Lighting in the classroom
Environment is important so what would be the best lighting for students to stay awake and be attentive in class?
I agree with natural lighting, not only do I feel it helps my students but since I am in a classroom for almost 8 hours its nice to see the sun.And besides if I'm gloomy and my classroom is dark then what will my students be like ?
Hi Darlene,
Good point and one that needs to be considered by instructors when they are surveying their classroom/lab environment. What appears to be a little thing can have a major impact on learning.
Gary
There has been studies that have shown flourescent lighting to have a negative impact on employee productivity. The results stated that when the flourescent lighting was replaced by lamp lighting or calm lighting, the employees were motivated and comfortable.
Thank you,
Darlene Pomponio
I think the instructors attitude and smile can really light up a dull classroom.
It would be nice if half the lights in the room (toward the screen) could be turned off. In the classrooms I have been assigned, it's either all or nothing requiring me to steal a lamp from another classroom (which I always return).
I agree. Lighting is very important in the classroom. I often walk in with all the lights off, students sleeping, heads on the desks....
As soon the lights come on, all the heads are up!
I am a strong believer in natural light and having the ability to look out the window every once in awhile.
We have no windows in most of our classrooms; in order to use the smart board I usually turn down the front lights and the students can tend to see better.
I agree this is a great method. Sometimes when I enter the classroom the lights are all off and the light from the windows provide the only light in the room. It seems to affect the mood of the whole class when this happens. They sit down and go to straight to sleep!! Lighting is so important for the environment and the mood. Adjusting the light to accomodate the activity is the best way to make sure everyone is comfortable.
I completely agree and I use the same method. When using the projector, I turn off half the lights in the room in order for my students to be able to still see their notebooks and keyboards.
Hello Michael,
When I teach in a live classroom, and I am presenting using PPT slides, I dim the lights a bit to make the slides more visible. But I do not dim the lights so much that they cannot see their notebooks. When using the blackboard, however, I turn the lights back up. It seems to work.
Different lighting is needed for different activites. If at all possible try to use indirect fixtures to avoid glare and strain on eyes.
Hi Michael,
The lighting should be of sufficient for all the students to be able to see their work or computers. The lighting itself once it is adequate will be dismissed by the students and they will focus on the class. The key is to keep the class exciting and moving so the students will be engaged. Group activities, projects, pairing and sharing all contribute to the dynamics of the classroom.
Gary
