Students' sound environment perceptions in informal learning spaces: a case study on a university campus in Australia
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
ISSN: 0969-9988
Article publication date: 7 July 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Physical environments, especially the sound environments of ILSs on a university campus, have become increasingly important in satisfying the diverse needs of students. Poor sound environments are widely acknowledged to lead to inefficient and underutilised spaces and to negatively influence students' learning outcomes. This study proposes two hypotheses to explore whether students' sound environment perceptions are related to their individual characteristics and whether students' preferences for the type of ILS are related to their sound environment sensitivities.
Design/methodology/approach
An investigation through a questionnaire survey has been conducted on both students' individual characteristics affecting their sound environment perceptions in informal learning spaces (ILSs) of a university campus and their sensitivities to the sound environments in ILSs affecting their preferences for the type of ILSs.
Findings
The research findings indicate that students' sound environment perceptions are associated with some of their individual characteristics. In addition, the results show that students' sound environment sensitivities affect their preferences for the type of ILS they occupy.
Originality/value
This study could help architects and managers of university learning spaces to provide better sound environments for students, thereby improving their learning outcomes. The article contributes valuable insights into the correlation between students' individual characteristics, sound environment perceptions and preferences for ILSs. The research findings add to the existing knowledge in this field and offer practical implications for enhancing design and management of university learning environments.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the anonymous referees for their insightful comments and valuable suggestions on the early versions of this paper. The first author is grateful to the China Scholarship Council (CSC) for a PhD scholarship (No. 201708370147).
Citation
Zhang, J., Liu, C., Luther, M., Chil, B., Zhao, J. and Liu, C. (2023), "Students' sound environment perceptions in informal learning spaces: a case study on a university campus in Australia", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-02-2023-0118
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited