ABSTRACT
It is helpful to begin by bringing to mind various images of classrooms and schools you have known. For example, what can you remember of your first days at a new school? You of course will remember the other students, the teacher perhaps, but what of the room and the school itself? Were you overwhelmed by the size of the building? Did you get lost in the corridors? Did you have your own desk? Did you feel hemmed in by the sheer numbers of other students? Did you feel that there were certain environments that were more conducive to effective learning? Can any environment be conducive to learning, you ask? Let me give you an example. Imagine you have enrolled on a college course on ancient Babylonian culture with an eminent professor. The class is scheduled for every Tuesday, just after lunch. The room is small, hot and has no windows. The lecture consists of the professor turning off the lights and showing slides of his latest visit to the museum in Baghdad. The question is how much learning will take place under
these conditions? This chapter will look at various aspects of the environment, and their impact on performance and feelings, and at means of creating better environments for learning.
