New Paper: Students Do Best in Well-Designed Classrooms

I-LABSPublication, Research

The design and aesthetics of school buildings and classrooms have surprising power to impact student learning and success, according to a new analysis by Sapna Cheryan and I-LABS’ Andrew Meltzoff.

With so much attention to curriculum and teaching skills to improve student achievement, it may come as a surprise that something as simple as how a classroom looks could actually make a difference in how students learn.

But classroom characteristics including natural light, a comfortable temperature and inclusive décor are linked to improved student achievement, according to a new analysis published in the inaugural issue of the journal Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

Learn More:
Read the paper, “Designing Classrooms to Maximize Student Achievement”
News release on the study
A 2011 research paper published in Computers & Education by Cheryan and Meltzoff, “Classrooms matter: The design of virtual classrooms influences gender disparities in computer science classes” 

Media Coverage:
Seattle Times’ Education Lab
New York Magazine’s The Science of Us 
U.S. News & World Report
UW Today

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