Fifty-eight undergraduates took part in an experiment evaluating a full-spectrum light closely approximating natural sunlight and a cool-white fluorescent light commonly used in institutional settings. Four classes of a single teaching assistant were used and each class was compared against itself under different lighting conditions. Data were…

Energy conservation programs at Louisiana State University reduced energy use 23 percent. The programs involved computer controlled power management systems, adjustment of building temperatures and lighting levels to prescribed standards, consolidation of night classes, centralization of chilled water systems, and manual monitoring of heating and…

A voluntary program in Ontario encourages the private sector to reduce its energy consumption in commercial buildings by experimenting with innovative building operation techniques. Charts and tables illustrate the outstanding results achieved by program participants. Yearly energy management forums are convened in Toronto and Ottawa. (MLF)

Too few teachers and administrators know the effects that classroom environment can have on learning. A 20-item diagnostic test used at inservice meetings can tell individuals and groups how familiar they are with environmental factors. The test is nonthreatening since participants are not required to reveal the results. (MLF)

The dance instructional facility at Purchase contains dance studios, offices, and workrooms carefully integrated into the master plan of the campus. (Author/MLF)

Describes an elementary one-semester course in the physics of sound and light with an emphasis on applications in art, music, photography, and theater. (MLH)

Uniform illumination levels in the classroom and focused brightness on the "teaching wall" made good sense for students in Henry Ford's era. If you were training to take your place on the assembly line, you needed to focus on the work at hand and ahead to your supervisor, but the future no longer belongs to students who look only straight ahead.…

Nair discusses the "Learning Street," a now-frequent concept of modern school planning and design in terms of the multiple modalities of learning that today's schools must nurture. The author lists 18, including: (1) Independent study; (2) Peer tutoring; (3) Team collaborative work in small and mid-sized groups; (4) One-on-one learning with the…

Findings are presented from a 2-year experiment exploring ways to reduce energy costs and improve the learning environment in Florida's 25,000 portable classrooms. Improvements were made in two highly instrumented portable classrooms in the following areas: installation of a T8 lighting system with electronic ballasts; a high efficiency heat pump…

A Florida study examined differences in energy uses in two adjacent portable classrooms to determine if these types of facilities can be made more energy efficient through retrofitting. Retrofitting included an efficient lighting system, new air conditioners, and reflective white metal roofs. Data show the white metal roofing reduced roof,…

A Florida elementary school cafeteria, retrofitted with a fluorescent lighting system that dims in response to available daylight, was evaluated through real time measurement of lighting and air conditioning power, work plane illumination, and interior/exterior site conditions. The new system produced a 27 percent reduction in lighting power due…

Pilot project results indicate that under certain conditions, fluorescent lighting may cause or aggravate hyperactivity in school children. Drawing on observations made in photobiological research, a new type of lighting was developed. Teachers in two experimental classrooms reported improvement in hyperactive pupils, which was also verified by…