Optimizing Auditory Architecture for Quality Education: An Evaluation of Lecture Hall Acoustic Design Standards and Speech Intelligibility at Caleb University, Lagos State, Nigeria

The acoustical performance of lecture halls can significantly affect the ability to understand what is being said by the teacher, to focus on the lesson, to remember what has been learned, student interaction in class, and the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process. Lecture halls in higher education institutions are mostly used for verbal communication; therefore, a poor acoustic situation with a high level of background noise, reverberation and poor sound distribution can greatly affect the educational process. Although there has been a growth in educational infrastructure in the Nigerian universities, little attention has been paid to consider the conformance of lecture halls to the established acoustic design requirements and usability for effective speech communication. The study then aimed to evaluate the acoustic design of the lecture halls in Caleb University, Lagos State, Nigeria and their speech intelligibility to optimize the acoustic design of the lecture halls for the delivery of quality education. The descriptive survey research design using Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) approach was used. The respondents of the study were 390, made up of 370 undergraduate and 20 lecturers, from which stratified random and purposive sampling methods were employed. Structured questionnaire, observation checklist and photo documentation along with acoustic measurements using digital Sound Level Meter was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, mean scores, standard deviations, and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation) were used in analyzing the data collected and analyzed by SPSS Version 26. The results showed that the selected lecture halls in general have fairly good acoustical properties for learning and teaching, which include the distribution of sound, seating arrangement, and the performance of the public address system. Background noise, reverberation, insufficient acoustic treatments, and some perceived sound reinforcement system deficiencies, however, were found to have a negative impact on students' learning and on speech intelligibility. The study has shown that the acoustic evaluation should be a regular procedure, the compliance with the known acoustic design rules is crucial, the use of sound-absorbing materials is necessary and sound sources should be controlled to ensure educational quality and auditory comfort. The results will be helpful in the design, renovation and management of educational facilities that facilitate effective communication, improve students' learning outcomes, and ensure sustainable quality education for architects, acoustical consultants, university decision makers, facility managers and policy makers.