Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Many Aspects of the Educational Environment Can Have a Profound Impact on Teaching and Learning

  • 09/01/14

Quality of Lighting — Lighting has a demonstrable effect on student learning outcomes, with daylighting offering the most positive effect.

Acoustics/Ability to Hear — Chronic noise exposure hinders cognitive functioning and impairs pre-reading and reading skills.

Use of Color — Humans receive 80 percent of their information from the environment. The perception of color in the environment always carries with it visual, associative, synaesthetic, symbolic, emotional and physiological effects.

Air Quality — Scientific evidence has long demonstrated an association between poor IAQ and respiratory health effects, including asthma. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, asthma is one of the leading causes of absenteeism. Multiple studies have found that overall performance decreases with illnesses or absences.

Proper Maintenance/Green Cleaning — Maintenance issues in facilities, such as insufficient cleaning or excessive use of cleaning chemicals, have been show to trigger asthma and allergies.

Flexible Space/Flexible Furnishings — Classrooms with more functional flexibility allow instructors to vary their instructional methods to accommodate various learning styles. Flexible furniture and fixtures enable a space to be quickly reconfigured as activities change or to support a range of activities simultaneously.

Use of Technology — The National Education Technology Plan (NETP) recognizes that technology is at the core of virtually every aspect of our daily lives and work, and we must leverage it to provide engaging and powerful learning experiences.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Opportunity by Design Framework

    Opportunity by Design

    Educational improvement efforts often focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and intervention systems while treating the physical school building as background. But school design is not a passive backdrop to learning — it is a structural lever for equity.

  • Secret to Efficient, On-Time School Infrastructure & Modernization Projects is All in the Preparation

    Warmer weather and longer days make summer the ideal time for construction and modernization projects at educational facilities. School boards and construction firms must coordinate effectively to ensure that these projects do not extend even a single day into the school year and impede classroom operation.

  • Higher Ed is Betting on New Buildings While Quietly Undermining Their Campuses — Here’s Why

    In this climate, the owner’s representative has changed from a delivery-focused advisor to a strategic campus partner. Institutions are increasingly relying on owner’s reps not just to manage, cope, schedule, and budget, but also help evaluate whether a project should proceed at all.

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.