inoltre sviluppati interventi innovativi per migliorare l’acustica delle aule, inclusa la progettazione e l’implementazione di pannelli fonoassorbenti realizzati con materiali ecologici e il coinvolgimento degli studenti stessi nella loro decorazione, conferendo agli interventi anche una valenza pedagogica. I risultati forniscono un contributo significativo alla comprensione degli effetti del rumore sull’apprendimento e offrono soluzioni pratiche per creare ambienti scolastici più inclusivi e favorevoli al benessere e alle prestazioni degli studenti. Questa ricerca propone un approccio integrato che considera le risposte umane soggettive, le misurazioni oggettive e le applicazioni tecniche, fornendo così innovazione metodologica e soluzioni pratiche per migliorare l'ambiente scolastico e ridurre l'impatto del rumore sull'apprendimento.

Qualità acustica delle aule per le performance cognitive e il comfort dei bambini / Battagliarin, Lisa. - (2025 Sep 26).

Qualità acustica delle aule per le performance cognitive e il comfort dei bambini

BATTAGLIARIN, LISA
2025-09-26

Abstract

The acoustic quality of classrooms plays a crucial role in fostering learning. However, many Italian school buildings do not meet the minimum regulations, turning classrooms into acoustically unfavorable environments. Typically, teaching is conducted with lectures, which is why most studies have focused on the impact of noise on listening. However, noise also interferes with non-auditory cognitive abilities. This research aims to fill the gaps in literature by focusing on the effects of exposure to acute noise on cognitive and learning performance of primary school children in relation to acoustic characteristics of classrooms and environmental parameters. Executive functions such as working memory, attention, and inhibition were assessed by administering neuropsychological tests on tablet devices; learning skills were assessed with comprehension and sentence generation tests distributed on paper media. Through a structured protocol, studies were conducted in real classrooms, comparing silent and noisy conditions, with detailed measurements of acoustic (reverberation time, Speech Transmission Index) and environmental parameters (temperature, air humidity, CO₂ concentrations and illuminance). This research, with unattended noise monitoring activities, investigated what sound levels children are exposed to during the course of educational activities. Through the calculation of new parameters that allow the assessment of the sound climate in classrooms, such as the Intermittency Ratio, IR, the temporal variability of noise was more accurately described by distinguishing the teaching activities carried out in the classroom. Innovative interventions were also developed to improve classroom acoustics, including the design and implementation of sound-absorbing panels made of sustainable materials and the participation of students in their decoration, which gave the interventions pedagogical value as well. These findings significantly contribute to understanding the effects of noise on learning and offer practical solutions to creating more inclusive school environments that are conducive to student well-being and performance. This research proposes an integrated approach which considers subjective human responses, objective measurements and technical applications, thus providing methodological innovation and practical solutions to improve the school environment and reduce the impact of noise on learning.
26-set-2025
37
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11578/366011
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