Green classrooms conducive for learning

​ Washington: According to a new study, if you have a green view outside your window, you'll do better on tests.

The University of Illinois Department of Landscape Architecture research found that students with a green view outside a classroom window performed better on tests requiring focused attention and recovered better from stress.

It is the first study to establish a causal relationship between exposure to a green view and students' performance, said William Sullivan, head of the landscape architecture department.

Students' capacity to pay attention increased 13 percent if they had a green view outside their classroom window, the study found.

The researchers suggest their findings can help designers, planners and policymakers enhance students' well-being and learning. For example, planners can identify sites for new schools that already have trees and other vegetation, or they can plant many trees on the site; architects can locate classroom, cafeteria and hallway windows so they look onto green spaces; and school schedules can allow short breaks to restore students' attention and help them recover from stressful tasks.

The study appears online in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning.