Author: Grace Wiggall, UG student in Department of Earth Science and Engineering
If you are a staff member entering a teaching space (e.g., lecture theatre, seminar room), what is your priority? The first thing that comes to mind is that the projector works so that learning content can be presented. But have you thought any further than that? About the finer details, the ones you may not consider. Factors that can make everyone’s learning experience far more comfortable, especially neurodivergent students.
Neurodivergence describes individuals whose neurological functioning is viewed as atypical. Neurodivergent people all have their own unique ways of experiencing the world. One person may have a hypersensitivity to stimuli, slower processing speed, and struggle with crowded rooms, while another person could have difficulty concentrating for long periods of time and struggle with organisational skills. Teaching practices and spaces aren’t always suitable learning environments for all, but by taking some simple steps, staff can make a huge difference. I am passionate about all things related to inclusivity and would like to raise awareness around inclusivity of teaching spaces, especially the importance of suitable lighting, through this article.
Inaccessibility of the classroom
I am an autistic student with a hypersensitivity to just about…everything. It’s a challenge that I’ve had to learn to navigate in my everyday life, constantly adjusting to cope with the chaotic world that is my life. For me and the general student population, starting university is a stressful time, full of new routines and places. Being Autistic makes this just a bit more challenging. For me, the stress of starting university makes everything 100% louder, brighter, and everyone seems to be in your personal space.
I very clearly remember sitting in my first chemistry lecture – I think I was fighting off the tail-end of freshers’ flu too. The room was stuffy, even in the mild autumn weather we were having. The lights were way too bright, the desks were white AND the walls were white. Finally, the low droning of the ventilation system and the sound of Royal College of Music students practising their best violin flooded my ears. I think I tapped out after about an hour, my brain was well and truly overstimulated. I wandered out of that lecture hall feeling like I was a failure, cursing at myself for my lack of ability to concentrate. And I am not alone, another student echoed this feeling and said,
“I skipped quite a few in person lectures because the lecture theatre had bad lights and I got a headache” – Anonymous autistic student
As a determined student, I decided that giving up that soon was not an option for me. I had to do something about it.
Adjusting the environment
Speaking to my Departmental Disability Officer (DDO) was an easy process – I explained that the harsh lighting in the lecture theatres was impacting my ability to attend and focus during lectures. She was extremely understanding and informed me of a solution – the lighting in all the teaching spaces was adjustable, with about 5 different settings to choose from including milder options which may be suitable for learning. I was delighted by this, especially happy to not be wearing sunglasses in every lecture for the whole year. Initially, some lecturers were not compliant with keeping lights low, purely due to forgetfulness or simply because they didn’t understand its importance. My DDO went above and beyond, going on to give an explanation in a staff meeting about the impact of poor lighting.
Alongside this, she created signs to remind lecturers to set lighting to what was suitable for the task in hand. Immediately I saw a positive change and, although attending lectures can still be difficult for me, the environment is much more comfortable.
I also worked with my senior tutor to find other suitable adjustments in the learning environment. This included looking at temperature control, finding the best place in the lecture theatre to sit, and reducing noise in the classroom – all of which have improved my learning experience significantly.
Impact of environment on learning
It is well recognized that good quality lighting increases the comfort of students and that comfort often translates into higher scores, and increased performance and concentration (Singh et al., 2020). Interestingly, these benefits are not restricted to just neurodivergent people but can benefit all students. Sunlight improves a person’s physical and psychological health, which improves mood and cognitive functions, contributing to higher productivity (Kent et al., 2009). The best environments for productivity have a combination of natural lighting and artificial lighting (Karlen et al., 2017). Improved lighting is helpful in exam, classroom, and study settings (Rogers, 2024). A study conducted by Alvarez shows a difference in exam attainment scores between a group of university students that were taught in a basement classroom as opposed to when the same group were taught in a class with natural light (Porras Álvarez, 2020). These studies clearly show that creating a positive learning environment through the control of environmental factors can have a significant impact on students.
Choosing exam environments when implementing adjustments
Accessible environments can go further than the lecture hall. Examinations are an important time for every student at university, and a stressful one too. When allocating adjustments to neurodivergent students, it is essential to think about the suitability of the environment they take the exam in. A separate small room can be a crucial adjustment for many as it reduces anxiety and minimises distractions from other people. However, the chosen room isn’t always the best environment. Where possible, choosing a room with natural lighting or controllable lighting, controlled temperature, and away from busy corridors, can make a significant difference to a student’s ability to function.
Adapting your teaching or study space
It can be daunting to know where to start with adapting your space but there are many things that you can implement into daily practice that require little effort. To support with this, I have developed the below checklist containing practical steps you can take to improve learning space. This has been reviewed by several neurodivergent students as part of the StudentShapers project. So, whether you are neurodivergent yourself or interested in making your space more productive and comfortable, we hope this checklist can help you achieve this goal.
Checklist to make teaching spaces inclusive
☐ Are lights too bright? Lights only need to be bright enough so that people can complete the task in hand. Lower lighting helps reduce glare on computer screens!
☐ Can the blinds be opened? Allow natural light where possible
☐ Can the windows be opened? Open the windows to let fresh air in when reasonable
☐ Is there a lot of external noise? Please shut the doors or windows to reduce external noise levels
☐ Is the volume too loud? When audio is used in class (lecturers’ microphones, playing video content, etc.), please ensure that the volume is at a sensible level
☐ Is the recording ON? Please ensure lectures are recorded, even when the attendance is mandatory
☐ Is your lecture longer than an hour? Ensure there is a break every 50 minutes to help students move and refresh
☐ Can students leave freely? Things happen, clarify that it is okay for students to leave during the session. It may not be obvious for everyone
To download the checklist as a flyer for printing, please click here.
References
KARLEN, M., SPANGLER, C. & BENYA, J. R. 2017. Lighting design basics, John Wiley & Sons.
KENT, S. T., MCCLURE, L. A., CROSSON, W. L., ARNETT, D. K., WADLEY, V. G. & SATHIAKUMAR, N. 2009. Effect of sunlight exposure on cognitive function among depressed and non-depressed participants: a REGARDS cross-sectional study. Environmental Health, 8, 34.
PORRAS ÁLVAREZ, S. 2020. Natural light influence on intellectual performance. A case study on university students. Sustainability, 12, 4167.
ROGERS, M. 2024. Comparing the Impact of Lighting on Student Performance: Contrasting University and Home Study Settings.
SINGH, P., ARORA, R. & GOYAL, R. 2020. Impact of lighting on performance of students in Delhi schools. Indoor Environmental Quality: Select Proceedings of the 1st ACIEQ. Springer.