Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces

Today’s university learning environments must encompass more than technology upgrades and classroom additions - the entire campus must be perceived as a holistic learning space that provides a holistic learning experience. The potential of campus nature in replenishing student cognitive functioning is underutilized. Recognizing campuses as vital learning landscapes harnesses their potential as attentional resources. A whole-systems approach to campus design requires communication and collaboration among academic, administrative and facilities planning stakeholders. This approach goes beyond the aesthetic value of campus open spaces for student recruitment to advertising its educational value that emphasizes something deeper than what meets the eye

Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces

American higher education institutions face unique twenty-first century changes and challenges in providing good, holistic learning spaces for the diverse and evolving needs of today’s college student. Continued enrollment growth, societal and technological changes, financial challenges, and a need for increased universal and open access create ever more diverse, changing and complex US university systems. In 2009, 20.4 million students were enrolled in 2- or 4-year colleges and universities. By 2019, enrollments are expected to rise 9% for students under age 25, and rise 23% for students over the age of 25 (Snyder & Dillow, 2011). Questions of where, when, how, and with whom today’s college students learn, confront the traditional notions of how university spaces are designed and used for effectiveness (Hashimshony & Haina, 2006). Therefore, we propose that the natural landscape of a university campus is an attentional learning resource for its students

Human-Nature Interactions: A Review of the Literature in Environment & Behavior.

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Accommodating Culturally Meaningful Activities in Outdoor Settings for Older Adults

A growing multicultural aging population necessitates an examination of the cultural responsiveness of American healthcare environments in enabling successful aging experiences. Environment-behavior studies establish positive effects of natural environments on the well-being of older adults. This study explored cultural differences in nature-related activities among Hispanic and Anglo-American elderly using six photographs of nature settings to elicit nature-related preferences and experiences. Findings indicate that Hispanic elderly find “furnished” natural settings more compatible with their preferred activities such as group-oriented socializing while Anglo-American elderly prefer “authentic” natural settings for preferred activities such as quiet reflection. Culture specific programming and design implications are discussed

An Exploration of How Biophilic Attributes on Campuses Might Support Student Connectedness to Nature, Others, and Self

University Campuses remain important settings for nurturing and supporting student health and quality of life (QoL). Research shows the health benefits of nature experiences may be facilitated by campus spaces and activities that afford connectedness. Connectedness to nature, others, and self may allow students to cope with mental fatigue, stress, and a constant need for restoration. Despite recent encouraging trends, we still lack an integrative conceptual framework to describe the mechanisms involved in achieving connectedness for making recommendations for campus design. In this conceptual review, we examine students’ connectedness in campus settings in relation to biophilic elements and attributes. We aim to understand how both direct and indirect pursuits in nature and also place-based experiences on campus foster connectedness and consequently impact students’ health and QoL. Our analysis shows that connectedness seen through the lens of Kellert’s biophilic design principles and aided by Alexander’s pattern language provides a relational and long-term perspective on recommending strategies for connecting students to nature, to others, and to themselves in campus settings

The Relationship Between Perceived Greenness and Perceived Restorativeness of University Campuses and Student-Reported Quality of Life

University students are exposed to many stressors, necessitating opportunities for restoration. Research has indicated that actual experiences in nearby green spaces are associated with restorative psychological and physiological health benefits. However, the perception of greenness and restorativeness of environments might also impact health outcomes. Can green campus spaces provide restorative potential to university students? Do students perceive the greenness and restorative benefits? To explore these questions, students at three universities (convenience sample) were surveyed with items on perceived greenness of campus, perceived restorativeness of campus, and the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Scale. Results indicate that those with higher perceived campus greenness report greater quality of life, a pathway significantly and partially mediated by perceived campus restorativeness. Future research should help identify effective ways in which university green spaces can be developed as health resources for students

The restorative potential of a university campus: Objective greenness and student perceptions in Turkey and the United States

University students who balance multidimensional stress with their learning have everyday encounters with different locations of green outdoor campus spaces. Objective greenness of campus was measured in this study through the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index at three spatial levels - overall campus, central campus, and around the academic building. Students (n = 1079) pursuing business, design, or psychology degrees from two universities each in Turkey and the United States (U.S.) reported their perceptions of campus greenness, restorativeness, and quality of life. Correlation analysis demonstrated positive associations between objective and perceived greenness at each level, perceived restorativeness, and quality of life. In the U.S. there was a mismatch between objective and perceived greenness at the building level. Serial mediation analyses showed direct effects of all three levels of objective greenness on overall quality of life, but also indirect increases mediated by perceived greenness and perceived restorativeness. Campus green spaces are everyday sources for student restoration and knowing at which locations they are most effective can help planning and design efforts that reveal their potential as restorative resources