Optimal Environments for Brain Compatible Learning

Overview Psychological Visual Colors Concrete Images Peripherals Light Seasons Temperature Dehydration Plants Aromas Negative Ionization Music & Noise

The Psychological Environment Trust Safety Mutual Respect Positive emotional, intellectual, and social climate

The Visual Environment Our eyes are capable of registering 36,000 visual messages per hour. Between 80 and 90 percent of all information that is absorbed by our brain is visual. The retina accounts for 40 percent of all nerve fibers connected to the brain. Our brain’s attention priority is to wavelengths of color, light, darkness, motion, form, and depth.

Quite simply, attract the brain with movement, contrast, and color changes. Move around the room and increase and decrease your distance from the audience. Turn the lights off for a moment of group introspection. Pass an object around for learners to touch and feel Color-code boxes of student materials for easy access. Turn overhead transparencies into colorful images with marking pens or a color printer.

Color in the Environment Studies by Robert Gerard, PhD., suggest every color has a wavelength; and every wavelength, from ultraviolet to infrared (or red to blue) affects our body and brain differently. How a color affects you depends on your personality and state of mind at the moment. If you are highly anxious and stressed red can trigger more aggressiveness. But if you’re relaxed red can trigger engagement and positive emotions.

Red Engaging and emotive color. Disturbing to anxious subjects. Exciting to calm subjects. Triggers the pituitary and adrenal glands and releases adrenaline. May increase blood pressure and breathing. May stimulate appetite and sense of smell.

Yellow The first color a person distinguishes in the brain. Associated with stress, caution, and apprehension. Stimulates an overall sense of optimism, hope, and balance. Excellent for use in classrooms.

Orange Characteristics halfway between red and yellow. One of the best colors for stimulating learning.

Blue Most tranquilizing color. Calms tense subjects. Increases feelings of well-being. When you see blue, your brain releases eleven neurotransmitters that relax the body. May result in a reduction of temperature, perspiration, and appetite. May be a bit too calming for most learning environments.

Green Calming Blood histamine levels may rise resulting in reduced sensitivity to food allergies. Antigens may be stimulated for overall better immune system healing.

Dark Colors Lowers stress Increase feelings of peacefulness.

Brown Promotes a sense of security Relaxation Reduces fatigue

Bright Colors Red Orange Yellow Spark energy and creativity Can increase aggressive and nervous behavior

Gray Most neutral color

For optimal learning, choose yellow, light orange, beige, or off-white. Those colors seem to stimulate positive feelings.

What this means to you Use color handouts and overhead transparencies. Consciously choose the colors you use in the classroom. Hang colorful posters. Encourage the use of color in mind-maps, painting, projects, and posters.

Concrete Vivid Images The brain has attentional bias for high contrast and novelty. 90 percent of the brain’s sensory input is from visual sources. The brain has an immediate and primitive response to symbols, icons, and other simple images. We remember best concrete visuals that we can touch and manipulate.

What this means to you The more visuals you can incorporate the better. Working models, project-based assignments, a variety of information mediums (computers, videos, books, cameras, writing equipment), and an array of art supplies.

The Impact of Peripherals The brain absorbs information from surrounding peripherals on a conscious and unconscious level. Colors, decorative elements, sounds, smells, and other stimuli are processed by the brain on a priority basis. Positive affirmations, learner-generated work, and images depicting change, growth, and beauty can be powerful vehicles of expression.

What this means to you A passive approach to surroundings can actually detract from the learning. Make an effort to enhance your visual environment. Add interesting collections, photos, objects and bulletin boards. With the addition of peripherals longer- lasting recall is generated.

Light in the Environment Ordinary fluorescent light has been shown to raise the cortisol levels in the blood (indications of stress) and blinking excessively. Lengthy computer of TV/video viewing may also stress the eyes. Bright lights (especially fluorescent) creates restless, fidgety learners, while low-level lights have a calming effect, especially at the younger ages.

What this means to you Soft, natural lighting is best for learning. Provide a variety of lighting types in your room, and give learners say in their seating choices.

Seasons Can Impact Learning The length and brightness of daylight affects our body’s melatonin and hormone levels and influences the release of neurotransmitters. A portion of the hypothalamus (located in the mid- brain area), get direct information from the eyes and sets our bodies’ time clocks. This affects our concentration, energy, and moods, and in turn, impacts our learning.

What this means to you Explore your options for improving the lighting in your environment during the darker periods of low sunlight.

Temperature 70 degrees is still a good baseline for optimal temperature in the learning environment.

Dehydration The average learner is often dehydrated which leads to poor learning performance. 8 to 15 glasses recommended If you teach sessions that last more than forty-five minutes, make sure students have access to water.

Plants Can increase oxygen and increase productivity to 10 percent. A single plant may impact 100 square feet of space. Areca palms, lady palms, bamboo palms, rubber plants, gerbera daisies, yellow chrysanthemums, ficus benjamina, philodendrons, dracena deremensis, peace lillies.

What this means to you Include four to eight plants if your classroom is typical in size (approximately 900 square feet). If your classroom is larger, include even more.

Aromas Boost attention and learning Influence our moods and levels of anxiety, fear, hunger, depression, and sexuality Olfactory regions are rich receptors for endorphins, which generate feelings of pleasure and well- being. For mental alertness: peppermint, basil, lemon, cinnamon, and rosemary For relaxation: lavender, chamomile, orange, and rose

Music Memory Cognition Concentration Creativity Before During After Limit to 30 percent of the total class time

Brain-Based Learning by Eric Jensen, 2000 (p.54-70)