417 Matching Annotations
  1. Oct 2016
    1. By preserving and suitably integrating open spaces into the green infrastructure, universities can add value and quality to the campus environment by: forging a campus identity, creating a sense of community, curbing escalating campus density, serving social and recreational needs, providing environmental benefits, and facilitating fundraising and recruitment of both faculty and students (Griffith, 1994).

      I think that it is unfair for students to have to pay more for their education based on the looks of the school rather than the quality of their education.

    2. Today the campus open space still remains a significant center for teaching and learning for students in natural resources management, sustainability/ecology, agriculture, forestry, etc. and more recently, a focus on environmental education and sustainable practices (Painter, et. al., 2013).

      Once again, a lot of students won't focused on these characteristics unless they are in a special field or unless students really care about open spaces for recreational activities.

    3. The advent of land-grant institutions through the Morrill Act of 1862 required new buildings to be built with laboratories and observatory space for agricultural, technical education, and scientific research (Eckert, 2012; Turner, 1984).

      Unless students are going into a major that requires the use of laboratories, students won't pay attention to the quality of their school's laboratory.

    4. The college experience is a stimulating and demanding time in a student’s life where a multitude of curricular and extra-curricular situations require frequent and heavy use of direct, focused attention and concentration (Wentworth & Middleton, 2014).

      The college life is one of the most exciting experiences that a person will have in their life. In both small and big campuses, there are always actives happening on the daily basis and many students look for a campus that is correctly built for these activities.

    5. Kathleen G Scholl, Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi

      What is their relevance to this topic? No title present means lack of credibility for the author.

    6. 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.

      It is not merely an "aesthetic" approach to campus design, is is enhancing educational value. This is important to remember when writing the summary.

    7. 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).

      Now that I think about it, if a student plans to live on campus, the design of the building is really important to him or her because those buildings will be the buildings were they will spend their college careers.

    8. 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).

      If you plan to attend a university or college outside of your home city or state, then you should expect a difference in design. However, if you plan to attend a university or college inside your home city or state, the design will remain the same for the most part.

    9. provide visionary and heuristic scenarios for a university of the future, we need a vision for integrating a systemic view of what these integrated campus nature networks would like in the future. In addition, there is a need to conduct more focused and nuanced research on identifying the human-nature mechanisms that lead to (among others) attentional resource benefits.

      Here is the call to action! We "need" and "there is a need."

    10. However, a student’s learning experience is not often balanced by unstructured or structured opportunities for drawing forth effortless, indirect attention that occur in human-nature interactions (Valles-Planells, et. al, 2014).

      I must have missed something because I read this article as a bunch of examples of how college campuses are designed to create a balance. I will have to reread to understand the aspect of unbalance.

    11. Therefore, we propose that the natural landscape of a university campus is an attentional learning resource for its students.
      • As a student, I pay more attention to the quality of the education that I am receiving. Is the landscape really important when you’re getting an education?
    12. 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 is so interesting. Going to school in the city, it is much harder achieve this because of constant stimulation. I struggle with this on a daily basis and often times be as drastic to leave the city on vacation in order to reset.

    13. After a period of prolonged cognitive demands and mental saturation, difficulties in concentrating, reduced performance on tasks, higher rates of irritability and tension, and more impulsive and hostile behavior may arise

      My theory is, the point in which people start to have trouble paying attention after a prolonged period of cognitive demands, reflects a bell curve in relevance to age. A young elementary aged child can only pay attention for so long before he/she becomes distracted. The length becomes longer and longer through adolescence and college age and most of adult life, and then once a person starts to become elderly, it declines.

    14. nature or natural environment as the… “physical features and processes of nonhuman origin that people ordinarily can perceive, including the “living nature” of flora and fauna, together with still and running water, qualities of air and weather, and the landscapes that comprise these and show the influences of geological processes” (Hartig, et al., 2014, p. 21.2)

      Operational definition of nature

    15. Furthermore there is a subjective component to the concept

      There is pretty much a subjective definition to everything. The definition of any single word can be defined subjectively based on a persons personal experience of that word.

    16. there is a need to conduct more focused and nuanced research on identifying the human-nature mechanisms that lead to (among others) attentional resource benefits.

      This is implying that campuses or at least areas designed for students to study are needed to often allow them to balance out their minds and relax while working to keep them in a set pace where they don't feel obligated or frustrated inside a building or type of closed-in room.

    17. After a period of prolonged cognitive demands and mental saturation, difficulties in concentrating, reduced performance on tasks, higher rates of irritability and tension, and more impulsive and hostile behavior may arise

      Feeling constantly stressed out can cause a student or a person to latch out in assertive behavior.

    18. Interaction with nature, in particular, can help to maintain or restore cognitive function such as direct attention, problem solving, focus and concentration, impulse inhibition, and memory, which can become depleted from fatigue or with overuse

      Human to nature interaction usually can reflect from one another as the human becomes almost "one with nature" being able to communicate and circulate through it whereas if the human was in a structured environment, they almost feel as though they are a bird caged.

    19. natural scenery employs the mind without fatigue and yet exercises it; tranquilizes it and yet enlivens it; and thus through the influence of the mind over the body, gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigorating to the whole system

      This implies that a natural environment instead of a structured one urges to ease the mind to be open and circulate, not feel closed up or to cause any pain to it.

    20. 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

      Because most campuses were designed for students being capable to travel by foot or through pavement, the parking lots or decks or garages for those who either commute to campus or the faculty and staff of the campus are usually placed in the outer barrier of the campus because of the structure that has been already primarily set. Plus, in a way to eliminate any danger of those traveling to class being struck by a vehicle on the way.

    21. Open space and “zones” for disciplines became far more common than closely clustered buildings previously designed to protect students from the lures of the outside world

      Traditional college campuses that have been around for nearly over centuries were created in rural territories to keep students in separating them from the "outside world" while living amongst it. Recently, newer college campuses are built in either urban or suburban areas to expose the student to the world around them. For example, when I previously went to Valdosta State, the school campus is all in one area and the city of Valdosta surrounds it making the campus the center of the city. Transferring to Georgia State, the campus is so expanded that it takes 15 minutes for me to walk from my dorm to the classroom buildings whereas it was a quick 5 minute walk from my dorm that was across campus from the classroom buildings back in Valdosta.

    22. increased technology use within today’s multitasking society is likely to hijack a student’s attentional resource placing her/him at risk of underachieving academic learning goals and undermining success at a university

      This I don't believe to be true. Mainly because the advancement of technology has made it quicker and easier for the student to be able to obtain information especially because "back in the day" it was difficult to get so much information all at once because the researching process was brutal. Being able to "google" a research thesis for a certain type of project gives the student immediate access to what they need and are looking for. It cuts the research process down nearly 5x.

    23. Thus, university students as a group are at a higher risk of attentional fatigue.

      This is true, and I'm not just saying as a college student myself although the personal connection is intact. Even though adults with families and labor jobs are more likely to go through the same thing, I believe personally it is true for college students because of the pressure of having to attain a degree to get a "good-working" job, and then financial struggles of being a college student due to loans if taken and the cost of supplies for certain classes and courses.

    24. in fact, the entire campus, including its open spaces, must be perceived as a holistic learning space that provides a holistic learning experience

      This is implying that the structure of a college campus must be almost closed in to be a "proper" learning environment for its students.

    25. American higher education institutions face unique twenty-first century changes and challenges in providing good, holistic learning spaces for the diverse and evolving needs of today’s college student.

      These changes include how the environment and structure of such colleges and universities have changed.

    26. American higher education institutions face unique twenty-first century changes and challenges in providing good, holistic learning spaces for the diverse and evolving needs of today’s college student

      Being a student at Georgia State, a school that has been listed as one of the top 5 most innovative universities in America, I've noticed that this claim holds much truth. Georgia State's continuous innovation caught my attention in 2015, thus being the reason I chose to attend the university. Here is the article listing Georgia State as one of The US's most innovative universities: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/innovative

    27. effective functioning

      "Effective functioning" goes back to the authors belief that campuses must respond to the prevailing philosophy of education.

    28. reconceptualize

      The process of re capturing an idea from a different perspective.

    29. Students spend most of their tightly structured learning time indoors

      Being indoors in a classroom makes me feel confined to the space and as a student being in a tight space with droopy colors it tends to make me feel less comfortable and I lose interest in the lesson.

    30. Most American universities are situated on large number of acres (up to 28,000 acres) and function like miniature cities

      This statement is very true colleges are like mini cities they usually function in towns where they are the only thing out there and populations are larger then the city itself.

    1. First Read's Morning Clips: It's Nev-ADDD-ah, not Nev-AHHHH-dah Share Share Tweet Share Email Print Comment advertisement OFF TO THE RACES: It's Nev-ADDD-ah, not Nev-AHHHH-dah Donald Trump's attempt to pronounce "Nevada" in the Silver State last night didn't go well. Tim Kaine praised his own Tuesday night debate performance. Trump says he's "getting a lot of credit" after Mike Pence's widely-praised debate. Pence is taking heat from Latinos after his "Mexican thing" remark. From the Washington Post: "Sen. Tim Kaine may have awakened Wednesday to poor reviews after the first and only vice-presidential debate, but his acerbic performance in Farmville, Va., revealed that the Clinton campaign's strategy for these debates extends far beyond the stage. Armed with pre-planned Web videos, television ads and tweets, the campaign has used key debate moments this week and last as a cudgel against the Republican ticket, showing a level of discipline and organization largely absent from Donald Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's campaign." Trump said yesterday: "They say Donald Trump loves Putin. I don't love, I don't hate. We'll see how it works." And here's Trump on the issue of Yucca Mountain: "Number one is safety and it is a little too close to major population, so I will take a look at it and I will have an opinion." The New York Times does a deep dive into Trump's business ventures. "Of the roughly 60 endeavors started or promoted by Mr. Trump during the period analyzed, The Times found few that went off without a hitch. One-third of them either never got off the ground or soon petered out. Another third delivered a measure of what was promised — buildings were built, courses taught, a product introduced — but they also encountered substantial problems, like lawsuits, government investigations, partnership woes or market downturns." Here's how Pennsylvania boosted its swing-state status, according to the Washington Post. An interesting data point from PRRI/The Atlantic: "White likely voters who still live in their hometown strongly prefer Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton (57 percent vs. 31 percent), while nearly half (46 percent) of those who live more than a two-hour drive away from their hometown are supporting Clinton compared to 40 percent who are supporting Trump." The Atlantic endorsed Hillary Clinton, only the third time it has weighed in on a presidential election since 1857. Via POLITICO: With hopes in Pennsylvania fading, Trump is hoping to make gains in the Mountain West. From the AP: "Donald Trump once called data "overrated" in politics. But with Election Day swiftly approaching, the Republican presidential nominee is spending millions of dollars on data and digital services in an effort to land donations and win over voters. Ushering Trump toward a more analytical approach are Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser, and Brad Parscale, the campaign's digital director and a veteran Trump Organization consultant." Sean Hannity is accusing Megyn Kelly of supporting Hillary Clinton. "Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has throughout his career given campaign contributions to state attorneys general while they weighed decisions affecting his business, a review of his political donations shows," notes the Wall Street Journal. From the New York Times yesterday: "The F.B.I. secretly arrested a former National Security Agency contractor in August and, according to law enforcement officials, is investigating whether he stole and disclosed highly classified computer code developed by the agency to hack into the networks of foreign governments. The arrest raises the embarrassing prospect that for the second time in three years, a contractor for the consulting company Booz Allen Hamilton managed to steal highly damaging secret information while working for the N.S.A." What will happen to Merrick Garland's nomination in December? The

      The first thing i noticed when i got to the NBC website was that all of the political articles are about Trump. That really says something about the style of politics that are alive in the U.S. today. Although the article title talks about "Nevada" and how Trump says the State's name, it actually takes a deeper look into Trump's past business dealings and political affiliations. As opposed to the Fox news article that actually did focus on his pronunciation of Nevada. On top of that the author in this article goes after Trump's VP candidate as well as others that are in Trump's campaign committee. This article seemed more like an attack on trump rather than a criticism.

  2. Sep 2016
    1. This ability to focus one’s attention is essential for effective performance of many of life’s necessary and daily activities, such as acquiring and using selected information; making and carrying out plans; and self-regulation of responses and behavior to meet desired goals

      This type of learning reminds me of elementary, middle, and high school when teachers would "teach to the test." There would be no stimulating and "outside of the box teaching". Teachers drilled facts and vocabulary as a result learning fatigue sat in.

    2. that open space must be treated as a scarce resource

      Let us remember that GSU understands the importance of green spaces. Kell Hall is going to be demolished soon and a green space will be developed in that space for GSU students.

    3. climate change

      Climate change, also called global warming, refers to the rise in average surface temperatures on Earth. An overwhelming scientific consensus maintains that climate change is due primarily to the human use of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air. The gases trap heat within the atmosphere, which can have a range of effects on ecosystems, including rising sea levels, severe weather events, and droughts that render landscapes more susceptible to wildfires.

      Source,, http://www.takepart.com/flashcards/what-is-climate-change

    4. personal growth

      I went back to this sentence because "personal growth" stood out. How can a university promote personal growth if it is in a secluded area? I look at personal growth as having an opportunity to explore many aspects of learning. Being in a secluded area, does not offer these opportunities..

    5. American higher education institutions face unique twenty-first century changes and challenges in providing good, holistic learning spaces for the diverse and evolving needs of today’s college student.

      Scholl and Gulwadi present the issue at hand in this first sentence. Colleges and universities lack stimulating learning spaces that appeal to this generation of college students.

    6. Many university founders desired to create an ideal community that was a place apart, secluded from city distraction but still open to the larger community, enabling their students and faculty to devote unlimited time and attention for classical or divinity learning, personal growth, and free intellectual inquiry

      Does this sentence suggest that universities were built on the classical learning theory, i.e., learning takes place by making a new association between events in the environment? If so, this is what the authors are suggesting in this article. The environment needs to be conducive for attentional learning.

    7. Radloff

      Peter Radloff advances the idea of "learning ecology". A learning ecology is an environment that is consist with how learners learn. Radloff questions whether we treat time and space seriously enough in teaching and learning.

      Source: https://search.oecd.org/edu/innovation-education/2675768.pdf

    8. Before we outline each concept and propose their integration in this paper, we go back in time for a historical perspective of the evolution of campus open space.

      The authors open the article with the important issue of meeting " diverse and evolving needs of today’s college student". It is important to look at the history of the evolution of campus open spaces in order to understand where universities started and the direction that they need to go..

    9. Furthermore, increased technology use within today’s multitasking society is likely to hijack a student’s attentional resource placing her/him at risk of underachieving academic learning goals and undermining success at a university

      As a student, I agree with this statement. Instead of exploring a concept in a hands- on manner, we use search engines because they are at our fingertips. For example, a student maybe exploring the effects of sap on trees but instead of going outside looking at the sap, students google it. This does not give students the live experience.

    10. The college experience is a stimulating and demanding time in a student’s life where a multitude of curricular and extra-curricular situations require frequent and heavy use of direct, focused attention and concentration

      Studies show that students that are involved in extra-curricular activities are more successful in college. Becoming involved in organizations,allow students to get hands-on experience in the field they will be working in.

    11. “expresses something about the quality of academic life, as well as its role as a citizen of the community in which it is located”

      Georgia State is located in downtown Atlanta. The universitie's structure resembles its downtown location, e.g., tall buildings that were once downtown offices. This makes Georgia State a part of the downtown community. Downtown and Georgia State have a relationship. Different tourist attractions welcome GSU students and give special discounts to them

    12. Many university founders desired to create an ideal community that was a place apart, secluded from city distraction but still open to the larger community, enabling their students and faculty to devote unlimited time and attention for classical or divinity learning, personal growth, and free intellectual inquiry

      many times towns developed around universities

    13. Furthermore, increased technology use within today’s multitasking society is likely to hijack a student’s attentional resource placing her/him at risk of underachieving academic learning goals and undermining success at a university (

      From personal experience, this is true. Very, very true.

    14. Although university culture places demands on students’ cognitive abilities, campus natural open spaces have not been systematically examined for their potential in replenishing cognitive functioning for attentional fatigued students

      My suspicion is that there really isn't one

    15. The college experience is a stimulating and demanding time in a student’s life where a multitude of curricular and extra-curricular situations require frequent and heavy use of direct, focused attention and concentration

      And extreme amounts of stress, many times to the point of getting in the way of learning

    16. Learning is a lifelong and year-round pursuit

      Truer words have never been said

    17. the entire campus, including its open spaces, must be perceived as a holistic learning space that provides a holistic learning experience

      With the modern university environment, I find this to be, for lack of a better word, rubbish

    18. natural landscape of a university campus is an attentional learning resource for its students

      While having a well landscaped campus is always a nice thing to have, I'm not sure I agree that it is essential to a good learning environment

    19. enrollments are expected to rise

      the real challenge will be expanding the educational program while maintaining quality of education

    20. financial challenges

      the expenses of books alone at universities is significant

    21. American higher education institutions face unique twenty-first century changes and challenges in providing good, holistic learning spaces for the diverse and evolving needs of today’s college student

      while adapting to new generations is always something that needs to happen, I'm personally not so sure the twenty-first century digital age is entirely conducive to learning

    22. Continued enrollment growth, societal and technological changes, financial challenges, and a need for increased universal and open access create ever more diverse, changing and complex US university systems.

      The qualifications for merit based scholarships that are state funded are becoming steeper, e.g., The Zell Miller Scholarship. This makes it difficult for students to receive scholarships that were once readily available.

    23. Morrill Act of 1862 required new buildings to be built with laboratories and observatory space for agricultural, technical education, and scientific research

      This is shocking to me that the shift from classical learning to a more science based learning happened so early in history. I began to research classical learning in America and this article makes it seem as if the 19th century was still heavily practicing classical learning. Therefore, this paragraph is misleading.

    24. university founders desired to create an ideal community that was a place apart, secluded from city distraction but still open to the larger community, enabling their students and faculty to devote unlimited time and attention for classical or divinity learning, personal growth, and free intellectual inquiry

      This is the historical goal when planning and building campuses. Interesting to read while being a student at Georgia State University, a school placed in the middle of a busy city. The every day distractions brought about by being in the city may be hurting us more than most think. Also, the term "unlimited time" is particularly captivating. I cannot think of any person who devotes "unlimited time" to college and learning, which is quite sad!

    25. two concepts that have been addressed in two different domains, bringing them together to help conceptualize future campus planning in relation to student learning.

      The point of the article is to explain ways to "conceptualize future campus planning" remember this quote when writing summary

    26. “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).

      With the growing popularity of online learning, it is reasonable to conclude that the amount of time spent outside of the classroom will continue to increase. Thus increasing the importance of other campus space.

    27. 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

      What makes a college campus effective? I would operationally define "effective" in this article as: a campus that facilitates learning and student social and academic engagement.

    28. 2013 provides us a unique opportunity to reconceptualize the campus landscape of the future as an attentional resource.

      The campus landscapes of the future should have some type of student input in my opinion because we have to spend the majority of our time in there and we know what would allow for the best learning in the digital era.

    29. Students spend most of their tightly structured learning time indoors

      I believe that if some classes were outdoors it would help with the students mental fatigue especially with the lighting of the classrooms. i remember last year i had a couple classes outside on the roof of urban life and it was just refreshing to get into a new space.

    30. Urban (mostly built) Viewing a roof garden from the windows of a student lounge Mural of a landscape scene on the wall of a tunnel or walkway Outdoor plaza used for art classes Spaces between campus buildings Outdoor water features Green roofs Rain gardens Height of buildings Complexity and ornamentation of façade Sense of enclosure (no blocked views)

      This category is exactly how GSU is built but i believe the university is making strides to have a little bit more green spaces for us on campus.

    31. Involuntary attention occurs when individuals are presented with stimuli that are “inherently intriguing” (p.124).

      the term involuntary attention is one that strikes me as being funny because i can see this happening in my astrology class something interesting will be going on in plaza and i just stare out her window.

    32. Interaction with nature, in particular, can help to maintain or restore cognitive function such as direct attention, problem solving, focus and concentration, impulse inhibition, and memory, which can become depleted from fatigue or with overuse

      who is to say that a student learns better on a traditional campus than an urban one? i for one feel like its a better space to see the things i learn about in action which helps me retain the knowledge better .

    33. Defining “nature” can pose a bit of problem however.

      It is a problem to try and define nature because most people view nature as grass and trees but nature can in fact be the buildings that surround a person in the city.

    34. miniature cities

      Like University of Georgia (UGA). It's all the way in Athens in a very quite, not fully developed city. It can feel lonely there. Its a completely enclosed campus. Its just like a miniature city.

    35. Fringe(nature dominant)

      Nature dominant campuses I feel like can really exclude students from the outside world. Being surrounded by nature can really be challenging because that is not what they will get it in the real world. Unless you decide to live up in the mountains then that it a different case.

    36. 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

      I agree with this statement completely. In open campuses you get more career and job opportunities and you can easily find connections being in the same vicinity as other business buildings and such. This is yet another example that ties greatly with GSU.

    37. “nature”

      in todays generation, nature is anything green.

    38. tranquilizes it and yet enlivens it; and thus through the influence of the mind over the body, gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigorating to the whole system

      maybe its just me but I disagree with this completely. I think natural scenery is nice and all but it gets boring after a while. There is not much you can do other than just look at it and take pictures. what he describes sounds like a nice getaway but in real life no one wants to be around trees all the time. City life can be refreshing as well. It gives you a real life experience and its nice to be around a lot of people.

    39. that open space must be treated as a scarce resource”

      enclosed campuses with open spaces is a great advantage of secluded college campuses. It gives students opportunities to do activities or do experiments that are otherwise not possible in open campuses like GSU.

    40. newer campus designs are more amorphous and integrative.

      example: Georgia State University and Georgia Tech. These two are great examples of an amorphous campus, spread out with no designated enclosed space.

    41. Many university founders desired to create an ideal community that was a place apart, secluded from city distraction but still open to the larger community, enabling their students and faculty to devote unlimited time and attention for classical or divinity learning, personal growth, and free intellectual inquiry

      Having colleges being excluded can be a good and bad thing. Good thing because obviously students can pay attention more and focus only on school. It can be a bad thing because it narrows it down to a certain few who can afford to go that college because it forces you to pay for housing and food rather than having the option to commute and living in the comfort of your own house.

    42. Americans expect a university campus to look different than other places

      This is very true not only for Americans but for foreigners as well. They expect all college campuses to look like Harvard or Princeton, but these are just stereotypes. For example Georgia State University is not your average college campus. Its in the heart of Downtown with buildings and classes scattered all over.

    43. The college experience is a stimulating and demanding time in a student’s life

      The college experience I feel like is different for everyone mainly because we all have different backgrounds, goals, financial situations, work ethic, and time management skills. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. College experience for some people is partying and having a great time; for others is working hard to get an education and get a great job with great pay.

    44. Well-designed and connected networks of indoor and open spaces on campuses can be key

      By having resources for students nearby makes it easier to get help and succeed.

    45. Students spend most of their tightly structured learning time indoors

      Sometimes being indoor getting boring because there's no excitement in the room like colors or posters. I get sleepy by starring at blank walls.

    46. amorphous

      meaning without a clearly defined shape or form.

    47. Learning is a lifelong and year-round pursuit

      Knowledge is power.

    48. Americans expect a university campus to look different than other places

      Why just "Americans"?

    49. We do suggest that regular cognitive breaks from direct attention in natural settings can help students regulate, replenish, and strengthen cognitive function and ability to prepare for either the next round of classes or improve the effectiveness and efficiency of an independent study period.

      I support this statement. After class, I like to sit in the courtyard and relax. It gets me prepared for my next class, because the tension from my last class is gone. It also helps clear my mind.

    50. increased technology use within today’s multitasking society is likely to hijack a student’s attentional resource placing her/him at risk of underachieving academic learning goals and undermining success at a university

      This is somewhat true and not true. Technology has been helping me without losing my attention span. For example, I am doing annotations on my computer and looking up definitions to different things in the article on my phone. Sometimes I can get side tracked but it depends on the assignment I'm working on.

    51. Earth Day

      Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year. #BEGREEN

    52. Such an approach also goes beyond advertising the aesthetic value of the campus

      Aesthetic means concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty. So this quote means it goes beyond the beauty of the campus.

    53. reconceptualize

      (something) again or in a new way

    54. Most American universities are situated on large number of acres (up to 28,000 acres) and function like miniature cities

      I find this statement somewhat true. Colleges or Universities do function like miniature cities. When I was visiting different college campuses, it felt as if I was visiting another life.

    55. Urban (mostly built)

      As I read the different descriptions, I noticed that Georgia State would fit in that category.It is mostly built.

    56. 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.

      I find this statement true. I came to Georgia State University because of the job opportunities.

    57. Direct attention requires mental effort and cognitive control for an individual to sustain focus and prevent distracting stimuli from interfering with an intended activity

      This is telling why people has short attention span and how people start looking into something else and get distracted easily.

    58. provide more options for regulating learning and restoration cycles

      Where is the proof?

    59. Student-nature interactions during study breaks help restore attention (Felsten, 2009).

      Or perhaps the students get back to class or studying and are still distracted by what was going on while they were outside. Maybe they are more focused on the game they were playing or what they will do during their next break.

    60. Morrill Act of 1862

      Also known as Land-Grant College Act of 1862 provided grants of land to states to finance the establishment of colleges specializing in “agriculture and the mechanic arts.”

      https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=morrill+act+of+1862

    61. Everyday campus spaces include other physical design features empirically associated with attention restoration –height of surrounding buildings -the fewer floors the better (Lindal & Hartig, 2013); extent of naturalness of views from windows -more natural the better (Matsuoka, 2010); and proximity-awareness of nearby nature impacts its use and effectiveness

      If students wanted to attend a college surrounded by nature, they would do so. If they wanted to be at a school in the city, like Georgia State, then that is where they would be. I feel like it is all about personal preference. Also, students don't tend to choose schools based on if they are close to nature or not, but how good the school is, what majors they have, and those sorts of things.

    62. 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”

      Every college campus has their own design. The article states "...set apart from the community..". Some colleges is not close to nature nor is it set apart from a community. For example, East Georgia State College is located in Swainsboro, Ga. It is set apart from the community and surrounded by nature. Georgia State University is located in Atlanta, Ga. It is apart of a community, and it isn't full of nature. #DifferentColleges #DifferentEnvironments

    63. For example, more than two-thirds of the Cornell University campus is open space

      Not all colleges have the space to proved open space, some only have a certain amount of land, which is often used for all the buildings the school requires.

    64. his 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

      Studies done about this would have been very informative in the part of the article, as here this is one of the few places that does not have citations. Have there been any studies done pertaining to this? Is there any evidence of this claim?

    65. “Attentive efficiency can be recovered after a period of rest and regeneration, obtained through the activation of involuntary attention” (Barbiero, Berto, Freire, Ferrando, & Camino, 2014, p. 32).

      The authors seem to believe that this restoration is only achieve by being in nature though.

    66. Interaction with nature, in particular, can help to maintain or restore cognitive function such as direct attention, problem solving, focus and concentration, impulse inhibition, and memory, which can become depleted from fatigue or with overuse (Hartig, et al., 2014; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989)

      Who though, does nature help? Is it everyone, or a select group? Or does it perhaps differ from person to person?

    67. holistic learning

      Holistic education aims to call forth from people an intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning.” ( Ron Miller) Read more about Ron Miller. Holistic education is concerned with the development of a person's intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative and spiritual potentials.

      https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=holistic%20learning

    68. Therefore, this paper will define nature or natural environment as the… “physical features and processes of nonhuman origin that people ordinarily can perceive, including the “living nature” of flora and fauna, together with still and running water, qualities of air and weather, and the landscapes that comprise these and show the influences of geological processes” (Hartig, et al., 2014, p. 21.2).

      They don't define nature fully in their own words, I feel like they use so many references that their meanings don't come through clearly.

    69. and offer students an active, experiential education versus passive or theoretical learning.

      Why is in class learning considered "passive or theoretical?" You can do interactive activities in many classes in an classroom setting.

    70. Today the campus open space still remains a significant center for teaching and learning for students in natural resources management, sustainability/ecology, agriculture, forestry, etc. and more recently, a focus on environmental education and sustainable practices

      Sure this pertains to students with these specific types of majors, many of whom would choose to attend an agricultural based college, but what about students with other degree programs in mind?

    71. 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).

      So universities had to evolve as the world evolved, if they hadn't imagine how hard going to college would be. I know there are some schools that don't allow freshman to have cars with them on campus, imagine how difficult that could make school if it were a campus set apart from the city.

    72. Unlike the classic designs of America’s first institutions, the physical campus of the land grant university was designed to significantly contribute to student learning through its working farms, forests, arboretums, greenhouses, gardens

      It seems that the authors are in full support of classes that require such things as greenhouses and gardens and such, but what about classes that don'n need these things? What about math or government? I wonder what their opinions would be of classes that need only be inside.

    73. One way to examine this potential is to consider the entire campus with its buildings, roads and natural open spaces as a well-networked landscape system that supports student learning experiences. In doing so, we highlight two concepts that have been addressed in two different domains, bringing them together to help conceptualize future campus planning in relation to student learning. The concepts are – 1) direct and indirect attention and restoration, and 2) a holistic landscape. Before we outline each concept and propose their integration in this paper, we go back in time for a historical perspective of the evolution of campus open space.

      The location of the thesis and its premises is similar to the style I was taught in grade school.

    74. The college experience is a stimulating and demanding time in a student’s life where a multitude of curricular and extra-curricular situations require frequent and heavy use of direct, focused attention and concentration (Wentworth & Middleton, 2014). Thus, university students as a group are at a higher risk of attentional fatigue.

      In addition to that fact that students are forced to take pointless classes that have no relation to their major, students are always influenced to get involved in many different activities on campus, and it can be really wearing on one's attention. Planning and time management are some of the most crucial skills needed in college which most students come o college without.

    75. Today’s university must be resilient spaces in which the learning environment encompasses more than technology upgrades, classroom additions, and its academic buildings – in fact, the entire campus, including its open spaces, must be perceived as a holistic learning space that provides a holistic learning experience

      I'd be hard pressed to view GSU as a "holistic learning space" over its entire expanse. However, some do believe every environment can be and aid to learning. I just don't see how an open campus in the middle of a city with so many different people and so many different things happening daily isn't sometimes a detriment to learning.

    76. Many university founders desired to create an ideal community that was a place apart, secluded from city distraction but still open to the larger community

      I am not sure how they was a university secluded but open. It feels like a contradiction to me. Take Spartanburg's women's college Converse College for example. It is in a nice sized city, but not within walking distance of most places in the city because it is placed on the outskirts, so it is essentially secluded. To add to that, the school is surrounded by brick walls and elaborate fences. I have been there quite a few times, and I do not see how it is open to the community. This is unlike Georgia State, which is integrated into the city, making many things easily accessible for students and professors alike.

    77. all campus spaces, whether indoor or outdoor, instructional or non-instructional, become significant components of a student’s everyday experience.

      As a GSU student experiencing the indoor and outdoor environment is what makes GSU that much greater

    78. Early American colleges and universities were self-sufficient and often built in rural locations with dormitories, dining halls and recreation facilities

      I feel as though the key word here is "early." Though this may have been true for universities years ago, it does not reflect many universities today. Universities are so much more than just dorms, dining halls, and rec centers now.

    79. Furthermore, increased technology use within today’s multitasking society is likely to hijack a student’s attentional resource placing her/him at risk of underachieving academic learning goals and undermining success at a university

      I think that this statement has two sides, and this article is only demonstrating the negative. Technology can be very distracting, that is true. It can also be so helpful. If one just says "I am going to do this work I have to do until I am done" and sticks to it, without browsing things unrelated to the work at hand, doing work is much easier than not having the availability that technology provides. To say technology only hinders is not accurate.

    80. Such an approach also goes beyond advertising the aesthetic value of the campus

      Meaning it goes beyond than just adversing the beauty and the structure of the campus.

    81. Furthermore, increased technology use within today’s multitasking society is likely to hijack a student’s attentional resource placing her/him at risk of underachieving academic learning goals and undermining success at a university

      I can't disagree with this more. If i were to sit in my room our outside and attempt to study I would still get distracted by things around me. I can't imagine how hard studying is for someone who has ADHD. Technology can be distracting if it is not being used for the purpose of learning, but so can anything else surrounding one in the outside world. Not to mention most classes, even at the middle school level, require the use of technology in many day to day activities.

    82. Learning is a lifelong and year-round pursuit, which takes place throughout the campus, not just fragmented indoors in designated instructional spaces

      While it is true that learning does not take place only indoors, as some students do study outside, a majority of students study and do work inside and save the outdoors for recreational activities. Also, students tend to have access to such a wide variety of study spaces that them being indoors does not pose a problem.

    83. 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.

      Universities around the country each have a level of opportunities. For example, GSU is surrounded by big corporations, which makes it easier to find a job in your field of study rather than a school located in the middle of nowhere.

    84. 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”

      Sure, students expect university's to differ from your average high school, but not necessarily in the way this article describes university's campuses. This article talks about a campus set apart from the community, something close to nature. How, in being set apart from the community, does this demonstrate "its role as a citizen of the community in which it is located?"

    85. Therefore, we propose that the natural landscape of a university campus is an attentional learning resource for its students.

      This is the thesis of the article, it can also be found in the conclusion.

    86. “that open space must be treated as a scarce resource”

      Since GSU is in downtown Atlanta, space is highly limited. They use every possible space to create something new for the school.

    87. Kathleen G Scholl, Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi

      In the Schindler piece, the article has a list of credentials beside the authors name to help establish credibility, but here it does not. Though the are both professors, they do not provide any sort of ethos. Compare to Sarah Schindler, “Architectural Exclusion: Discrimination And Segregation Through Physical Design Of The Built Environment,” in Yale Law Journal.

    88. “nature”

      Nature can be a calm place, and a place where you can get a lot done while listening to the different sounds surrounding them. This can play as a positive learning environment for students.

    89. By preserving and suitably integrating open spaces into the green infrastructure, universities can add value and quality to the campus environment by: forging a campus identity, creating a sense of community, curbing escalating campus density, serving social and recreational needs, providing environmental benefits, and facilitating fundraising and recruitment of both faculty and students

      I never really thought about it in this way. A sense of community is very important in todays society.

    90. Unlike the classic designs of America’s first institutions, the physical campus of the land grant university was designed to significantly contribute to student learning through its working farms, forests, arboretums, greenhouses, gardens

      This is was maybe produced for agriculture majors. They have different learning environments for different majors. Or they have different areas and classroom depending on your major.

    91. colleges and universities were self-sufficient and often built in rural locations with dormitories, dining halls and recreation facilities

      I think this was because it was a more space in order to have all of these things in one area close together. Nowadays on campuses today you have to walk about three blocks to get to the nearest dining hall, if you are coming from a far place.

    92. holistic landscape

      holistic landscape: is an approach to design that considers the thing being designed as an interconnected whole which is also part of something larger.

    93. One way to examine this potential is to consider the entire campus with its buildings, roads and natural open spaces as a well-networked landscape system that supports student learning experiences.

      This is very accurate. If only examining one place, you may night find what supports the student's overall learning experience.

    94. The college experience is a stimulating and demanding time in a student’s life where a multitude of curricular and extra-curricular situations require frequent and heavy use of direct, focused attention and concentration (Wentworth & Middleton, 2014). Thus, university students as a group are at a higher risk of attentional fatigue.

      The college experience, is supposed to be different than every other learning environment you have ever been in. It is fun, but your responsibility, and focus is highly tested.

    95. 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

      Yes, a learning environment or learning community can have an impact on a student's life academically, and physically.

    96. encompasses

      encompasses: surround and have or hold within

    97. 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

      All college campuses have their own special design, it is not based on location or the academic lifestyle of a student.

    98. we propose that the natural landscape of a university campus is an attentional learning resource for its students.

      This is true. I think this applied to every university. The resource on campus are to accomodate the students.

    99. 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

      This has been a question for centuries. In my opinion, traditional notions shouldn't determine the university spaces and how they are designed. Some may be effective, and others may not.

    100. American higher education institutions face unique twenty-first century changes and challenges in providing good, holistic learning spaces for the diverse and evolving needs of today’s college student.

      Higher education institutions, such as what? Harvard? Yale? or Princeton? The bigger competitive schools in the country

    101. The college experience is a stimulating and demanding time in a student’s life where a multitude of curricular and extra-curricular situations require frequent and heavy use of direct, focused attention and concentration (Wentworth & Middleton, 2014). Thus, university students as a group are at a higher risk of attentional fatigue.

      School I feel is stressful depending on how good your time management is, your financial situation, and your work ethic.

    102. As an influential landscape designer of early campuses, Fredrick Law Olmstead worked with the philosophy that the physical landscape features had a direct impact on shaping human behavior

      So what is the difference in behavior of students in the urban universities opposed to schools with a lot more nature?

    103. 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)

      This is a perfect example of 'Guns and Butter". During the war not many people were involved in school, but after the war the government puts its focus into education.

    104. reconceptualize

      Meaning to re think the whole process over again.

    105. We also recognize that outdoor class instruction is not suited or appropriate for all academic domains.

      I would not be able to focus in an outdoor learning experience their would way to much going on around me.

    106. Direct attention is, therefore, an important cognitive skill required on a daily basis for students processing multiple sources of information, and working towards their academic goals at universities. After a period of prolonged cognitive demands and mental saturation, difficulties in concentrating, reduced performance on tasks, higher rates of irritability and tension, and more impulsive and hostile behavior may arise

      I feel this is one of the hardest things for me to do I get so side tracked when i start working on something.

    107. we expand the campus ‘learning environment’ to also include a university’s open space, we also include in our definition of nature, the concept of a “landscape.”

      why would nature change a student learning enviormenrt?

    108. “that open space must be treated as a scarce resource” (

      This reminds me of how GSU uses every inch in the city to make a new building.

    109. holistic landscape

      Meaning all of the buildings and landscape come together as one unit.

    110. Well-designed and connected networks of indoor and open spaces on campuses can be key, yet typically overlooked catalysts,

      For example on campus our library is so close to most of our classes that we are more influenced to go there to study.

    111. holistic

      The meaning that all parts of something must interconnect.

    112. Student grass-root efforts of the 1970s and the college campus sustainability movement that began with the first Earth Day, increased public awareness that environmental protection is a critical issue.

      This doesn't apply to many urban campuses now, At gsu we rarely even see trees.

    113. The advent of land-grant institutions through the Morrill Act of 1862 required new buildings to be built with laboratories and observatory space for agricultural, technical education, and scientific research

      My previous college had to go through reconstruction because of this.

    114. Nature can be labeled as a non-human physical feature such as an individual plant or butterfly.

      Nature is plants, animals, and landscape all together. I see it as the original form of the world. Nothing man made or altered by anything unnaturally.

    115. one fifth of a student’s time is spent in the classroom, contributing about one quarter of the total learning variance

      I tend to learn better by experience or from other people which usually happens outside of class or even school as a whole. Also reading or doing problems on my own is better than sitting in class and having a teacher tell me what to do. Sometimes separating the classroom from education helps the information become more easier to understand. Maybe because there is less pressure or because there is more freedom to learn in your own way.

    116. raditional campus indoor spaces, by necessity and function, provide ample opportunities for structured learning experiences that draw upon students’ direct attention.

      This is true; however I dont believe its needed, people can also go to community colleges and thrive.

    117. Direct attention requires mental effort and cognitive control for an individual to sustain focus and prevent distracting stimuli from interfering with an intended activity

      This is explaining why lots of people have short attention spans and what not. This tells me one someone fines something more interesting then what they are currently doing they get distracted.

    118. 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”

      I chose to attend georgia state university; just so I wouldnt have to deal with the traditional campus styled environment. I like the location of this school; and the style; however I do know most of my friends dislike its not a closed campus.

    119. 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

      Majority of people in the 21st century don't believe they need a college education to live a healthy and successful life. To each his own.

    120. n 2009, 20.4 million students were enrolled in 2- or 4-year colleges and universities.

      This number I think, its completely irrelevant to the number of students that returned after first year and or later began to graduate.

    121. American higher education institutions face unique twenty-first century changes and challenges in providing good, holistic learning spaces for the diverse and evolving needs of today’s college student.

      This is the topic of discussion; which is quite interesting. However; I personally don't think adapting to the 21st century learning style will be quite easy.

    122. The word campus, (derived from a Latin word for “field” – “an expanse surrounded…by woods, higher ground, etc., Harper, n.d.) was first associated with college grounds to describe Princeton University in the 1770’s (Eckert, 2012; Turner, 1984) and now refers to the overall physical quality of higher education institutions (Bowman, 2011). Early American colleges and universities were self-sufficient and often built in rural locations with dormitories, dining halls and recreation facilities (Bowman, 2011; Eckert, 2012). Many university founders desired to create an ideal community that was a place apart, secluded from city distraction but still open to the larger community, enabling their students and faculty to devote unlimited time and attention for classical or divinity learning, personal growth, and free intellectual inquiry (Eckert, 2012; Gumprecht, 2007; Turner, 1984).

      Here, the author is implying that campuses as they were in the 1770's were more effective as a learning environment than most campuses are today. Does anyone know if this is backed up by factual evidence? I see a lot of articles about how school was more rigorous back then (mostly due to corporal punishment), but I haven't found any studies about whether or not students' grades were improved by the wooded fields surrounding the colleges.

    123. Interaction with nature, in particular, can help to maintain or restore cognitive function such as direct attention, problem solving, focus and concentration, impulse inhibition, and memory, which can become depleted from fatigue or with overuse

      While I do love GSU's huge campus and city setting, one of the really regrettable things about it is all the light pollution at night-time. I'm not sure if the writers of this article would really consider the night sky a part of "nature," but I have found that looking up into the vast expanse of space is a rather calming experience.

    124. emphasizes something deeper than what meets the eye.

      The authors finish by stating that the point of incorporating nature into the campus is not to create a pretty landscape that appeals to potential students but to create an environment solely focused on furthering academics. How does one differentiate between a landscape developed to aesthetically appeal and an landscape developed to aid students?

    125. Height of buildings Complexity and ornamentation of façade Sense of enclosure (no blocked views)

      The GSU courtyard is a good example of a enclosed space surrounded by tall buildings. The courtyard is a space where many students hangout and travel from one part of campus to another.

    126. Physical access to trails

      These types of affordances are not available to many universities such as Georgia State which are located in the heart of cities. Does the lack of access to nature affect the GSU student body in terms of academics? How would we quantitatively prove that more access to nature equals better results? How is nature quantified?

    127. 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

      The author seems to be implying here that the only things that can be considered "inherently intriguing" must be objects from nature, but I think that ignores plenty of man-made things that I find to be "inherently intriguing." For example, you could look at a pocketwatch and be facsinated by the internal mechanics, or look at graffiti and wonder who created it. What I'm saying is: basically anything can be "intruiging" if you look at it from a perspective of wonder, not just "green" things.

    128. 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.

      The authors have spent the last four paragraphs using academic jargon to say "plant green stuff". I'm sure there is more nuance to their position but most of their conclusions are not proven through data. They are inferring a relationship through a small sample size of data.

    129. Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi

      I searched Gulwadi's background through this link: http://www.uni.edu/csbs/sahs/interior-design/faculty-directory/gowri-betrabet-gulwadi

      She is credible in regards to the topic of this article because she has a Doctorate degree in Environment-Behavior studies.

    130. Kathleen G Scholl

      I searched Scholl's background: on the following link:

      http://www.uni.edu/coe/departments/school-health-physical-education-leisure-services/faculty-staff/kathleen-g-scholl

      " teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Outdoor Recreation Management, Outdoor Education, Research and Evaluation, Philosophical Foundations, and Social Psychology of Leisure. Dr. Scholl integrates practical experiences for her students to apply current best practices to outdoor recreation planning and programming. "

      She appears to be credible since she teaches graduate courses on the subject of "Outdoor Recreation Management" and "Outdoor Education".

    131. closely clustered buildings previously designed to protect students from the lures of the outside world

      Isn't Georgia State a set of "closely clustered buildings"? I think the author meant to say closed compound. Although Georgia State fits the description, its location in the middle of downtown Atlanta actually thrusts the students right into the face of the real world. Rather it could be argued that spread out campuses like UGA seclude the student from the outside world.

    132. Furthermore, increased technology use within today’s multitasking society is likely to hijack a student’s attentional resource placing her/him at risk of underachieving academic learning goals and undermining success at a university

      I'm sure most of us can agree that the available technology hinders our ability to pay attention. One minute I might be typing notes and the next minute I might drift off into Reddit. At this point we have to ask ourselves; is the good derived from the available technology outweighing the negative effects?

    133. must be perceived as a holistic learning space that provides a holistic learning experience

      Holistic is define as:"characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole."

      So holistic learning spaces refer to the cohesiveness of the learning experience provided by all areas of the campus (in my understanding).

    134. we propose that the natural landscape of a university campus is an attentional learning resource for its students.

      The idea that college campuses should be "attentional learning" resources, appears to be the main idea of the article. What does the author mean by "attentional learning"?

    135. multi-dimensional

      By which they mean not only visual but also spatial interactions which distract form directed learning.

    136. miniature cities

      Or cities themselves. I'm looking at you GSU!

    137. Spaces between campus buildings Outdoor water features Green roofs Rain gardens

      Perfect description of the Langdale quad.

    138. 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

      I would like to see the sources for this claim as it proposes an interesting idea.They are saying our minds literally switch gears subconsciously, and allow "gears" (by which I assume the authors mean either neural pathways or regions of the brain associated with studying) to cool off. Research does show that different area of the brain react differently to certain stimuli, and I would have liked to know which portion nature effects.

    139. . After a period of prolonged cognitive demands and mental saturation, difficulties in concentrating, reduced performance on tasks, higher rates of irritability and tension, and more impulsive and hostile behavior may arise

      AKA Stress. In this regard its not only students, but most humans who need to interact with "nature" once in a while to cool off.

    140. ring road” type of plan, in which vehicles were mostly kept outside the pedestrian oriented campus core

      Some times I wish GSU had this plan, it would sure make going from Sparks to Aderhold a lot easier!

    141. scarce resource

      Now i'm confused on what context he is stating that "scarce resource", which to me means that he doesn't want people to use too much of it and that he desires others to not use it excessively. On the contrary, open space should be the main focus with consistent use and rapid production of such. Open space is not a scarce resource, but should be used by any and all who desire to. What do y'all think? Am I taking this out of context or...?

    142. Campus construction was sparse during the Depression and World War II of the 1930s and 1940s.

      During post- World War 2, the G.I Bill was created in order to aid in veterans to return to colleges, universities, and trade schools. The education and training provisions only lasted until around 1956 where it was then ended. It is just something to think about to place people into the context of the time. It was not just a sudden rapid increase of students, but was from veterans returning home and attend school.

      S:http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/gi-bill

    143. Open space and “zones” for disciplines became far more common than closely clustered buildings previously designed to protect students from the lures of the outside world

      Could the sheltering of the students within these close-knit buildings be a form of restriction that we have been learning about? I mean they say that colleges desired to promote freedom among students, but in contrast decide to keep them enclosed from the "lures" of the outside world. Are we at Georgia State restricted by the space in which we live in and could we not even be aware of it. Think of the courtyard and compare it to the description given.

    144. Public areas and outdoor learning environments, including nature trails and ecological study areas, lend more opportunities for community interaction and social encounters that foster a sense of belonging, whereas quiet areas provide a place for students to refresh themselves, have a temporary escape, or quiet reflection, affording an enriched and enjoyable campus life

      Honestly I think that at this point he is stating the obvious. He is saying that quiet places are where students have the ability to refresh themselves and that public areas can give the opportunity to create a community. These are things that one can learn just on the playground in building ties with others. We all know it subconciously, even when we don't realize it. Also, does this really need to be done near park trails and high ecological areas? Could it be done on a campus like Georgia State without these resources? Does this mean that students at Georgia State are not living up to their full potential because of the city atmosphere?

    145. Flexibility in seating and spatial configuration can begin to help diffuse this emphasis and begin to accommodate other auditory and kinesthetic learning modalities.

      There is a set way of learning and it is only now that we are starting to improve our methods. There are new tactics of learning, new website that can help, and visual aids that can make learning more fun. I believe that society is straying away from the traditional form of lecturing, even though it is still common, to something a bit better and easily obtainable to students.What do y'all think, are there new teaching methods being set into place and do you all think that it is working?

    146. Furthermore, increased technology use within today’s multitasking society is likely to hijack a student’s attentional resource placing her/him at risk of underachieving academic learning goals and undermining success at a university

      This might be true for student attention. What the author is trying to say is that students can get side tracked very easily. Speaking from personal experience, I believe this may be somewhat true, I am doing three other things right now other than this. Procrastination is not a new thing though, its just more apparent in our generation.

    147. Spaces between campus buildings Outdoor water features Green roofs Rain gardens

      Georgia state encompasses this and more into the campus. There is a water feature found in the courtyard, there are trees down avenues and in common spaces, there are spaces between buildings that add to a more open appeal. The cool thing is that unlike some cities, Georgia State has several parks and green spaces everywhere so that students can find some escape from the hustle and bustle. Our campus, for being an urban school in downtown Atlanta, has got this base covered.

    148. Attention Restoration Theory (ART)

      To flesh this theory out, ART is the idea that one can repair mental fatigue by looking at or being in nature. This can be done by going to the park or just seeing some grass and flowers. Nature requires less brain function, thereby allowing the brain to rest and repair itself. It kind of hard to do this in Atlanta but I did Centennial Olympic Park for my site for unit one and that place has all of these elements so if you need a break, its literally like a 10min walk away.

      S:http://www.ecehh.org/research-projects/attention-restoration-theory-a-systematic-review/

    149. forging a campus identity, creating a sense of community, curbing escalating campus density, serving social and recreational needs, providing environmental benefits, and facilitating fundraising and recruitment of both faculty and students

      These ingredients are what make happiness. I have learned from reading Eckhart Tolle that someone can be given all they want in the world but that their ego will get in the way of happiness. You can give a student more computers, fancier water fountains, larger screens, but in order to create student well being and health, social connections need to be made. green spaces are a space in which this can be done and results in a lot of success. I love Eckhart Tolle and he has books and many more lessons so I recommend checking him out.

      S:https://youtu.be/S4OOnlMmTKU

    150. Earth Day

      This day was started in reference to the Santa Barbara, California oil spill in 1969. The movement was started by Gaylord Nelson in order to teach people about air pollution, water pollution, and to just raise awareness of the issue.The date of April 22 was meant to be the day between spring break and final exams. on that day over 20 million people rallied to streets and businesses and ever since it has been an annual occurrence.

      S:http://www.earthday.org/about/the-history-of-earth-day/

    151. a focus on environmental education and sustainable practices

      Its very interesting that the author would bring this up. Colleges, or at least some, are attempting to become more "green" on campus because of the vastness of space and people. Georgia State, although not doing a crazy amount, is making attempts to do as such. For instance, there is a program in the panther dining where people can volunteer time to collect excess food and donate that to local homeless shelters. Although this reduces food waste, it requires volunteers which can be difficult to find sometimes. If a community wants change, then change will happen (a concept that works for everything btw).

    152. in student learning and a strong influence on students’ initial and longstanding experiences that promote a sense of belonging to the learning community

      This is interesting as people socialize, learn, and spend more time on campus, they feel more part of the community. I guess that this is the same as someone who brings their children to the park everyday feels connected to the others who do the same. They feel unified in their shared spaces and apart of something more than themselves.

    153. open spaces

      This is definitely true! Think about how different the Georgia State campus would be without hurt park, the fountains, the student center benches. There would be a lack of socializing and outside of the classroom learning. Personally, I sit out near the student center during mornings to talk to friends and socialize, that would all change without a dynamic open space.

    154. Student-nature interactions during study breaks help restore attention (Felsten, 2009).

      This is not what Felsten claims!!!! Check it out yourself just in the abstract of the article! (below) The study asked students essentially about what they were attracted to. To jump to the conclusion from this study that their "attention" was "restored" by the nature they "liked" perceiving is silly!

      ["In the present study, college students, instructed to imagine themselves cognitively fatigued, rated the perceived restorativeness of indoor campus settings that varied by view of nature: some had no views of nature, some had window views of nature with built structures present, and some had views of simulated nature depicted as large nature murals. Students rated settings with views of dramatic nature murals, especially those with water, more restorative than settings with window views of real, but mundane nature with built structures present. Students rated settings that lacked views of real or simulated nature least restorative. The findings suggest that large nature murals in indoor settings used for study breaks may provide attentionally fatigued students with opportunities for restoration when views of nature are unavailable or limited in restorative potential."]

      (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494408000996)

    155. Traditional campus indoor spaces, by necessity and function, provide ample opportunities for structured learning experiences that draw upon students’ direct attention. However, a student’s learning experience is not often balanced by unstructured or structured opportunities for drawing forth effortless, indirect attention that occur in human-nature interactions (Valles-Planells, et. al, 2014). Attention to a mix of different learning spaces that combine nature and interesting architecture (Orr, 2004) provide more options for regulating learning and restoration cycles. Public areas and outdoor learning environments, including nature trails and ecological study areas, lend more opportunities for community interaction and social encounters that foster a sense of belonging, whereas quiet areas provide a place for students to refresh themselves, have a temporary escape, or quiet reflection, affording an enriched and enjoyable campus life (Kenney, et al., 2005). Just as Hashimshony & Haina (2006) provide visionary and heuristic scenarios for a university of the future, we need a vision for integrating a systemic view of what these integrated campus nature networks would like in the future. In addition, there is a need to conduct more focused and nuanced research on identifying the human-nature mechanisms that lead to (among others) attentional resource benefits.

      A whole paragraph of a thesis!

    156. Such holistic landscapes can impact student learning because they provide multiple everyday opportunities for multi-sensorial, student-nature encounters– an important precursor to activating the attention restoration cycle (Speake, Edmondson, & Nawaz, 2013; Ratcliffe et al. 2013).

      But what happens to them when they don't get to hand the homeless guy who stands at the intersection of Decatur and Peachtree a mocha because it's a cold cold day and you have an extra 3 bucks? Maybe that's a different kind of deficit...?

    157. Direct attention is, therefore, an important cognitive skill required on a daily basis for students processing multiple sources of information, and working towards their academic goals at universities.

      How does this resonate (or dissonate) with the discussion of attention in chapter 8 of FYG?

    158. Therefore, this paper will define nature or natural environment as the… “physical features and processes of nonhuman origin that people ordinarily can perceive, including the “living nature” of flora and fauna, together with still and running water, qualities of air and weather, and the landscapes that comprise these and show the influences of geological processes”

      It's important to define key terms. Without doing that here, anyone who has a problem with the discussion as it's been unfolding (like, maybe, me) would have trouble reading on. Now that I know how they define "nature" I can read to see if their argument holds in the context of how they define the terms.

    159. Nature can also be delineated as a particular place within a spectrum of naturalness from urban park to a pristine wilderness. Furthermore there is a subjective component to the concept (Nash, 1982: Proctor, 1998) due to the diverse opportunities and means through which one might encounter and experience nature (Hartig, et al., 2014).

      Oh Good... Those redwoods in the quad... "nature"? Can the quad be said to be "natural space"?

    160. This observation of campus design features that can help mentally fatigued individuals has been empirically demonstrated in a body of research that uses the Attention Restoration Theory
    161. By preserving and suitably integrating open spaces into the green infrastructure, universities can add value and quality to the campus environment by

      So being an "integrated community"-- a designed space that mingles students, faculty, homeless people, doctors, businessmen, city police, campus police, and others--isn't valuable as a "learning experience"? Hmmmm.... This seems strange to me.

    162. from the lures of the outside world (

      I would hardly think that being smack dab in the center of the city itself, without the "green space" walls that define typical B&M universities, feels like a "lure."

    163. Although university culture places demands on students’ cognitive abilities, campus natural open spaces have not been systematically examined for their potential in replenishing cognitive functioning for attentional fatigued students.

      Ah... exigency. This is the "gap in the research" these authors aim to address.

    164. Fredrick Law Olmstead

      An American architect known for building well-known parks in America. For Example;Central Park in New York

      http://www.olmsted.org/the-olmsted-legacy/frederick-law-olmsted-sr

    165. Morrill Act of 1862

      Also known as Land-Grant College Act of 1862

    166. Many university founders desired to create an ideal community that was a place apart, secluded from city distraction but still open to the larger community, enabling their students and faculty to devote unlimited time and attention for classical or divinity learning, personal growth, and free intellectual inquiry

      Georgia State University is so far from that. I wish GSU was secluded and away from the city life and crime and maybe a lot of people would be able to focus and stay on track.

    167. Furthermore, increased technology use within today’s multitasking society is likely to hijack a student’s attentional resource placing her/him at risk of underachieving academic learning goals and undermining success at a university

      I completely disagree with this. I feel that technology has improved students learning. We get do research without having to go to the library, interact with our professors easier and had done away with some textbooks and easier organization. For Example All my classes are based on technology. From the class discussions, to homework and even quizzes.

    168. Today’s university

      The intended audience of this article is today's universities landscapers, students, educators/professors of education.