INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Views Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Windows, nature, and student performance Windows and views play a definite role in student learning and performance. A study comparing the performance of 8000 3rd to 6th-grade students in 450 classrooms in Fresno, CA, found that classrooms with a better view out of windows were positively and significantly associated with better student learning in standardized math and reading tests over an academic year.53 In a similar study, students with the largest windows progressed 15% faster in math and 23% faster in reading. In classrooms with operable windows, students’ academic progress was 7 to 18% faster than those with fixed windows. The findings were consistent across different types of schools.35 Studies have found that the presence of windows affects thermal sensations. An experimental study found that undergraduates felt cooler and more thermally comfortable in a room with windows. Memory and the ability to concentrate were higher in the space with a window.54 They found no significant differences in short-term memory, planning, and creativity performance between the two conditions.54 Classrooms with views of greenery can improve concentration and student grades.48 For example, a study comparing classrooms overlooking a concrete wall vs. classrooms with views of nature found significant differences for the final scores in the same undergraduate class. Similarly, classrooms with views of nature rendered significantly more overall positive perceptions of the course.127 Previous research has related views of nature with reduced stress.48, 51, 128 A study found that fourth-grade students reported less stress and more focus in classrooms with windows with natural views.51 An experimental study found that students with a view to lush vegetation had significantly increased their recovery from stressful situations and their attention compared to students in classrooms with no windows or windows without a good view.128 A study investigating views from undergraduate dorms and their effect on student attention found that the students with natural views could direct attention better than those with fewer natural views from their windows. Those with less natural or built views scored significantly lower than those with natural views on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test.52 A study comparing the effects of plants and the color green on verbal creativity found that it increased regardless of the scenario. The influence of indoor plants on students has been studied in various settings, rendering positive results. A quasi-experimental study in an elementary school in Taiwan found that classrooms with indoor plants reported fewer misbehavior records and fewer sick leave hours, which may be related to visual and psychological mechanisms caused by indoor plants.55 Another study found that students had a more positive perception
University of Oregon
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