Architectural Indoor Analysis: A Holistic Approach to Understand the Relation of Higher Education Classrooms and Academic Performance

Abstract

The influence of learning space on users has been broadly accepted and tested. However, the literature has focused on single factor research, instead of holistic approaches. Additionally, lower educational levels have been the focus of interest, while higher education is moving towards multi-method teaching. This paper focuses on how learning spaces for different purposes (practice and lecture rooms) may influence academic performance from a holistic approach of learning physical environment perception. For this, the iPEP scale (Indoor physical environment perception) is used and validated through Cronbach Alpha and Exploratory Factorial Analysis. Then, multiple linear regression is conducted. The results indicate that iPEP measures near to 63 percent of the construct, which is structured in six factors. Moreover, linear regression analyses support previous literature concerning the influence of learning physical environment on academic performance (R 2 = 0.154). The differences obtained between practice and lecture room in terms of predictor variables bring to the light the need to diagnose learning environments before designing changes in educational buildings. This research provides a self-reported way to measure indoor environments, as well as evidence concerning the modern university, which desires to combine several teaching methods.These studies provide evidence that acoustic comfort is fundamental to support sustainable learning environments, which implement active pedagogies [15].Illumination combines artificial lighting and daylight to offer visual support and it influences visual perception, cognitive processing, behaviour, learning and academic performance [16][17][18]. Therefore, lighting design perspectives should be task-driven, as well as focusing on comfort to human health and perception [19]. Appropriate levels of visual comfort have been evidenced to improve social relations [20]. While daylight helps students to retain and learn information [21], long exposure to artificial lighting may cause stress and lead to irritability [22]. Buildings are highly artificial lighting dependent, as there was no concern about energy efficiency when educational facilities were designed, and nowadays represent a major factor of energy consumption.In traditional learning, the views through windows are considered as distractor, which may explain the lack of daylight through windows, despite its importance for children [23], who distinguish lighting requirements given the task performed. Nature inspires students through its aesthetic value and entails a restorative effect on the mind, which fosters concentration [24]. It stabilizes students' psychology and reduces their negative emotions [25], and leads to a proactive knowledge of the natural environment. This fact may foster a culture in which life-based learning is a must and encourage positive social interaction [26]. Landscape views and walls with living plants are correlated with better academic results [27,28] and may reduce stress [29], whilst increasing le...

Classroom Indoor Environment Assessment through Architectural Analysis for the Design of Efficient Schools

“…It has been shown that the adaptation of iPEP for the measurement of student perception of the variables of the physical learning space in Primary Education is valid and reliable. Likewise, the study has allowed us to investigate the factorial structure of the learning space construct, resulting in an organization in three factors: Workspace comfort, natural environment and building environment, which support previous results [25]. However, findings have evidenced that more question would be needed in order to improve the percentage of learning space measure in primary education level.…”

“…First, the design of the questionnaire was adapted to the cognitive level of primary school students based on the Indoor Physical Environment Perception scale (iPEP scale) [25,37] (focused on university students), previously based on the holistic model of Barret, Davies, Zhang and Barret [38]. Next, public elementary schools are randomly chosen from the regions of A Coruña and Lugo (Galicia, Spain).…”

“…The literature focuses on one of the factors or dimensions mentioned above. However, some studies have developed holistic approaches to the impact of classroom spaces on learning [22][23][24][25].…”

“…While math outcome is considered to be accurately assessed, the evaluation of art performance is presented as a very complex task [36]. Although evidence has raised for isolated disciplines, little research has focused on how learning space factors influence the learning of different subjects [15,24,25].…”

Thermal Comfort Evaluation Using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs)

“…With us, only one discriminatory function can be specified, because we only have two groups of thermal comfort: g (good) or b (bad). In the case of two groups, discriminant analysis is analogous to multiple regression and is then called Fisher linear discriminant analysis (LDA) [32,33]. In the case of two groups, the linear equation is used as a discriminatory function:…”