Optimizing lighting for better learning

A new study reveals that “cool” lighting (6500 K) supports students’ performance during intensive academic activities, whereas “warm” lighting (3500 K) may provide a relaxing environment to support recess activities.

Article  |  Fall 2016

For many years, educators and policymakers have been looking for technologies and strategies to improve student performance. Now, the Color Lab, led by Professor Hyeon-Jeong Suk in the Department of Industrial Design at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), suggests that small changes in classroom environments, such as lighting conditions, can make a dramatic difference in supporting students’ learning.

The intensity and color of lighting have been shown to greatly impact our mood throughout the day. Brightly lit spaces make one feel alert, and dimly lit spaces make one feel relaxed. Red light can feel romantic, and yellow light can feel welcoming. New research explores the effect of the color of lighting on students’ performance. To dig into the problem, the researchers looked specifically at the effects of different correlated color temperatures, or CCTs. The CCTs provide a simple way to characterize the color appearance of a light source. Low CCT—below 3500 Kelvin (K)—provides light that appears warm (yellowish white), while high CCT—over 5000 K—provides light that appears cool (bluish white). In particular, the study noted that the tunable LED lighting technology makes it possible to generate highly optimized lighting according to students’ activities.

“Variable lighting CCTs exert a great influence on both the physical and mental conditions of humans,” said the study’s first author, Kyungah Choi, a PhD candidate at the institute. “However, such benefits of lighting have not yet been fully adopted in the educational environment.”

A preliminary study with adult volunteers investigated the effect of different lighting CCTs (3500, 5000, and 6500 K) on physiological alertness, measured using electrocardiogram (ECG). The study was conducted in a laboratory setting equipped with an LED luminous ceiling. As predicted, the cooler 6500 K lighting caused the most alertness while the warmer 3500 K lighting was the most relaxing.

In the field experiment, two fourth-grade classrooms within the same elementary school were appointed as the control and experimental groups, respectively. During the two-week period, they were asked to solve a set of arithmetic problems. The lighting in the experimental group’s classroom was replaced with tunable LEDs during the second week. The study supported a positive effect of 6500 K lighting on academic performance, and 3500 K lighting on encouraging recess activities.

The study concluded that 3500 K warm lighting may provide a relaxing environment to support recess activities, 5000 K standard lighting may be applied for regular activities, and 6500 K cool lighting supports students’ performance during intensive academic activities. At the end of their study, the research team proposed a dynamic lighting system as a mobile application with preset conditions of “easy,” “standard,” and “intensive” for smart learning environments.

“Light is such a huge part of our lives, and we also spend a lot of our time indoors,” Professor Suk said. “Although the current research has mainly focused on the educational sector, dynamic lighting can be employed to positively enhance users’ mood and well-being. Appropriate lighting, compared to numerous other facility investments to enhance the physical and mental states of humans, can be highly effective as it can produce a dramatic effect with only a slight change.”

An article of this research (entitled “Dynamic lighting system for the learning environment: Performance of elementary students”) was published in Optics Express (2016, 24, A907-A916, DOI: 10.1364/OE.24.00A907) and was highlighted as a “News Release” of The Optical Society (OSA).

Additional links for more information:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lighting-boost-learning-concentration_us_5720cb14e4b0b49df6a9b73e?utm_hp_ref=science

https://www.osapublishing.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-24-10-A907

http://www.osa.org/en-us/about_osa/newsroom/news_releases/2016/optimizing_lighting_for_better_learning/

http://color.kaist.ac.kr/

For an audio interview on the KAIST Podcast with Prof. Hyeon-Jeong Suk and Kyungah Choi (Season 6, Episode 1), click the link below: http://www.kaist.edu/html/en/news/podcast.html