Event Title

A Window into the Classroom: The Influence of A Virtual Window Environment on Attention

Presenter Information

Britten Block, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Karissa Borchert, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Location

CSU 253/4/5

Start Date

4-4-2011 9:00 AM

End Date

4-4-2011 10:30 AM

Student's Major

Psychology

Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mentor's Name

Karla Lassonde

Mentor's Department

Psychology

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Description

This study examined the influence of virtual windows, used to simulate windows in a classroom, on attentional tasks. Forty undergraduates took the Trail Making Task (TMT) and Benton‘s Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWA) in a classroom with either virtual windows displaying nature scenes, or blind-covered windows. Results on the TMT and COWA revealed that virtual windows had a positive influence on participants‘ ability to complete these tasks and that participants were more efficient at the TMT in the virtual window condition compared to the no window condition. These results indicate that virtual windows were not a distraction in the classroom and had a positive effect on performance. Implications for using virtual windows in classrooms without windows are discussed.