by Richard Kool
IMAGINE we're standing on a subway platform.
We're deep underground, it's hot, smelly, crowded, the
fluorescent lights are flickering and humming, and our only view
is down a dark tunnel. Is this environment conducive to learning?
Of course it is if we're here to learn about the subway system.
But imagine your students trying to master algebra, compose a
nature poem or finish that group project on the Roman Empire in
such an environment.
We are all aware that there is a great deal of interplay between
the context of learning, the content of learning, and what
actually gets learned. And while we know a subway platform
wouldn't be the best environment for most of what we teach, a
recent study points out that certain physical aspects of
classrooms might get in the way of students' learning as well.
This study presents interesting results about the importance of
natural light in the classroom environment as it relates to
student performance.
The group of architects and educators who carried out the study
looked at the effect of daylight on students' achievement in
reading and math. Using data on the performance of 21,000
students from schools in Capistrano, California, Seattle,
Washington, and Fort Collins, Colorado, the researchers
classified classrooms according to a simple 0-5 scale based on
the size and tint of its windows, the presence and type of any
skylighting, and the overall amount of daylight expected. Then
they did their fancy multivariate statistics.
In spite of the differences between the three districts in
curriculum, latitude, climate and building design, the results of
the study were very clear in all locations: students exposed to
more natural light through windows and skylights performed better
than those in classrooms with less natural light. The authors
report: "Controlling for all other influences, we found that
students with the most daylighting in their classrooms progressed
20% faster on math tests and 26% faster on reading tests in one
year than those with the least. Similarly, students with the
largest window areas were found to progress 15% faster in math
and 23% faster in reading than those with the least. And students
that had a well-designed skylight in their room, one that
diffused the daylight throughout the room and which allowed
teachers to control the amount of daylight entering the room,
also improved 19-20% faster than those students without a
skylight. We also identified another window-related effect, in
that students in classrooms where windows could be opened were
found to progress 7-8% faster than those with fixed windows,
regardless of whether they also had air conditioning. These
effects were all observed with 99% statistical certainty."
Of course, there is another bonus in using natural lighting in
classrooms: the energy savings in school buildings can be
considerable. Programs such as Destination Conservation in Canada
and the Green Schools program run by the Alliance to Save Energy
in the U.S. are working to help school districts reduce their
utility costs through curriculum, energy audits and retrofitting
of school buildings. Delamping is clearly one thing that not only
saves dollars, but also may actually help students progress in
their learning.
Richard Kool is the Environmental Education Coordinator for the British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks in Victoria. His address is rkool@cln.etc.bc.ca