Ecophon

At Ecophon, one of our central aims is to create the highest quality sound environment for learners. Sound is an invisible and often forgotten force in education, but it has a profound effect on health, academic outcomes and wellbeing.

Learners go to schools and universities to listen, communicate and interact. Without the best possible sound environment, all of these opportunities are diminished. However, we know that schools in the 21st century are moving towards innovative, flexible and open-plan designs that increase the noise level. Meanwhile, pedagogy is becoming more geared towards group work and hybrid teaching as well as traditional modes of lecture-based teaching (read more about this here). Schools are also becoming more inclusive, mainstreaming more children with additional listening needs than ever, including hearing loss, autism spectrum disorder, or learning in a second language.

These factors all affect educational environments, heightening the need for a better quality sound in classrooms, hallways, canteens and sports halls. And this is why we design acoustic products that specifically solve the complex acoustic issues found in each of these contexts.

 

Sound absorbing panels for better and more inclusive learning environments

Ecophon

Having sound absorbing panels, especially a full suspended ceiling , is a basic and fundamental starting point to reduce the sound levels and support good speech clarity and overall communication quality in a room. Additionally, having wall panel absorbers reduce echo effects created as sounds are reflected off the back wall and remove low-frequency sounds that can be particularly bad for hearing speech. Research have shown that implementing these solutions in the classroom significantly improve students' social interaction and reduce teachers' stress levels (see here for more information).

Regardless of the task or the context, our sound-absorbing systems help schools to achieve accessibility and inclusivity every day by making speech clearer and noise levels lower, facilitating communication and learning. It is our commitment that no learner should find sound a barrier to their learning.

 

Experience the difference directly

From the beginning of 2022, you will be able to experience the power of a better sound environment in classrooms directly at the Future Classroom Lab in Belgium. We will house a virtual reality installation that can realistically demonstrate the effect of our products on background noise and speech clarity in classroom environments.

Links and further information

  • For more information about how sound affects learners health, wellbeing and academic performance.
  • For informative videos about sound and acoustics in education.
  • Find more information about our international school case studies, hear teachers and learners' experiences around acoustics in schools, and find out which products were specified on those projects.
  • Find more information on different aspects of acoustics in educational environments (please select the filter: "EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS" to see all related blog posts).
  • Study App for iPhone - This simple, free app delivers 45 minutes of scientifically designed productivity-boosting sound that can mask ambient noise, help focus, improve cognition and reduce fatigue.
  • "A Sound Recovery for Schools” Report surveyed students in France, Sweden and Netherlands to map the extent and impact of noise in European schools and also presents new pathways to healthier and more inclusive schools.​

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