Dynamic lighting for a better learning environment

Abstract

The introduction of solid-state lighting, coinciding with the recent research into the psychological and physiological effects of light, has brought a wider range of possibilities to the lighting practice with the promise of new design paradigms. Given this background, this study aims to investigate how dynamic lighting could be employed to support students' learning. Dynamic lighting is lighting that changes―that is not always static. The study will, in particular, focus on the potential of dynamic lighting to support students' academic achievement and health. First, a series of three complementary experiments was conducted to identify how lighting conditions could be tailored to support different learning activities and thereby promote students' academic achievement. The result shows that the cooler, 6500 K lighting led to stimulation of a higher arousal level and the greatest enhancement of academic performance, while the warmer, 3500 K lighting was the most relaxing. While academic achievements associated with sustained attention can be improved under cool light exposure, some controversy remains with respect to students' health risks. Hence, a laboratory experiment was conducted to design intervention between students' academic achievement and health. The resulting evidence suggests that an excessive exposure to 3500 K lighting during the morning and 6500 K lighting during the evening should be prohibited in order to maintain students' health. Lastly, a list of considerations to be taken into account when planning the lighting of learning environments was presented. Although further research is necessary, the study is expected to provide the basis for major changes in future lighting strategies and thereby shed light on better learning environments.