Bridging the perception gap: Integrating student experience with acoustic simulations for classroom design

Abstract

This study reveals a critical discordance between technically compliant classroom acoustics and student perceptual comfort, demonstrating that compliance alone does not ensure adequate learning environments. Four Italian classrooms were assessed using ODEON acoustic simulations, standardized in-situ measurements, and perceptual evaluations involving 90 students. Results exposed disparities between objective and subjective performance: one classroom achieved acceptable Speech Transmission Index values (STI = 0.672) yet received negative comfort ratings, while another showed poor technical performance (STI = 0.453) but excellent satisfaction. High T30 calibration errors correlated with elevated perceptual disturbance. Anthropophonic noise emerged as the dominant acoustic concern affecting learning comfort. A novel perception-based priority ranking system was developed, integrating student comfort scores, disturbance assessments, and soundscape descriptors with traditional acoustic metrics. This methodology identified critical priorities overlooked by conventional assessments, with priority scores ranging from 1.58 for the most critical classroom to −0.90 for spaces where satisfaction was high despite technical deficiencies. Acoustic corrections were validated through ODEON simulations, with T30 calibration accuracy ranging from 83.3% for best-performing classrooms to 16.7% for the highly reverberant untreated environment, where interventions represent directional improvement trends. STI values increased by up to 66.7% in critical interventions, while targeted treatments achieved optimal conditions with minimal disruption to existing positive experiences. This research establishes that effective classroom acoustic design requires systematic integration of user experience with technical parameters, providing a replicable methodology moving beyond regulatory compliance toward genuinely comfortable learning environments, conducted within the necessARIA project funded by the Italian Ministry of Health as a national interest initiative.