Neuroscience Insights: Designing Effective Learning Spaces

Designing Brain-Based Classrooms

We’ve long accepted that curriculum matters. But what if the classroom itself; the lighting, layout, acoustics, visual and physical design, is silently shaping how the brain learns? Emerging findings in neuroscience and cognitive psychology suggest that learning environments are far from neutral. Instead, they actively influence students’ cognitive load, attention, emotional regulation, and executive functioning. The classroom is, in effect, the third teacher; after the curriculum and the educator.

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Why the Environment Matters for Learning

The brain is continuously processing incoming sensory information. In overstimulating environments; where there is excessive noise, clutter, or harsh lighting; students’ brains are forced to allocate limited cognitive resources toward filtering extraneous input. This diminishes the capacity for higher-order processing, such as memory encoding and problem-solving (Mayer, 2005). On the other hand, under-stimulating spaces can contribute to lethargy, disengagement, and mind-wandering.

According to the theory of cognitive load (Sweller, 1988), when the environment increases extraneous load, it competes with the working memory resources needed for learning. A well-designed classroom reduces unnecessary cognitive demand, allowing students to devote attention to core tasks.

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What the Research Says

• Lighting: Exposure to natural light has been correlated with better sleep patterns, mood stability, and academic performance (Benya, 2001). Artificial fluorescent lighting, especially those that flicker or emit blue light, can increase fatigue, eye strain, and even disrupt circadian rhythms.
• Noise: High ambient noise levels trigger the amygdala, the brain’s threat-detection centre, thereby raising stress levels and reducing access to the prefrontal cortex, which governs reasoning and self-control (Evans & Hygge, 2007). Persistent classroom noise is linked to reduced reading comprehension and more behavioural disruptions.
• Visual Environment: A study by Fisher et al. (2014) found that children in highly decorated classrooms spent more time off-task and performed worse on tests than peers in more neutral, visually simplified spaces. Visual clutter increases extraneous cognitive load.
• Movement: Kinesthetic engagement supports attention and memory consolidation. Classrooms that allow standing desks, movement zones, or choice in posture contribute to improved academic performance and behaviour (Donnelly & Lambourne, 2011).

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Key Design Principles

1. Visual Calm and Purposeful Design: Use neutral colour schemes and limit the number of posters and displays. Ensure every visual element serves a learning or regulatory purpose.
2. Lighting for Focus: Maximise access to natural daylight. If unavailable, use full-spectrum lighting and avoid harsh fluorescents.
3. Sound Dampening: Use curtains, acoustic panels, and rugs to reduce reverberation. Incorporate soft ambient music or white noise only when it supports focus.
4. Zones for Regulation and Choice: Create designated areas for quiet work, group collaboration, and emotional regulation. Even a beanbag in the corner with calming visuals can serve as a reset station.
5. Predictable Structure with Autonomy: Combine routines that offer psychological safety with student autonomy over workspace, materials, or sequence of tasks.

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A Brain-Based Audit for Every Educator

To help educators and school leaders reflect meaningfully on whether their classrooms are brain aligned, consider the following questions across key domains:

Sensory Environment

• Is my classroom visually calming or overstimulating?
• Are displays purposeful, or could they be contributing to cognitive overload?
• Do students have access to natural light or warm, consistent lighting?
• How does noise travel in the room—and is it supporting or hindering focus?

Movement and Flexibility

• Can students change posture, stand, or move if they need to?
• Are there spaces for both collaboration and quiet individual work?
• Have I built in opportunities for low-stress movement throughout the day?

Emotional Regulation and Safety

• Is there a dedicated space where students can reset when overwhelmed?
• Does the room send subtle signals of psychological safety and belonging?
• Are students co-creators of the space, or just guests in it?

Structure and Autonomy

• Do students know what to expect from the daily routine?
• Is there room for student choice—where to sit, how to approach a task, what pace to work at?
• Do transitions reduce anxiety or create friction?

Student Voice and Feedback

• Have I asked students how the space makes them feel?
• Do I know what environmental features help them focus?
• When students struggle, do we consider whether the space might be part of the problem?

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Final Thought

A brain-based classroom is not about perfection or expense. It’s about alignment; matching the physical environment to what we know about how learning happens in the brain. When we optimise the space, we amplify the learning within it.

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References

• Benya, J.R. (2001). Lighting for schools. National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities.
• Donnelly, J.E., & Lambourne, K. (2011). Classroom-based physical activity, cognition, and academic achievement. Preventive Medicine, 52(Suppl), S36–S42.
• Evans, G.W., & Hygge, S. (2007). Noise and children’s cognitive performance. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(6), 1023–1028.
• Fisher, A.V., Godwin, K.E., & Seltman, H. (2014). Visual environment, attention allocation, and learning in young children: When too much of a good thing may be bad. Psychological Science, 25(7), 1362–1370.
• Mayer, R.E. (2005). Cognitive theory of multimedia learning. In R.E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University Press.
• Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285.