There are many
physical aspects that make up a successful training environment. They include
the shape and design of the room, lighting, acoustics, furniture, visual aids,
and seating arrangement.
Ideally, the length of a training room should not exceed its width by more
than 50%.
Position the entrance in the rear of the training room. This allows people
to leave and enter the room without distracting the lesson.
Estimate the average number of trainees participating in the training
sessions and the planned activities for the lesson. Crowded training
sessions severely detract from the education process.
Allow sufficient room for your "activity space". Be aware of
space required for physical activities such as role playing.
Avoid support columns and low hanging lighting such as chandeliers. These
features create voids in which participants cannot see the instructor or
visual aids.
Issues for the VDT and AV intensive Training Rooms:
Too much light
impairs the image of the VDT screen or AV presentation.Most human factor experts favor indirect illumination.
However, this can cause some trainees to feel as if the room is
overcast.
Supplemental lighting should be used to brighten walls. This gets rid
of the gloomy feeling caused by indirect lighting.
The ability to control the light source is very important, especially
in a mixed use situation. Multiple switches and
dimming control systems are two popular choices.
Issues for training in classrooms with no VDT terminals and little AV
hardware:
Natural light
has a great effect on the
morale and boredom threshold of trainees, although some experts believe
windows create a distraction to the training process.
A good compromise is to place windows higher in the room,
blocking distracting views yet allowing sunlight to enter the room
The two main objectives of training room acoustics are to maintain speaker
clarity and to keep random noise to a minimum.
AmpliVox provides a complete line of amplified rostrums and personal voice
reinforcement systems whose power, simplicity and ease-of-use assures that your
message is heard.
Location of the training room - Avoid positioning the room near
highways, crosswalks, or high traffic areas. Training rooms should be
positioned in quiet areas. Sound insulation can be installed if external
noises are unavoidable, but it is expensive.
Sound requirements and coordination - This is a technical issue.
The objective is to make sure the room absorbs and reflects the correct
level of sound for its size. These issues should be discussed with an
acoustical consultant.
HVAC impact - Many rooms are plagued by noisy heating,
ventilation and air conditioning systems. Situate the training room as far
away from the HVAC system as possible.
Size and shape of room - There is no perfect acoustical shape
for a room, but certain elements are important. Construct the ceiling with
acoustical tile and the wall with gypsum board. Acoustical tile should cover
the back wall to eliminate reverberation. In larger rooms, the shape of the
interior comes more into play. The “pie” or “trapezoid” are proven
shapes. The same construction material is recommended here as well.
Audio visual systems - Speakers should be powerful enough to
reach people sitting in the back without blaring at the people in the front.
As a general rule, any space that is longer than 40 feet in any direction
would most likely require some sort of sound system. For extremely large
rooms use two sound systems; one for live speakers and one for AV
presentations. For live speakers, an overhead sound system with alternated
speakers works best. AV speakers should be placed at the front of the room
near the image source.
ADA
requirements - The American Disabilities Act requires that public assembly
areas with permanently installed public address systems provide assistive
listening systems for persons with hearing impairments. Personal receivers
may be required at specific seats throughout the room.
11/05/2007 12:48 PM
