Dynamic Lighting

When I was young, learning was a little different than it is today. Technology in the classroom meant overhead projectors and mimeograph. World Book Encyclopedias were the go-to source for general information and any talk of “the web” was probably about Spiderman.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the goal of learning. The way we learn may be different, but our goals are the same. We know that children need a safe environment in which their “needs and opinions are included, “and “a place where they can learn,” as UNICEF puts it. The goal is obvious in its description, but not always so easy in its execution.

As scientists research learning and learning environments, they are finding that even the most basic changes can improve learning environments. And one change can make a big difference: lighting.

The proof is in the classroom
According to a recent study by Prof. Dr Michael Schulte-Markwort, director of the Clinic for Child and Youth Psychology at the University Hospital in Hamburg-Eppendorf, dynamic lighting systems can improve the reading speed of children by 35 percent, and lower reading comprehension errors by a significant 45 percent. “The drop of 45 percent for the group working under dynamic lighting shows that with the right light in the classroom it is possible to increase pupils’ attention span and concentration significantly,” said Schulte-Markwort.

Dynamic lighting allows the teacher to change lighting in the classroom to adjust the mood he or she wants to create. For example, with Philips’ new Dynamic Lighting Classroom System – called SchoolVision – the teacher can set classroom lighting according to each activity. Teachers can choose from settings like “energy, “calm,” and “focus.”

How dynamic lighting works
The rhythm of day and night, together with the seasons, creates ever-changing light patterns during the day. Philips’ light solutions mimic those changes in brightness and warmth, giving people the benefits of natural light. According to Dr. S. Fleischer, ETH, Institut für Hygiene und Arbeitsphysiologie Zürich, “Warm white light facilitates relaxation and improves people’s well-being, while daylight-white light stimulates and activates the human body.

Philips has applied this technology to both office and student environments, and as the Schulte-Markwork study has shown, the results can be significant.

Teachers struggle every day with the goal of keeping the attention of children whose learning styles, attention spans, and interests are quite different. But the classroom should be a positive environment for all children and lighting is one adjustment a teacher can make to improve the environment for everyone.