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Colour and Texture Selection for Learning Spaces: Best Practices for Educators

February 21, 2023

How might incorporating vibrant colours and tactile textures into a classroom setting boost student learning outcomes, inspire creativity, and create an atmosphere of positive well-being? Let's explore the exciting possibilities that come with focusing on those design elements!

As the UK education system evolves, educators increasingly recognise the importance of building engaging learning environments that meet the unique needs and challenges of all students. Adding colours and textures to a classroom is about more than aesthetics. They can directly improve each student's ability to learn.

The Impact of Colour on Student Learning

Colours can impact attention spans, ease of focus on "dull topics", and the ability to retain information. Colour psychology research has established how colour affects learning outcomes.

Colour and Student Perception

A study published in 2021 ^[1] found colour played a significant role in student perception, with specific colours creating anticipated learning outcomes. The results found that some colours, specifically white, green, and blue helped add a feeling of curiosity, satisfaction, and hope. On the other hand, black and grey had the opposite effect, creating feelings of worry and fear. The study found a direct link between colour in learning spaces and student performance, mood, and behaviour.

Colour and Memorisation

Another study, published in 2015 aimed to determine how colour impacted students' abilities to memorise words. ^[2] It found:

Group 1: Words presented in shades of grey
Group 2: A specific colour corresponding to each word
Group 3: Random colours applied to words

Group 2 performed 34% better than Group 3 and 8% better than Group 1. This showed that not only did colour help the students recall the words. Students presented with random colours performed worse than those offered with no colour at all, showing a direct link to the learning outcome.

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How to Use Colour to Create an Engaging Learning Environment

In a classroom setting, students often focus on different areas of the classroom at various times during the day. Consider how colour works in various spaces:

Red: Use red where students need to pay attention as it stimulates focus.
Yellow and Pink: Place these colours in areas to stimulate creative learning and exploration of new ideas.
Orange: Orange encourages openness and may be beneficial in areas where active learning discussions or interaction are necessary.
Blue and white: These colours tend to be calming but can be a good option for reflective spaces.
Green: Green is soothing, making it a good choice for areas where balance and contentment are key.

Colour and Special Needs Education

Every student has a unique learning style, and providing them with the most supportive learning environment can enhance their learning experience. For students with specific educational needs, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) can be beneficial as it reduces any unnecessary obstacles that may impede their learning progress. ^[3]

Some students, such as those with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorders, are more sensitive to colour schemes in learning environments. Studies have shown that certain colours can have a profound effect on their sensory response and visual processing abilities. ^[4]

For some, exposure to the colour red causes an increased heart rate and higher blood pressure. ^[4] Blue, by contrast, has a positive learning environment impact because it helps to slow the heart rate and lowers body temperature. ^[4]

Over-stimulation through the use of colour creates a sensory overload in some children, causing distraction to classrooms and limiting learning success. This is a heightened reaction in those with sensory processing disorders.

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Cultural Sensitivity and Colour Use in Classrooms

Cultural sensitivity is another factor to consider when selecting colours to use in classrooms. Designers must take into consideration how culture influences colour response, making sure that all students feel recognised and respected..

For example, research indicates that red in Western societies often implies a sense of excitement or urgency. ^[5] In India, it's associated with purity, and in Latin American culture, it symbolises Christianity when used with white. In the Middle East, it's more commonly associated with caution or danger, while in China, it has more of a focus on luck and happiness.

Blue in the West typically offers a sense of trust and safety, while in Eastern cultures symbolises immortality and spirituality. ^[6] Latin American cultures associate this colour with mourning. ^[6]

When creating an engaging learning environment, consider the cultural diversity of the student population.

The Impact of Texture in Learning Environments

In addition to colours, texture also plays a vital role in an inclusive learning environment. Using plants, rugs, and textiles can add depth, feel, and sensory development to the learning environment, improving its visual appeal.

Too many objects within a space create cluttered, overwhelming feelings and numerous distractions due to the cognitive process in the brain. There simply is too much for the student to look at to focus on one key area.

Sensory integration therapy also incorporates texture, along with colour, smell, and sight, to help support brain development. For example, students with Autism Spectrum Disorders can be hypersensitive to touch, so using tactile elements can help to reduce their sensitivity over time.

How Texture Impacts Learning

Texture changes emotions and cognitive psychology based on student perception. However, perceptions towards texture are very personal. That is, some textures may bring back memories of an earlier experience. Other times, especially in children with special learning needs, texture may have a negative experience because it is new and unknown.

It is not just about what one texture can offer but the exploration of different textures within that space.

There is some insight into how various texture works in the learning environment ^[7]:

Placing contrasting textures near each other stimulates interest.
Metal tends to feel cold and isolating.
Softness in rugs or other tactile elements is comfortable, welcoming, and warm.
Shiny textures, like silk or gold, create an illusion of feeling brighter and clean.
Wood, stone, and soft fuzzy elements are more focused on nature and create an inviting feel.
Smooth surfaces tend to improve focus, such as a desktop offering a blank slate from which to learn.

Textures can be touchable. But they're also visually perceived through 2D and 3D patterns, with the latter giving the illusion of depth and textures.

Raindrops
Leaves
Petals
Scales
Parched soil
Geometric shapes
Flowing curves
Organic
Chaotic
Stone
Reflections
Wood grain

You can incorporate these into wall designs, furniture, classroom art, and children's projects alike.

Creating a Universal Design for Learning

When creating an inclusive learning environment, it's essential to take into account different factors, such as students' special education needs, cultural background, age, sensory processing abilities, and the type of learning that takes place in that space. By considering these elements, we can ensure that all students have an equitable opportunity to learn in a supportive and comfortable environment:

Learning centres designed for quiet activities, such as reading, should offer comfortable surfaces including softer chairs and have a green colour pattern.
Smooth desk surfaces help to encourage use and stimulate focus, making them an important functional tool for note-taking. To encourage classroom discussions in this space, incorporate the use of orange.
Place red near the instructor to draw attention, but limit the amount of texture within this space that could be distracting. A whiteboard is a better option than a bulletin board for instructor-led learning because it’s simpler and not distracting.

A deep understanding of educational psychology and how colour and texture play a role in the process makes teaching students more effective and, in some cases, more enjoyable.

Sources

Baper, Salahaddin, Husein Husein, and Sazgar Salim. 2021. Review of The Impact of Colour on Students’ Perception in Learning Spaces. Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences 28 (2): 33–43. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352910114_The_Impact_Of_Colour_On_Students
%27_Perception_In_Learning_Spaces.
Jonauskaite, Domicele, Ahmad Abu-Akel, Nele Dael, Daniel Oberfeld, Ahmed M. Abdel-Khalek, Abdulrahman S. Al-Rasheed, Jean-Philippe Antonietti, et al. 2020. “Universal Patterns in Color-Emotion Associations Are Further Shaped by Linguistic and Geographic Proximity.” Psychological Science 31 (10): 1245–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620948810.
Graham, Edward. n.d. “Maximizing Student Success with Least Restrictive Environments and Appropriate Models of Inclusion | NEA.” Www.nea.org. https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/maximizing-student-success-least-restrictive-environments-and-appropriate-models-inclusion.
O'connor, Sofo, Kendall, and Olson. 1993. “Spring/Summer 2011Boyatzis & Varghese.” Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences Education 29 (1). https://www.natefacs.org/Pages/v29no1/v29no1Gaines.pdf.
“Culture, Language, and Color Perception | Alec Parker.” n.d. U.osu.edu. https://u.osu.edu/parker1211esltech/culture-language-and-color-perception/.
Azeemi, Samina T. Yousuf, Hafiz M Rafiq, Iram Ismail, Syeda Rabab Kazmi, and Ameena Azeemi. 2019. “The Mechanistic Basis of Chromotherapy: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives.” Complementary Therapies in Medicine 46 (October): 217–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2019.08.025.
“How Do Textures Change the Emotions in a Space?” 2022. RTF | Rethinking the Future. August 19, 2022. https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/architectural-community/a7577-how-do-textures-change-the-emotions-in-a-space/.

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