- Feb 2017
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libjournal.uncg.edu libjournal.uncg.edu
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. Such an approach also goes beyond advertising the aesthetic value of the campus open spaces for student recruitment purposes to recognizing the entire campus landscape as a learning space and advertising its educational value – that is emphasizes something deeper than what meets the eye. References
Overall, I found the author’s argument for greenspaces quite persuasive. After reading this, even if its not displayed in my responses, I do think that colleges need green spaces. However, I do not think it is as big of a priority as she does. Her conclusion effectively highlights her arguments for green spaces. I also like how she reviewed the cognitive attention points because it was the back bone of her argument. She also makes a point to mention that it will make the university more attractive as well as helping the students. This is one of the strongest points she makes because it is not only a call to action, but she shows the two way benefits of adding green spaces.
Atlsprs17 #vacrr2
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reviously, we extended our definition of nature to include a ‘landscape’ and outlined how the concept of direct and indirect attention can help explain the cycles of fatigue and restoration among individuals, students in particular.
The author displays many nice ways to employ green spaces to the campuses, but the author never mentions how the universities are supposed to pay for these. I want to refer to a simple economic principle; “There is no such thing as a free lunch” essentially means that the funds have to come from somewhere. Colleges, like LSU jack up student fee rates making college even more unaffordable to those who are struggling to pay tuition (Woodhouse). Students having to pay for these amenities by increasing student fees makes the campus more exclusive to the upper class. Much like I mentioned above, where in the past colleges were primarily for the rich. As colleges expand the amenities that colleges provide the more expensive and inaccessible college will be.
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Involuntary attention occurs when individuals are presented with stimuli that are “inherently intriguing” (p.124). Interaction with natural environments (especially green nature) employs faculties of concentration not normally used – involuntary ones – thus allowing the neural mechanisms underlying directed attention a chance to rest and replenish. This in turn can benefit performance on other tasks, delay gratification, and perhaps even regulate levels of depression and stress. Therefore, providing opportunities for interactions that draw upon involuntary attention could be impactful on university campuses for attentional, fatigued students and their learning mechanisms. A wide range of natural settings in and around a college campus can play a role in student learning and engagement. Perceived greenness of different campus spaces can influence students’ perceived restorativeness in them. Student perception of the surrounding campus landscape and the opportunities it offers for intentional and unintentional learning or recreational engagement/activity might influence their overall campus experience. Research on student campus experiences related to surrounding nature in campus landscapes is a relatively newer research domain. Future research can test the premise substantiated by past literature that the natural landscape of a college can be an asset by enabling attention-restorative benefits and positively influencing learning and academic performance.
I agree with the first definition of nature in which it describes nature as something separate from human influence or touch. Adding green spaces is not really incorporating nature into the campus because it is just some plants, grass, and the sun. Being from the country, nature is when you are in the depths of the woods where there is not a sign of human hand. Green spaces are just a way of tricking the mind to be in nature. In the following paragraphs, the author describes how “green spaces” could reduce direct attention and activate indirect attention; thus, lowering the stress rates of students. However, I feel that green spaces would ultimately be a distraction from a student’s main focus – education. The reason I think this is because students would see the green space as another “hang out” spot, leaving even less time for studying. On the flip side, green spaces would be a relaxing spot for students to go, but I do not think it would contribute to their overall learning. I do agree with the fact that nature is healing. I just do not agree that green spaces are the same thing as nature. I think a better way for students to experience the connection with nature is to actually go to nature. By this I mean that the school could have set days where they provide a shuttle to a nice wooded area or walking trail where students are actually in the middle of nature instead a grass plot. Also, I feel that the cost of running a bus a few times a week would be more cost efficient than building a whole area on campus of green spaces.
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Campus construction was sparse during the Depression and World War II of the 1930s and 1940s. A dramatic post-war increase in student enrollment - 2.5 million to 7 million from 1955 to 1970 (Bowman, 2011) - and new federal grant-supported scientific research programs created a frenzied need to invest in new facilities. College presidents approved filling existing campus open space with large, stand-alone structures that typically did not cohere or unify with the existing campus style (Turner, 1984). The inclusion of the automobile on campus resulted in parking lots claiming large areas of natural open space within a “ring road” type of plan, in which vehicles were mostly kept outside the pedestrian oriented campus core (Bowman, 2011, p. 27).
This passage fits nicely with the concept of the Built Environment Project. This is because pf he connection of the past to the present and ho the architecture reflects this idea. In the post- war era of our country, from 1955 to 1970 increase the number of students enrolling into University astronomically. I also think that this increase was due to transition movements such as the civil rights movement and women’s rights movement. This expanded colleges from the rich, white male to essentially anyone with means to go to college. The need for newer buildings was growing, thus making it necessary to integrate the new with the old- much like the city of Atlanta. As college campuses’ student demographics changes, then campuses have to change as well. Another example is the call for safe spaces. As mention in the Washington Post article by Ms. Strauss, students are demanding for safe spaces. One of the reasons for the call of safe spaces is that college student bodies are growing increasingly more diverse, creating an atmosphere for conflict. In the past we can see how the “grass roots” movement in the 1970’s and global warming awareness are two other ideas that changed the shape of college campuses by calling for more “green spaces”.
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his is reinforced by Radloff who notes that only “one fifth of a student’s time is spent in the classroom, contributing about one quarter of the total learning variance (Radloff, 1998, p. 1). Well-designed and connected networks of indoor and open spaces on campuses can be key, yet typically overlooked catalysts, in student learning and a strong influence on students’ initial and longstanding experiences that promote a sense of belonging to the learning community (Boyer, 1987; Greene, 2013).
RR4
I want to address the quote "1/5 of a student's time is spent in the classroom" because it is quite revealing of the life of a student. This contrasts with the lives of high school students who typically spend 40 hours a week in class. College students really are not in class, so where are they? If they are serious about their education then they are in a quiet place studying, if they aren't you can find them at a dorm party or having a Netflix marathon. Most college students fall somewhere in between. With that being said, I am not sure why the author thinks that a grassy area would be a source of improvement of this. This idea would be more plausible if the green spaces were a dead zone. Most students are attached to their phones, so without self-discipline the stimulation and attention fatigue would more than likely stay the same
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Americans expect a university campus to look different than other places (Gumprecht, 2007) and that the campus “expresses something about the quality of academic life, as well as its role as a citizen of the community in which it is located” (Dober, 1996, p.47). Today’s university must be resilient spaces in which the learning environment encompasses more than technology
I find the author's argument to be weak in this paragraph. This is because she fails to recognize that colleges do not follow this model. As cities and campuses grow, they will intertwine. We do not live in the 1700s where cities are miles apart; cities often are side by side. There just not enough space to have the luxury of a closed campus.
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2009, 20.4 million students were enrolled in 2- or 4-year colleges and universities. By 2019, enrollments are expected to rise 9% for students under age 25, and rise 23% for students over the age of 25 (Snyder & Dillow, 2011). Questions of where, when, how, and with whom today’s college students learn, confront the traditional notions of how university spaces are designed and used for effectiveness (Hashimshony & Haina, 2006). Therefore, we propose that the natural landscape of a university campus is an attentional learning resource for its students.
RR2
Upon reflection of this passage, I could not help but to think of Georgia State. I started attending Georgia State University in fall of 2013. Since I have started here, there have been some significant changes. For one, parking is an absolute nightmare now. I never really thought about why this change occurred, but after reading this passage I have come to the conclusion is that universities as a whole are growing rapidly. Georgia State obviously has had an influx of students and since Georgia State is historically a commuter school, parking availability is critical ital. The same problem can be observed at UGA. Many students at University of Georgia have to live off campus because of the exclusivity of on campus housing. Because there is such a high demand for housing at UGA, they are able to jack of the prices on sub- par living quarters. Another unforeseen consequence of the rising rate of students that this article did not address or even acknowledge is it is giving colleges the ability to raise tuition, and make college more difficult for students to get into. This ultimately will give students who are have higher status or with superb athletic abilities to get into the bigger, more prestigious colleges.
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Piece
RR1 The first supplementary reading I used was from the Washington Post’s article So you like the University of Chicago’s rejection of the ‘safe spaces for students? Consider this. The article discussed the reasons why students want safe spaces. The main argument was that students want safe spaces because of the increasing violent times and the more diverse student bodies. The counter argument against safe spaces was that there were for “snowflakes” that could not handle the real world.
The second supplementary reading I used was Are lazy rivers and climbing walls driving up the cost of college? This article was about LSU spending 85 million dollars on student amenities to make it more attractive to potential students. She reveals that the river was paid for by an increase in student fees and that making such additions attract students who are less academically focused.
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