1 answer
Sage
Student
Bowie, Maryland
2
Questions
Asked
291 views
How can the Physical Design of a College Campus Shape Students?
How does the physical design of a college campus influence a student's academic and mental health performance?
Login to comment
1 answer
Prachee J
6
Answers
Updated
Prachee’s Answer
Hi Sage!
This is such a unique, thoughtful question! And I want to give a thoughtful answer to this. Colleges and their physical spaces influence us in many ways that are not apparent at first. I would like to mention these:
1. The struggle of class distance: Ever had only ten minutes to go from one class to another at opposite ends of campus? Then you know what a nightmare it can be. Often times, college classes are held in buildings that are quite a distance apart. This influences how you juggle classes; it influences your timetables and often the choice of classes you can take in a given semester. Thus, it affects your degree planning.
2. The power of good lighting: Good lighting influences our thinking and mood, besides things like being able to view the class whiteboard. A review of research studies of lighting in classrooms has shown that it affects cognition-that means it affects how you think, how well you attend to what's going on in class amongst other things (Mogas-Recalde and Palau, 2021).
3. Spaces for building connections: When colleges have spaces where students can meet and greet, like courtyards, lounges and so on where small or large groups can meet- it can foster social connections and interactions between college users. It can help you to belong to a larger community.
4. Green spaces for Clarity and Sanity: Ever felt like sitting in a classroom or closed space solving problems is too much and you need a breath of fresh air and change of scene? Green spaces or spaces where there are plants, trees and water will bring in birds and pollinators. This creates calm within us, helps us to relax and also a natural lab-like space where you can enjoy and study biodiversity. This can also be a cool outdoor study spot! I want to add a recent study I read in the APA LinkedIn post: those who took a break for just 40 secs while doing a dull/boring task by looking at a green roof made fewer mistakes than those who just looked out at a concrete roof! How's that for building more green spaces around campuses! (Lee et al, 2015).
5. Clear navigation markers and accessibility: When colleges have clear signs that help students to go to different places, this reduces stress. Imagine the new student for whom the college experience is anxiety provoking- if there are clear markers, if there are well placed signs (like a unique flowering tree or a small garden space), this will reduce the stress of moving around to the right class, considerably. Inclusive campus designs for various groups of people including those with various disabilities are important.
I hope this has answered your question! The best campuses think about how students move, study, socialize so that college life is free and more engaging. I also hope that we see more and more colleges adapting more of these features into their space planning.
References that I have used, and you may want to read further:
https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/designing-for-typologies/a13345-the-role-of-open-spaces-in-campus-planning-enhancing-experience-and-connectivity/
Lee, K. E., Williams, K. J. H., Sargent, L. D., Williams, N. S. G., & Johnson, K. A. (2015). 40-second green roof views sustain attention: The role of micro-breaks in attention restoration. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 42, 182-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.04.003.
Mogas-Recalde, J., Palau, R. (2021). Classroom Lighting and Its Effect on Student Learning and Performance: Towards Smarter Conditions. In: Mealha, Ó., Rehm, M., Rebedea, T. (eds) Ludic, Co-design and Tools Supporting Smart Learning Ecosystems and Smart Education. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 197. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7383-5_1
This is such a unique, thoughtful question! And I want to give a thoughtful answer to this. Colleges and their physical spaces influence us in many ways that are not apparent at first. I would like to mention these:
1. The struggle of class distance: Ever had only ten minutes to go from one class to another at opposite ends of campus? Then you know what a nightmare it can be. Often times, college classes are held in buildings that are quite a distance apart. This influences how you juggle classes; it influences your timetables and often the choice of classes you can take in a given semester. Thus, it affects your degree planning.
2. The power of good lighting: Good lighting influences our thinking and mood, besides things like being able to view the class whiteboard. A review of research studies of lighting in classrooms has shown that it affects cognition-that means it affects how you think, how well you attend to what's going on in class amongst other things (Mogas-Recalde and Palau, 2021).
3. Spaces for building connections: When colleges have spaces where students can meet and greet, like courtyards, lounges and so on where small or large groups can meet- it can foster social connections and interactions between college users. It can help you to belong to a larger community.
4. Green spaces for Clarity and Sanity: Ever felt like sitting in a classroom or closed space solving problems is too much and you need a breath of fresh air and change of scene? Green spaces or spaces where there are plants, trees and water will bring in birds and pollinators. This creates calm within us, helps us to relax and also a natural lab-like space where you can enjoy and study biodiversity. This can also be a cool outdoor study spot! I want to add a recent study I read in the APA LinkedIn post: those who took a break for just 40 secs while doing a dull/boring task by looking at a green roof made fewer mistakes than those who just looked out at a concrete roof! How's that for building more green spaces around campuses! (Lee et al, 2015).
5. Clear navigation markers and accessibility: When colleges have clear signs that help students to go to different places, this reduces stress. Imagine the new student for whom the college experience is anxiety provoking- if there are clear markers, if there are well placed signs (like a unique flowering tree or a small garden space), this will reduce the stress of moving around to the right class, considerably. Inclusive campus designs for various groups of people including those with various disabilities are important.
I hope this has answered your question! The best campuses think about how students move, study, socialize so that college life is free and more engaging. I also hope that we see more and more colleges adapting more of these features into their space planning.
References that I have used, and you may want to read further:
https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/designing-for-typologies/a13345-the-role-of-open-spaces-in-campus-planning-enhancing-experience-and-connectivity/
Lee, K. E., Williams, K. J. H., Sargent, L. D., Williams, N. S. G., & Johnson, K. A. (2015). 40-second green roof views sustain attention: The role of micro-breaks in attention restoration. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 42, 182-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.04.003.
Mogas-Recalde, J., Palau, R. (2021). Classroom Lighting and Its Effect on Student Learning and Performance: Towards Smarter Conditions. In: Mealha, Ó., Rehm, M., Rebedea, T. (eds) Ludic, Co-design and Tools Supporting Smart Learning Ecosystems and Smart Education. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 197. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7383-5_1