Brain Research and Facilities

The first in a series of posts about the NSBA conference last weekend in Orlando:

The first session, "What Brain Research and Neuroscience Tell Us About Educational Facilities and School Design" provided a scientific and research foundation for a number of ideas I've held more or less intuitively. As it turned out, it also set the tone for the entire conference.

To start with the obvious: all learning begins as sensory input (aural, visual, etc.). The important implication is that educational facilities should be designed to maximize the quality of that input.

Audio: in a typical classroom, a student will hear only about 75% of what the instructor says. (Imagine reading a book with every fourth word redacted. Then imagine taking a test on it.) Of course, this will vary considerably depending on the teacher, the student, where the student sits, and the acoustical qualities of the room.  Facilities’ design - including room acoustics and quality voice amplification - can impact that last item significantly and largely overcome the previous three. The implications for foreign language instruction - an important 21st century competency - are obvious.

Natural and flexible lighting: research has demonstrated a "clear correlation between the availability of natural lighting and improvement in test scores." Natural lighting has also been shown to reduce stress (which inhibits learning). Flexibility and consideration for limiting glare are important, given the increasing use of classroom technology. Flexibility adds additional value because even modest variations in the physical learning environment help to stimulate the brain.

Discussions about air quality are often limited to concerns over air borne contaminants (mold, etc.), but it is more than that. Outside air acts as a brain stimulant, and adequate (but quiet) air circulation keeps the oxygen/CO2 level at a proper balance. This may also seem obvious, but it's often overlooked: high carbon dioxide levels put people to sleep. One idea I had not heard before: displacement ventilation. Air flow that enters at the floor level and exits through the ceiling is far more effective than traditional ceiling input/exhaust systems.

To be continued..