The school year has officially begun! Your children will spend the next 180 school days in the same buildings and classrooms, absorbing as much knowledge as possible. Did you know the lighting they are learning under may impact exactly how much they are absorbing? Today we are going to take a look at how lighting, and LED lights in particular, affect student learning and performance in the classroom.
How Does Light Affect Us?
Lighting can affect everything from vision to circadian rhythms to sleep patterns to moods and cognition in people of all ages. Light has even played a large part in evolution. Today, we have evolved into beings who run on a 24 hour cycle, due to the rising and falling of the sun. Different wavelengths of light have also shown to affect blood pressure, heart rate, brain activity and respiration. Almost every part of the human experience is impacted by light in some way.
How Does Light Affect Students?
As light affects all humans, it also affects students in particular learning environments. Poor lighting can lead to drowsiness, less productivity and focus, even poor test scores. The quality and color of lighting has been proven to impact students learning in several studies. Fluorescent lights, which are prone to flicker and dim over time, are often associated with visual distress and headaches in classrooms.
Bright white lighting in classrooms has shown to improve students focus and productivity, which then leads to better learning and testing. A 2002 study of three school districts in the United States showed the classrooms offering the most daylight, using large windows and skylights, had the most noteworthy effect on student learning and performance.
How Do LED Lights Affect Students?
Depending on your district’s school buildings, busting out walls to create larger windows and skylights may not be in the budget to improve student learning. However, LEDs offer a similar and more cost-effective solution. LED lights come in a number of color temperatures, including one that mimics bright daylight. Students who learn under LED lights tested better than students learning under fluorescent lighting. They remain more alert and focused throughout the day, allowing them to absorb all the information necessary.
How Can Sitler’s LED Supplies Help?
Sitler’s LED Supplies partners with ISFIS, Inc. to bring Iowa school districts LED lights at a competitive price. We have worked with many satisfied schools so far and are looking to help many more improve their energy efficiency, save General Fund dollars and increase student learning! If your district is interested in a free walk-through and proposal, contact us today at (319)-519-0039 or shoot us an email. If you have worked with ISFIS in the past or present, give Larry Sigel a call at (515) 251-5970 to learn more about what we offer and other school district’s we have worked with!
Posted in Human Centric Lighting, LED School Lighting