Lighting to enhance cooperative learning in classrooms

Abstract: Cooperative learning refers to teaching methods that encourage students to work together in small groups to help each other learn educational content. In Sweden, cooperative learning methods are used in classrooms as an educational approach to organize classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences. This thesis investigates how lighting can support cooperative learning in Swedish classrooms to enhance students' learning performance while taking into account visual tasks during different pedagogical activities and visual comfort. To answer this question, the existing lighting of a middle school classroom in Iggesund Skola, Sweden, was studied through a methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative methods. Analysis of literature review, personal observations and interviews, measurements of illuminance, luminance, and color metrics, and 3D simulations formed the foundation of the lighting design proposal for the refurbishment of classrooms.The results show that the lighting requirements of students and teachers have changed with time. To include cooperative learning methods, the users ask for a changeable lighting solution that can work with their flexible learning method. Hence, the design proposal focuses on enhancing students' learning performance while emphasizing the flexibility of their learning method.