The Domestic Acoustic Environment in Online Education—Part 1: Differences by Gender, Perceived Academic Quality, and Self-Rated Performance

The domestic environment plays a critical role in online education, particularly its acoustic aspect. This study investigates whether there are differences in the perception of acoustic variables between students who perceive their academic performance as negative (G1) and those who rate it positively (G2). It also explores differences between students who assess the quality of education as positive or negative, along with gender distinctions. Data were collected through an online survey conducted by Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences in the perception of noise between groups G1 and G2: Students who rated their academic performance negatively experienced higher noise interference from sources like voices and household appliances. Similar patterns were observed when assessing educational quality. Gender differences also emerged, with women reporting higher levels of noise interference caused by sound sources (voices, TV/Radio/household appliances, and animals), and in the development of autonomous and synchronous tasks than men. The differences between the groups evaluated in pairs suggest that these aspects should be taken into account when designing domestic spaces and strategies to improve the quality of the acoustic environment for students.

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