Investigated gender differences in adults' use of route strategy, examining how preferences for landmarks (female) against route directions (male) related to wayfinding behavior, spatial anxiety, and environmental competencies. Participants navigated routes in an unknown building three times and recalled acquired environmental knowledge. Most…

A library-furnishings consultant explains important factors to keep in mind when selecting furnishings: demographics; dimensions and budgets; how the interior should look (standard versus customized furnishings and best materials); and electrical considerations (wire management and safe electrical connections). (AEF)

There is a dearth of literature on multicultural aspects of play therapy, particularly for Mexican-American children. According to Landreth (2002), it is of utmost importance that children be able to communicate in a way that is most natural to them. The literature currently reflects a playroom based mostly on middle class European-American…

Over the past decade activists, academics, and policymakers have devoted a great deal of attention to "environmental equity," or the notion that sources of potential environmental risk may be concentrated among racial and ethnic minorities and the poor. Despite these efforts, the existence and extent of environmental inequities is still…

That young children need space seems an unsurprising statement. So unsurprising that it scarcely needs further examination, to say nothing of further thought. But what is really meant by "space" when considered in the context of young children in school and their developing needs? Various studies have mostly described the actual physical…

The undergraduate chemistry club of the Southwest Minnesota State University offers assistance in lead-testing through the anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) technique to elementary and secondary schools. Emphasis is given to this community service activity, which has increased club membership, and promoted discussion of water quality problems in…

The Ward Infant Language Screening Test, Assessment, Acceleration and Remediation (WILSTAAR) comprises a programme for identifying and helping 8?10-month-old infants showing early signs of language and communication difficulty. The study addresses one of the queries raised by critics of the programme by providing evidence about the backgrounds and…

What is involved in creating learning environments for the 21st century? How can school facilities serve as tools for teaching and meet the needs of students in the future? What components are required to design effective schools, and how does architecture relate to the purposes of schooling? These are some of the questions addressed at the…

Community gardens fulfil many roles, including the reclamation of public space, community building, and the facilitation of social and cultural expression. This paper discusses a nexus between research and education for sustainability that evolved out of an examination of the role of community gardens in fostering community development and…

To a visually impaired individual the physical world presents many challenges. For a person with impaired sight, way finding through a complex environment is fraught with dangers, both actual and imagined. The current generation of mobility aids have the possibility of addressing a broad range of physical issues through technological solutions.…

Evaporative cooling systems are commonly used in controlled environment plant and animal production. These cooling systems operate based on well defined psychrometric principles. However, students often experience considerable difficulty in learning these principles when they are taught in an abstract, verbal manner. This article describes an…

This study examined associations between quality of social and physical environments in preschools and children's development of academic, language, and literacy skills, and the extent to which preschool quality moderated the associations between child risk and development. Participants were a diverse sample of 540 four-year-old children in…

Social workers in urban areas attempt to carry out the profession's commitment to social change and social justice amid growing inequality, racial polarization, and a physical environment that reflects fears and antipathy toward poor people who reside there. The authors argue that changing urban conditions have prompted a need for innovative…

This paper discusses the basic tenets of Islam and the Islamic view of nature that were influential in the development of science in the so-called "Golden Age of Islam". These findings have been the catalyst for present day Muslim scholars, who have emphasized the importance of Islamic science, as the means of understanding Western…

This report was based on the responses of more than 1,000 school employees to a survey on the physical environment at their schools. Many of the responses revealed some startling building conditions, from students who have to wear coats and gloves in class to rats and mice entering classrooms through windows and cracks in walls. The report…