BetterLighting

Applications

Education

Education is not about teaching; it is about learning. A teacher can talk and demonstrate, but unless pupils are able to process and understand, it has failed. Lighting is vitally important in this process, from ensuring that teaching aids are easily visible, to making sure the body language and facial cues from the teacher are visible, helping them to be interpreted and understood, to helping students concentrate and be attentive.

Did you know?

Compared to adults, a teenage girl's internal clock is delayed by one hour, and a boy's is delayed by up to two. That is why students during winter need extra amounts of blue light early in the morning at the school to wake them up and better synchronize their rhythms with the working day.

Light impacts more than just our ability to see – it also affects our alertness, cognitive performance, emotions and sleep/wake cycle. This is why we need bright white light that mimics sunlight to be active during the day and darkness to get a good night's sleep.

Case Studies

1

Lighting walls and vertical surfaces makes a space feel more spacious and highlights wall displays and cupboards.

2

Lighting should consider the scale of the occupants. Kindergarten children are not the same as university students.

Lighting tells a story, when it is time to study, when it is time to relax, when it is good to discuss in groups and when it is good to work alone. Lighting controls allow the feel of spaces to be changed, to fit in with the mood and requirements of the time and topic.

Chillout/work area, Campus Muttenzbei Basel. Zumtobel Group

1

A change in styling signals a different purpose for the space and creates interest.

2

Careful use of coloured lighting prevents distortion of colours within the space.

So, lighting works at a number of levels: purely visual, emotional, and biological. It can support or hinder learning, but done well, it is an important teaching resource.

Auditorium of the Aula Medica at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm. Lighting design: Node Ljusdesign AB. Photographer: Johan Elm. ERCO

1

Accent lighting for good visibility of the speaker.

2

Controlled light distribution for a clear projection on the screen.

3

High visual comfort for the audience avoiding glare from luminaires.

4

Different colour temperatures are available: Cool colour temperature for daytime events, and warm colour temperature for evening events.