Due to the increase in students’ understanding and the decrease in students’ stress levels, doing school work outside in nature should be implemented more widely since it has various benefits.
As the temperature rises and the sun begins to stay out longer, students are offered an opportunity to better their academic performance and their mental health.
According to Tentandtable.com, setting up an “outdoor classroom” is simple and helps kids stay more involved and aware of what they are learning.
“From kids sitting in a circle under a tree to large-scale outdoor learning environments, you’re free to set up the ideal outdoor classroom,” Tentandtable.com said. “A study conducted in 2018 by Frontiers in Psychology found that children are significantly more engaged studying outside versus studying inside.”
The University of Arizona Global Campus has similar beliefs.
“When students take their learning materials outdoors, they can tackle their subjects with enhanced motivation, creativity, and competence, and may even strengthen their peer relationships in the process,” The University of Arizona Global Campus said.
The university stresses the importance of staying focused, though, because nature offers a variety of distractions.
“If you choose to study outside, it’s important to remain mindful and recognize when you’re losing focus, before it negatively affects your productivity,” The University of Arizona Global Campus said.
As per Vivika Kapoor, she enjoys doing work outside because it has helped her stop staying up late “cramming for tests or skimming [her] readings.”
“Since I worked outside, I was forced to finish the majority of my work during the day before the sun goes down,” Kapoor said.
In addition, Kapoor feels that working outside helped her with stress, anxiety and other health issues.
“Typical work environments are not the best for studying or learning,” Kapoor said, “which is why a natural environment with sunshine and fresh air is a much better alternative.”
Another advantage to working outside, according to Kapoor, is not having to worry about bothering other people if you have a meeting or a study group that gets a bit loud or rowdy.
For Green Schoolyards America, it has found that there is a long-lasting impact of spending more time outdoors.
“Outdoor learning and increased contact with nature promotes physiological benefits in children that have lifelong significance,” Green Schoolyards America said.
Alongside those physiological benefits, there are additional benefits to being in nature more frequently.
“Nature exposure is one of the most powerful regulators of immune function,” Green Schoolyards America said. “Children who interact with nature on a daily basis have stronger resistance to infectious disease.”
Speaking of infectious diseases, the impact of COVID-19 on the classroom got students outside more. Whether it was a mask break or a walk around the school, students were able to spend more time outside during the school day.
Andrew Bauld, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, writes how during COVID-19 proposals were put into place so that when in-person schooling commenced again, students could learn while in a safe environment.
“When COVID-19 pandemic began in the spring of 2020,” Bauld said, “leaders from four environmental education formed the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative to once again encourage schools adn districts to look beyond their classroom walls.”
This was supported by the success of “fresh air classrooms” during the spread of tuberculosis in the early 1900s since being outside meant the illness was not spreading as much.
Ignite Learning Academy makes the argument that in today’s modern world of technology, kids “spend less time outdoors than ever.”
“Outdoor breaks lead to greater attention spans, improved problem-solving abilities, and enhanced creativity—all of which contribute to academic success,” Ignite Learning Academy said.
Not only is performance improved, but comprehension of nature overall is promoted.
“This connection is not only beneficial for students’ emotional well-being but also for their understanding of the world around them,” Ignite Learning Academy said. “Outdoor learning experiences offer a hands-on approach to education that can make abstract concepts more tangible and understandable.”
The outdoors allows students to soak up sunlight, which contributes to a more controlled sleep schedule.
“Exposure to natural light during the day helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, the internal clock that controls sleep-wake cycles,” Ignite Learning Academy said.
For growing children and teenagers, getting a good night’s sleep is crucial.