Inside the Internet

by Richard Kool

Let's shed some light on this subject

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. (1)

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. (2)

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 (3) and the Green Schools program run by the Alliance to Save Energy (4) 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 Executive Director of the Sage Foundation in

Victoria, British Columbia.

Enlightening Sites for Educators

1. The full text of the report "Daylighting in Schools: An Investigation into the Relationship Between Daylighting and Human Performance" can be found at http://www.pge.com/pec/daylight/schoolc.pdf

2. Executive summary of the "Daylighting in Schools" report, http://h-m-g.com/toppage11.htm#Daylighting in Schools

3. Destination Conservation, 10511 Saskatchewan Dr., Edmonton, AB T6E 4S1, (780) 433-8711, http://www.dc.ab.ca.

4. Green Schools, Alliance to Save Energy, 1200 18th St. NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 857-0666, http://www.ase.org/greenschools/