The Effect of Interior Design Improvements on the Quality of Learning for Graduate Level Military Officer Students

Abstract

This study determined the effect of interior design improvements on student perceptions about the physical learning environment for the United States Army Command and General Staff Officers' Course from August 1990 to June 1991. In December 1990, officers who had attended the same six courses in two adjacent classrooms were surveyed about their physical learning environment. One classroom was configured in a conventional manner; whereas, the second classroom was renovated in the spring of 1990. Renovation work included improvements to the classroom's acoustics, lighting, climate control system, and electrical circuitry. In February 1991, students attending a course in the renovated classroom were also surveyed. Previously, these students attended class in only conventional classrooms. Students perceived that the following aspects of the renovated classroom significantly enhanced their physical learning environment: lighting to read textbooks, acoustical separation among classroom staff groups, separate entrances to staff group areas, individual student desks, and electrical capacity. Moreover, students perceived several features of the renovated classroom as having made little or no improvement to their learning environment: chair comfort, location of the projection screen, location of the computer work station, and ease of use of tack boards on the renovated classroom's interior operable walls.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 13, 1991
Accession Number
ADA242119

Entities

People

  • R. D. Maurer

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustics
  • Air Conditioning
  • Army Training
  • Books
  • Capacitance
  • Computers
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Electrical Equipment
  • Environment
  • Instructors
  • Literature Surveys
  • Perception
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Students
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Education

Readers

  • Facility/Structural Engineering.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Systems Analysis and Design