MIE.20 – Improving Student Learning Outcomes Through Noise Abatement in Engineering Student Spaces

• Jeremiah Dejesus
• Oscar Guillen
• Elaine Perpetua
• Samar Sharma
• Colton Williams

Noise plays a vital role in the learning environment of classrooms. Several rooms in the UIC Mechanical and Industrial Engineering department have been found to have undesirable acoustics, which negatively affect the ability of students to learn. The team analyzed the acoustics of the rooms, each with different dimensions and layouts, and provided suggestions for improvement to every room. University of Illinois at Chicago’s MIE department requested this project, seeking a solution that was convenient and applicable for future use in other rooms around the school. The goal of this project was to provide the sponsor with an easy and efficient way to analyze the acoustic environment of any classroom in the school. After analyzing the room, the sponsor should be able to identify the needs of the room in terms of acoustic panels. The process overall should improve the learning environment for both students and professors. The team considered using different measurement devices such as SPL meters or other measurement microphones. Different softwares to be used with the measurement devices were also considered, such as Excel and other hardware implemented acoustic softwares. The acoustic improvement methods considered were different types of acoustic panels such as foam and wood panels, or panels that were to be used differently, such as ceiling panels. The team looked through all the options and chose the best hardware, software and panels to be used for the project. In order to achieve the goal, the team used an omni-directional measurement microphone along with Room EQ Wizard Room Acoustics Software to analyze the rooms acoustics. Measurements were taken at different points in the room to simulate the possible locations of students in the classroom. The results included a series of graphs and charts that described the specific frequencies and intensities of sound traveling throughout the room. Based on these results as well as calculations based on the materials and surface area of the room, acoustic panels were chosen to treat the room’s deficiencies, and a layout of these panels in the room was created. Due to a limited budget, the team worked with the sponsor, Runyu Mei, to choose one room that was budget-friendly to purchase acoustic panels for implementation. Acoustic panels and bass traps were purchased from ATS Acoustics, a small business based in Southern Illinois to improve the acoustics in the rooms. Once the suggestions were implemented for the chosen room, the team performed a second measurement analysis to compare the graphs and charts of the software to show the improvements of the room. To validate these results, a student feedback survey was conducted before and after sound panel placement in the room to show a noticeable acoustic improvement of the room. In the end, the solution provided a method for successfully improving the acoustics of the room as described by the project’s goal and could offer a future solution for improving other rooms with undesirable acoustics at the university. The overall process was shown to positively affect students’ ability to learn.