First SenseLab studies with primary school children: exposure to different environmental configurations in the experience room

Abstract

To study the combined effect of different environmental factors on children in a classroom setting, 250 children from seven primary schools were exposed to 36 different environmental configurations ('all' and 'fewer' acoustical panels; 'displacement' and 'mixing' ventilation; sound type: 'children talk', 'traffic', and 'none'; and 'direct', 'indirect' and 'soft' lighting). In a four-way factorial design, they assessed with 18 groups on eight different days temperature, draught, noise, light and smell. Correlation, three-way ANOVA, comparison tests and multi-regression analysis were used to analyse relationships, and main, cross-modal and interaction effects. The results show that more acoustical panels had a positive effect on the children's assessment of sound. Sound type had a main effect on the assessment of sound. Statistical significant crossmodal effects were found for lighting and sound type on the assessment of smell. Significant three-way interactions between 'Vent', 'Sound', and 'Light' types were found for smell and light in the 'fewer panels' situations; and for light in the 'all panels' situations. Multipleregression analysis also showed that perception of smell was significantly related with draught, sound and light perception in 'fewer panels' conditions. Further studies on these cross-modal interactions are recommended, specifically at individual level.

Towards an integrated analysis of the indoor environmental factors and its effects on occupants

“…Boyce and Wilkins 2018;Wang et al 2018). This was clearly seen in the lab study with children while being exposed to different environmental configurations (Bluyssen et al 2019). (3) Then changes in preferences and needs over time, but also activities performed (behaviour of occupants) were introduced as important factors to be included in the model.…”

“…First lab studies on the combined effect of different environmental factors with school children have been performed (Bluyssen et al 2019). 250 children from seven primary schools were exposed to 36 different environmental configurations in the Experience room of the SenseLab (Bluyssen et al 2018b): 'all' and 'fewer' acoustical panels; 'displacement' and 'mixing' ventilation; sound type: 'children talk ', 'traffic', and 'none'; and 'direct', 'indirect' and 'soft' lighting. In a four-way factorial design, they assessed with 18 groups on eight different days temperature, noise, light and smell.…”

“…In the Experience room of the SenseLab a workshop (qualitative method) was held to identify problems in their own classroom (session 1) and to design solutions to control these problems (session 2). Before, between and after the workshop sessions, the children were exposed to different environmental configurations and asked to assess the IEQ using a questionnaire resulting in quantitative data (Bluyssen et al 2019). The children visited the SenseLab during 10 days divided into 24 groups of 11 to 16 children, with 2 or 3 groups per day.…”

Appraisal and identification of different sources of smell by primary school children in the air quality test chamber of the SenseLab

“…This study was part of a series of tests performed during 10 days with children from the previous studied Dutch schools, in the SenseLab (Bluyssen et al 2018a;Bluyssen et al 2018b;Bluyssen et al 2019b). During the winter and spring of 2018, 335 students of seven schools in the Netherlands visited the SenseLab to participate in a series of experiments.…”

“…In each of the test chambers (light, sound, air and thermal), different tests were performed. Every 7-8 min, after the tests were performed, the children changed to another test chamber (Bluyssen et al 2019a(Bluyssen et al , 2019bZhang, Tenpierik, and Bluyssen 2019;Ortiz, Zhang, and Bluyssen 2019). This paper presents the results of the tests performed in the air quality test chamber.…”