Conference_programme: 18.3 - Voice accommodations in room acoustics and noise
Lecture: Visualization of voice levels for improving the sound environment in preschools
Author(s): Ueno Kanako, Ise Shiro
Summary:
In Japan, high noise levels are frequently observed in preschool classrooms as a result of the daily activities of children. These noisy environments could be harmful not only as learning and living environments for children, but also as working environments for preschool staff. However, the detrimental effects of high noise levels are not commonly recognized, and management techniques to control children’s voice levels are not employed by preschool staff. As part of a trial to reduce noise levels in preschools, we developed an application for tablet computers that can visually depict the volume of children’s voices, and we experimentally investigated the effects of its use. The tablet application features visually appealing illustrations of three animals, whose sizes vary depending on the input sound levels. This application was shown to preschool children to help them to better understand their voice levels. First, as an individual trial, a small group of children was instructed to monitor each of their individual voice levels by watching the application in a small room, whose walls had been fitted with a sound-absorbing material. Second, as an assembly trial, the tablet was placed on a shelf where all of the children in the room could observe the application during lunchtime and snack breaks, to monitor the environment in the entire room. The preschool staff instructed the children to check the application display and lower their voice levels when the room noise was shown to be high. The effectiveness of these trials was analyzed using sound recordings and subjective evaluations provided by interviews with preschool staff.
Corresponding author
Name: Prof Kanako Ueno
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Country: Japan
