Monitoring and Regulating Sonic Activity Through Feedback in Learning Environments

Abstract

Learning environments and the classroom setting abound with sonic activity which may be desired or not depending on the listener context. Undesired sonic activity is often perceived as noise and can result to loss of concentration, disturbances to learning, and hearing issues related to health. Technology could potentially be used to design tools that help regulate sonic activity in the classroom. In this paper, we embark on a user-centred-design process to explore sonic activity in the classroom and design and evaluate tangible prototypes that monitors sound level in the classroom and gives ambient feedback to students and teachers. We started by interviewing teachers from three schools and obtained requirements. Regulating sonic activity turned out to be a complex process that requires the participation and negotiation from both teachers and students due to the subjective nature of sound perception. Furthermore, solutions based on smartphones are not practical because they divert student attention. A tangible device coupled with an ambient display may provide a viable solution. We sketched and evaluated several possibilities which addressed the requirements as well as possible. Based on feedback from teachers, we developed 3D printed tangible prototypes with input controls that provide visual and sonic feedback and can be coupled to an ambient display. These were further developed based on two iterations which included evaluation in a controlled environment. The solution monitors sound level and reports violations but also allows both students and teachers to report annoyance due to noise to the rest of the classroom. Furthermore, it can be coupled to an ambient display of sonic activity. The result from the iterations indicates that monitoring and negotiation sonic activity in classrooms with an IoT device can help teachers regulate the unwanted “noise” through enabling feedback from students.