Effects of Classroom Design on the Memory of University Students: From a Gender Perspective

María Luisa Nolé, Juan Luis Higuera-Trujillo and Carmen Llinares
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María Luisa Nolé: Institute for Research and Innovation in Bioengineering (i3B), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Juan Luis Higuera-Trujillo: Institute for Research and Innovation in Bioengineering (i3B), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Carmen Llinares: Institute for Research and Innovation in Bioengineering (i3B), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-17

Abstract: Classroom design has important effects on the cognitive functions of students. However, this relationship has rarely been analysed in terms of gender. The aim of the present study, therefore, is to analyse the influence of different design variables (classroom geometry, wall colour, and artificial lighting) on university students’ memories from a gender perspective. To do so, 100 university students performed a memory task while visualising different design configurations using a virtual reality setup. Key results show that certain parameters, such as 5.23 m classroom width, 10,500 Kelvin lighting colour temperature, or the blue hue on the walls influence men and women in a similar way, while a purple hue or walls with low colour saturation can generate significantly different behaviour, especially in cognitive processes such as short-term memory. In this study, the use of virtual reality proved to be a useful tool to explore the design effects of virtual learning environments, increasingly present due to training trends and catalysed by the 2020 pandemic. This is a turning point and an international novelty as it will enable the design of classrooms (both physical and virtual) that maximise the cognitive functions of learners, regardless of gender.

Keywords: classroom design; learning processes; memory; gender; psychological responses; virtual classroom (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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