Slides used in the Learning Rooms Webinar - Does your classroom help childen learn?

1. Does your classroom help
children learn?
@Gratnells @Learnometer
Dr Katherine Forsey CSciTeach
Gratnells Learning Rooms & STEM Consultant

2. Does your classroom help children learn?
Summary
The classroom environment affects student performance. We will explore the
research behind this work and the environmental factors influencing learning
in your classroom.
You will find out how to:
• Monitor and control seven key environmental factors.
• Make simple changes to improve student performance and outcomes.
• Introduce classroom-based enquiries.
Resources
• Registered participants will receive link to session recording.
• Learnometer website

3. Overview
• Introduction
• The research
• The seven key factors
• Symptoms, sources and solutions
• Science enquires and investigations
• Q&A and open discussion
Does your classroom help children learn?
Plant wall installation. The Kindergarten Starters (KGS), Dubai.
Case study school.

4. Does your classroom help children learn?
Professor Stephen Heppell
• World leading expert in the
science of improving
educational outcomes
• Learnometer Inventor
Tweet @stephenheppell
Dr Katherine Forsey
• CSciTeach
• Gratnells Learning Rooms and
STEM Consultant
• Education Consultant
Tweet @DrBiol

5. Research
• Clever Classrooms (2015)
Summary report of the HEAD project
Professor Peter Barrett et al
Does your classroom help children learn?
16%
progress
1.3
sub-levels
3
LAs
27
Schools
3766
Pupils
153
Classrooms

6. Research
• Professor Stephen Heppell and the Gratnells Learnometer
Does your classroom help children learn?

7. Research
• Professor Stephen Heppell and the Gratnells Learnometer
Does your classroom help children learn?

8. Research
• Professor Stephen Heppell and the Gratnells Learnometer
Does your classroom help children learn?

9. What are the seven key factors?
Does your classroom help children learn?
CO2

10. Survey 1
Q1. Which of the seven key factors do you currently regularly monitor
in your classroom / learning space?
Q2. How do you monitor them?
Does your classroom help children learn?

11. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Does your classroom help children learn?
Sources
• People breathing
• More people = more CO2
• More active = more CO2
• Exam halls especially
problematic
• Heavier than air
Solutions
Ventilation and air circulation
• Open doors
• Open windows
• Use break times to ventilate
• Fans to help circulate air
• Plants to absorb
CO2
Less than
1000ppm.
No higher
than
2,200ppm.
Symptoms
Above 1,000 ppm can increase sleepiness, reduce concentration,
increase heart rate, induce nausea. Person to person variation.
Case study schools
• Fingringhoe Primary School, UK
• The Kindergarten Starters (KGS), Dubai

12. Learnometer data identifying effective ventilation
Does your classroom help children learn?
CO2
Less than
1000ppm.
No higher
than
2,200ppm.
Rapid build up of CO2 in all but one classroom (purple
line), which has open windows and air circulation.
Effective ventilation is essential to reduce risk of COVID
transmission, monitor efficacy by tracking CO2 levels.
No ventilation
Partial ventilation
Partial ventilation
Open windows and
air circulation

13. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Does your classroom help children learn?
Sources
• Stationary and craft items
• Perfumes and deodorants
• Photocopiers and printers
• Paints, varnishes, solvents,
new furniture and flooring
• Cleaning products
• Cooking, grilling and frying
• Vehicle exhausts
Solutions
• Higher indoors than outdoors
• Air filtration equipment
• Plan routes to school
• Use low VOC products
• Externally ventilate kitchens
and copier rooms
• Ventilate after refurbishment
Symptoms
Headaches, tiredness, stuffy nose, wheezing, sore throat, allergies,
asthma, eczema. Impedes academic progress.
Case study schools
• Huge spikes in VOC levels due to COVID-19
deep cleaning
As low as
possible

14. Fine dust (PM2.5)
Does your classroom help children learn?
Sources
• Building materials
• Classroom chalk
• Clothing and shoes
• Motor vehicle exhausts
• Local industry
• Soil dust
• Road dust
• Marine aerosols (sea salt)
Solutions
• Higher indoors than outdoors?
• Air filtration equipment
• Increase outdoor air intake
and circulation*
• Plan routes to school
• Move car drop off and pick up
bays
Symptoms
Micro-particulates travel into lungs, exacerbate asthma, impact levels
of attendance, cognitive impairment. No safe threshold.
Research
• Exam performance studies - lifelong impact
• Deaths linked to pollution - 40,000/year
As low as
possible

15. Temperature
Does your classroom help children learn?
Sources
• Respiration (people)
• Central heating
• Direct sunshine (aspect)
• External air temperature
Solutions
• External shades
• Internal window blinds
• Plants outside windows for
shade
• Classroom level controls
• Valves on radiators
• Windows and ventilation
• Air conditioning
Symptoms
Impacts achievement, task performance and attention span. Optimal
range for learning, outside that range performance suffers.
Case study schools
• Cooler is better for learning efficiency
• COVID-19
Optimal
between
18-21oC or
64-70oF

16. Humidity
Does your classroom help children learn?
Sources
• Exhalation
• Outdoor shoes and clothing
• Condensation
• Rugs
• Damp and leaks in buildings
• Lack of ventilation
Solutions
• Ventilation and air circulation
• Remove rugs and shoes
• Bowl of water on windowsill or
damp towels on radiators
• Humidifier or dehumidifier
• Charcoal briquettes or silica-
based cat litter
• Plants
Symptoms
Reduced achievement, task performance, attention span, respiratory
health. Mould and fungus. Dehydration reduces cognitive performance.
Research
• Optimum RH 30-50%
• COVID - less risk above 40%
o
o
Optimal
30 to 50%*

17. Light
Does your classroom help children learn?
Sources
• Sunshine and daylight
• Ceiling lights
• Lamps
• Mirrors
• Reflection from walls and
ceilings
Solutions
• Remove obstructions from
glass - clear glass policy
• Paint walls and ceilings in high
refraction index paint
• Modify displays and fixtures
• Bright white LED bulbs
(Kelvin value 5000 - 6,500)
Symptoms
At low levels, learning is impeded and behaviour suffers. Uneven
levels across classrooms create equity issues.
Case study and research
• Fingringhoe Primary School, UK
• Tanner (2009)
Above 500
lux.
Target of
1000 lux

18. Noise
Does your classroom help children learn?
Sources
• Voices
• Furniture
• Movement of people
• Fans and air conditioners
• Background music
• External - traffic
Solutions
• Sound absorbing panels
• Mineral wool white umbrellas
• Soft pads table and chair legs
• Flooring choices
• Pupil ownership
• Appropriate music choices
• Plant walls
Symptoms
High levels obstruct children’s ability to concentrate and perform.
Case study and research
• Picard and Bradley 2001
• 100 Learnometer case study sites world-wide
Optimal
under
70dBA.
Above
72dBA is
distracting.

19. Summary of factors, guideline levels and remedies
Does your classroom help children learn?
Factor Guideline levels Remedies
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Optimal below 1000ppm and
should be no higher than
2,200ppm
Open doors. Open windows to promote air circulation. Add plants or a living green
wall to every classroom. Introduce a bring your own plant scheme.
Pollution (TVOCs) As low as possible Air filtration equipment could help. Plan routes to and from schools avoiding most
polluted routes. Use lower VOC paints, varnishes, personal hygiene products and
marker pens.
Fine dust (PM2.5) As low as possible Air filtration equipment could help. Move car drop off and pick up bays away from
buildings. Increase fresh air circulation if outdoor PM2.5 levels are lower.
Light (Lux) Above 500 lux. Target of +750
lux
Remove paper and all obstructions from window and door glass. Paint walls with
high refraction index paint. Use bright white LED bulbs.
Temperature Optimal between 18-21oC Cut the heating. Open the windows. Promote fresh air circulation. Generally, too
hot is more detrimental to learning than too cold.
Humidity Tracks with temperature No rugs - they store damp. No outdoor shoes - they track damp in. A tray of
charcoal briquettes or silica based cat litter will reduce humidity.
Noise (Decibels) Optimal under 70dB. Above 72dB
starts to be distracting
Install sound absorbing panels. Hang rockwool-filled, white umbrellas from the
ceiling. Give students the ability to monitor and own the problem. Add soft pads to
table and chair legs.
www.gratnellslearnometer.com

20. Scientific enquires and investigations
• How to monitor?
• Mobile phone
• Data loggers
• Learnometer
Does your classroom help children learn?

21. Scientific enquires and investigations
• Engaging students
• Split into seven groups - each group owns a factor
• Research
• Monitoring and testing interventions
• Data - hard and soft
• Evaluation
• Presentation
• Ownership and awareness
• Repeat with different classrooms and year groups
Does your classroom help children learn?

22. Scientific enquires and investigations
• Curriculum links
• Nature, processes and method of science - working scientifically
• Living things and their habitats - human habitats
• Plants
• Light
• Sound
• Take the Learnometer outdoors or on a field trip
• Adaptation to environment - human, plant and animal
• Measurement of abiotic factors
• Does the outdoors provide a more optimal learning
environment for your students?
Does your classroom help children learn?

23. Does your classroom help children learn?
Survey 2
Q1. Which of the seven key factors will you regularly monitor in your
classroom / learning space in future?
Q2. How do you plan to monitor them?
Survey 3
Q1. Based on what you have heard today, what actions will you take, or
continue to take, in your classroom to improve the learning
environment?

24. Contact and further information
Dr Katherine Forsey CSciTeach
Tweet @DrBiol
Gratnells
Tweet @Gratnells @Learnometer
www.gratnells.com www.learning-rooms.com
E: learningrooms@gratnells.co.uk
Does your classroom help children learn?
Dr Katherine Forsey CSciTeach
Gratnells Learning Rooms & STEM Consultant

25. Does your classroom help
children learn?
Q&A
Open discussion

26. Contact and further information
Dr Katherine Forsey CSciTeach
Tweet @DrBiol
Gratnells
Tweet @Gratnells @Learnometer
www.gratnells.com www.learning-rooms.com
E: learningrooms@gratnells.co.uk
Does your classroom help children learn?
Dr Katherine Forsey CSciTeach
Gratnells Learning Rooms & STEM Consultant

27. Key references
• Gratnells Learnometer website. Here.
• Prof. Heppell’s website and publications. Here.
• Clever classrooms : Summary report of the HEAD project. Here.
• Department for Education - Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools 2016. Here.
• 2005 WHO Air quality guidelines. Here.
Additional references and further reading for interest
• Annesi-Maesano et al. (2013) Indoor air quality and sources in schools and related health effects. Here.
• Cartieaux et al. (2011) Indoor air quality in schools. Here.
• Shendell et al. (2004). Air concentrations of VOCs in classrooms: results of a pilot study in Los Angeles County. Here
• Teleszewski and Gładyszewska-Fiedoruk (2018). Changes of Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in Classrooms. Here
• Barrett et al. (2013). The impact of classroom design on pupils’ learning. Here.
• Controlling Pollutants and Sources: Indoor Air Quality Design Tools for Schools. Here.
• Tanner (2009) Effects of school design on student outcomes. Here.
• Garnham (1999). Light Intensity in the UK. Here.
• Clark-Reyna et al. (2016). Air pollution linked to children's low academic achievement. Here.
• Zhang et al (2018). The impact of exposure to air pollution on cognitive performance. Here.
• Shendell et al (2004) Air concentrations of VOCs in portable and traditional classrooms. Here.
• Gilraine (2020). Air Filters, Pollution and Student Achievement. Here.
• Carrion-Matta et al (2009). PM2.5 sources and exposures in inner-city schools. Here.
Does your classroom help children learn?