To create a safe and non-obtrusive test environment, certified lighting equipment robust enough to withstand the challenges of typical primary educational environments, for example to withstand reasonable impact and minor acts of vandalism, had to be secured. Fagerhult A/S, a well-recognized Scandinavia-based lighting manufacturing company was found willing to sponsor and provide twenty-four professional luminaires, including necessary control devices and electrical connectors, as well as the shipping thereof to the school’s site. In return, Fagerhult A/S became a (passive) research partner and has been referenced in all dissemination activities about this research. It was also necessary for this new lighting equipment to be installed (and removed) safely and securely in the learning spaces appointed to host the experiment. Hereto the services of professional electrical installer ELTeam Vest were procured, who also had been responsible for installing all the existing electrical lighting throughout the newly built school, which was inaugurated in 2016. Their knowledge of these existing installations proved highly valuable to realize successful implementation of the experimental lighting system, and herewith operation of the experiment itself. To fund ELTeam Vest’s services, additional financial support was sought with and granted by Elforsk, Denmark’s Energy Research and Development program. In return, Elforsk requested to include an energy-monitoring study into the project. The rationale being that the research needed to explore how the energy consumption of the learning spaces overall would be affected by the introduction and use of the experimental lighting installation. Hereto the energy consumption of the learning spaces hosting the experiment has been monitored and compared throughout the experiment. In order to document and disseminate these findings, the researcher was required to submit a technical report documenting the entire research (including the energy study) in a format that could be freely shared with their audience. This report has been published in 2018 on the funding bodies’ website *. * https://elforsk.dk/sites/elforsk.dk/files/media/dokumenter/2018-11/349_062_ slutrapport.pdf
Foreword
This research is centred around an experimental field study that was setup and performed in a real-life primary school in Denmark. The study explored the implications of different artificial lighting conditions in the learning space on pupil’s behaviour and learning performance. The experiment took place during normal school hours and curricular activities and included real pupils and teachers. To ensure the experiment would not compromise the educational program nor pupil’s and teacher’s health and safety, an authorised experimental lighting installation had to be implemented in the learning spaces hosting the field experiment. In order to achieve that, professional support was sought from two external parties: Fagerhult A/S and ELTeam Vest.
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Professional Support
