The influence of classroom width on attention and memory: virtual-reality-based task performance and neurophysiological effects

ABSTRACT

Classroom design influences the cognitive processes that determine learning. However, the effects of classroom geometry have been little studied, in part due to the difficulty of modifying physical spaces for experimental purposes. Today, virtual reality allows researchers to very closely control many environmental conditions while collecting psychological and neurophysiological metrics of the user experience. The objective of the present study is to analyse the influence of classroom width on the attention and memory performance of university students. The performance of 90 subjects in three classroom width settings (8.80, 8.20, and 7.60 m), implemented in virtual reality, was evaluated through measures of their attention- and memory-related psychological and neurophysiological responses. The results showed that wider classrooms are associated with poorer performance and lower emotional arousal. This demonstrates a link between the geometric variables of classrooms and the cognitive and physiological responses of students. In general, the present study and its methodology can help architects and researchers develop design guidelines that can improve students’ cognitive processes.

KEYWORDS:

• Classroom design
• attention
• memory
• neuroarchitecture

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad of Spain (Project BIA2017-86157-R). The second author is supported by funding from the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad of Spain (PRE2018-084051) and the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (John Paul Eberhard ANFA Fellow).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad of Spain [Project BIA2017-86157-R]. The second author is supported by funding from the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad of Spain [PRE2018-084051] and the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture [John Paul Eberhard ANFA Fellow].