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Description
Reverberation time is a fundamental room-acoustic parameter and a key target in many acoustic design guidelines. It is influenced by room geometry and the absorption properties of surfaces and furnishings. Understanding sound propagation, absorption, and their impact on reverberation time is essential for teaching the fundamentals of room acoustics. Predicting reverberation time is straightforward when applying the diffuse-field assumptions of Sabine or Eyring. However, despite the simplicity of the underlying physical principles and mathematical models, calculations can become cumbersome due to complex room geometries, multiple surfaces, interior elements, and frequency-dependent absorption coefficients in octave bands.A user-friendly web application allows students to experiment with different furnishing arrangements and acoustic treatments, providing immediate feedback on their effects on reverberation time. Additionally, the tool includes target reverberation times based on national standards from various countries, tailored to different room functions, helping students understand room-acoustic design requirements. Students can investigate the impact of various acoustic treatments on reverberation time, analyze how different room functions necessitate specific acoustic conditions, and explore the variations in national standards and their target criteria. The ability to listen to the predicted acoustic conditions fosters a deeper perceptual understanding of the relationship between reverberation time and room acoustics.This paper presents examples of integrating the tool into classroom teaching and digital learning environments, discussing its potential for interactive and exploratory learning in room acoustics.