American students average 11,700 hours of their lives in a school building from kindergarten to 12th grade (), and college students typically spend at least another 400 classroom hours in post-secondary education buildings (). A growing body of scientific work has revealed the physical classroom environment’s important—and sometimes surprising—effects on students’ academic performance. Evidence demonstrates that classrooms’ structural features (e.g., noise, lighting) and symbolic features (e.g., everyday objects that signal who belongs in the classroom) can facilitate or hinder student learning and achievement. In considering changes to classroom environments, policymakers may want to consider both the inadequate facilities of many U.S. Schools, as well as the symbolic aspects that may prevent students from achieving their full potential. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (), more than half of U.S. Public schools in 2012-2013 reported needing to spend money on their school buildings to bring them up to good condition.

The most commonly reported structural inadequacies included windows, plumbing, and temperature regulation/ventilation. Schools that serve a higher concentration of children on free or reduced lunch were more likely to report structural inadequacies. Inadequate school facilities are related to worse test scores, even when taking into account (by statistically controlling for) the socioeconomic status and racial makeup of students (;;; ). One study did not find this relationship between structural condition and student performance in Wyoming (); however, a reason could be the way that structural conditions were assessed.

It has been suggested that assessing the structural conditions with the educational purpose in mind is a better predictor of student performance than engineering assessments of structural quality (). The next sections review more detailed evidence showing that structural aspects of classrooms, such as lighting and acoustics, influence students’ ability to learn effectively. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of U.S.

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Classrooms currently do not meet minimum standards of structural quality. For each structural aspect, we critically examine the evidence and note exceptions or contingencies where relevant. Finite Element Design Concrete Structures Rombach Pdf. All studies were conducted in the United States, unless noted otherwise. Lighting Students exposed to more natural light (i.e., daylight) in their classrooms perform better than students exposed to less natural light (; ). In a study with more than 2,000 classrooms in California, Washington, and Colorado, students who were exposed to a larger amount of daylight in their classroom had higher math and reading test scores than students who were exposed to less daylight in their classroom (2%-26% higher, depending on school district), even after statistically controlling for student population characteristics such as socioeconomic status and race ().

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (), 16% of schools with permanent buildings and 28% of schools with temporary (i.e., portable) buildings have natural lighting that is unsatisfactory or very unsatisfactory. Although incorporating more daylight into classrooms may be beneficial, it should be done carefully, to avoid visual discomfort and temperature increases (). Acoustics Excessive external noise hinders learning (). The source of classroom noise can vary, but commonly includes heating and ventilation units (), airplane flight paths (), and road traffic (). Classrooms with greater external noise are more likely to have lower student achievement. For instance, one study compared reading test scores of students in two schools with matched demographic factors (e.g., household income). One school was in the flight path of a major airport, whereas the other was in a quiet neighborhood.

Students from the school in the flight path performed significantly worse than those from the quieter school (). In an experimental demonstration, 12- to 14-year-old students in Sweden were randomly assigned to read about world cultures in the presence of one of four prerecorded noises (aircraft, road traffic, train, or verbal) or in quiet conditions. Students performed significantly worse on a subsequent test of reading comprehension when exposed to aircraft or road traffic noise than without noise. Train noise and verbal noise did not interfere with reading comprehension in this study (; see also ). Unsatisfactory or very unsatisfactory acoustics were reported for 14% of U.S. Public schools with permanent buildings and 21% of U.S. Public schools with temporary buildings ().

Classroom noise is an even more serious concern for students with hearing loss or attention deficits (). Temperature The optimal temperature range for learning appears to be between 68° and 74° (; see also; ). In an experiment on effects of temperature on learning, male undergraduates performed best on a test of word associations when they had learned those associations in a 72° room, and performed significantly worse as temperatures became more extreme in either direction (). Heating is reported as unsatisfactory or very unsatisfactory for 14% of U.S.

Public schools with permanent buildings and 12% of U.S. Public schools with temporary buildings (). Accessibility Ensuring adequate structural quality is important for all students and is particularly so for students with disabilities. For example, students with hearing loss may find it particularly difficult to discriminate the teacher’s words from competing background noise. One study that modified the classroom physical environment (e.g., acoustic quality, seating arrangements, visual stimulation, and classroom organization) improved academic engagement for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, although it could not isolate which factor(s) made the difference (). In addition to these structural features, an absence of ramps, elevators, and automatic door openers, as well as desks, chairs, and other objects that are suitable for students with physical disabilities restricts their ability to participate in class activities ().

Structural barriers and lack of assistive technologies impede accessibility and inclusion for students with physical disabilities in colleges and universities and in K-12 settings (; ). In a survey conducted in the United States and Canada, parents of primary and secondary school children with disabilities were more likely to report that features of the school’s environment (including physical layout) were a barrier to their children’s participation than the parents of children without disabilities ().

Summary Many studies have revealed a significant relationship between quality of physical infrastructure and student achievement. Note that most of the classroom studies used correlational methods, rather than randomly assigning students to structurally different schools or classrooms.

Correlation is not causation. However, as noted, experimental studies performed in laboratories have similarly shown that subpar structural conditions (e.g., noise, heating) cause decrements in cognitive performance. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that building and classroom improvements to subpar facilities can increase student learning and achievement. The majority of U.S.

Public schools have building-quality issues, with poor lighting, acoustics, temperature regulation, or air quality. This is particularly true for schools that serve students from lower income families and have a large population of students of color. These students may be bearing the brunt of inadequate infrastructure. Granting that minimal levels of adequacy for heating, lighting, and acoustics matter for achievement, the following question arises: Can student achievement be further boosted by allocating more resources to state-of-the-art classrooms or the latest technology?

Evidence suggests that this is not the case (; ). For instance, providing schools with the latest technology may not benefit students if there are other barriers to achievement that diminish the uptake of these potential upgrades. These barriers can include an inadequate curriculum or assumptions about students’ unwillingness to learn ().

Evidence suggests that bringing the structural environment up to adequate levels is important to maximize learning, but excessive remodeling (e.g., taking a school environment “from the equivalent of a Ford to a Ferrari”;, p. 30) may be ineffectual at raising achievement if other factors (e.g., good curriculum) are not in place. Classroom Layout Furniture arrangement in the classroom influences how comfortable students feel and the amount of interaction with other students and with the teacher (; ). Different arrangements may achieve these goals for different people.

For example, in a survey of more than 900 college students, women reported feeling more at ease in classrooms with desks arranged in clusters or in rows (). However, clustered arrangements can also lead to more disruptive and off-task behavior (); thus, task demands and learning goals are relevant considerations in selecting optimum seating arrangements (). Virtual Classrooms As the popularity of online education continues to increase (), greater attention is being paid to the design of virtual learning environments.

Although we have focused on the effects of objects that are physically present in a space, objects matter in virtual environments as well (). Virtual computer-science classrooms with stereotypical computer-science objects reduced women’s interest and sense of “belonging” in computer science, just as stereotypical objects in real classrooms do. Replacing stereotypical objects with non-stereotypical ones effectively increased interest and belonging among female students and boosted their interest and belonging to the level of their male peers (). As the use of virtual classroom environments continues to grow, care should be taken in how these spaces are designed to create a virtual classroom culture that is welcoming to all students. Summary Although negative effects of inadequate structural features have been known for decades, recent research underscores the importance of symbolic features of classrooms in shaping student achievement. A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that students use objects to draw inferences about the classroom’s culture. State that “the visual appearance of the classroom can be conceptualized as a nonverbal statement about the teacher who has structured this learning environment” (p.

384), and the research shows that students pick up on these cues. Symbolic features can signal to students whether they will be valued and encouraged within the classroom, with consequences for educational equity. Although we have separated the structural and symbolic features of school physical environments, these features may intertwine. First, structural features can take on symbolic properties because they signal whether students and educators are valued ().

Two studies suggest a possible relationship, although neither study is conclusive. In one Virginia middle-schools study, teachers’ rating of the quality of school facilities predicted students’ standardized tests scores, and this was driven in part by teachers’ perceptions that the school climate was worse in schools with poor facilities ().

In a New York City elementary-schools study, worse school-building conditions predicted lower academic achievement, and this was driven in part by lower student attendance (). Lower student attendance may have been due to students perceiving that they were not valued in schools with worse building conditions. All of the experimental research on symbolic features has been conducted within relatively well-resourced schools and universities. Additional studies need to be designed to identify how structural and symbolic features interact—for instance, whether symbolic features have different effects in schools with lower quality infrastructure. For students with physical disabilities, the symbolic aspect of the structural classroom may be especially important. Structural barriers can restrict students with physical disabilities from participating in classroom activities (), and yet, being able to actively participate in classroom activities plays a key role in fostering feelings of belonging for students with disabilities (). This latter finding was based on a small number of individual interviews and is not conclusive, but it suggests that environmental modifications enabling students with physical disabilities to participate with their classmates may also increase their feelings of inclusion and belonging in the classroom.

A Practical Example: University of Washington Computer Science and Engineering (UW CSE) After learning about research on stereotypes, the UW CSE department redesigned their computer lab in 2010 to communicate a more welcoming environment to their students (see ). Deutsch Heute 9th Edition Workbook Answers. Changes such as repainting the walls and hanging nature posters were relatively inexpensive and took less than 2 weeks to implement. The goal of this remodel was to create a warm and appealing workspace, and to communicate that the department and the field are welcoming to all.

Feedback from students and faculty indicated that these efforts were successful. Students preferred the new space and felt it better communicated the people-oriented nature of the department.

For more information about this remodel and how to undertake similar renovations, see the National Center for Women in Information Technology’s Promising Practices Sheet on physical space. The evidence presented here has direct policy implications. The work could be useful for developing and implementing education policy for state-level boards, local school boards, school and program administrators, and teachers. Organizations that promote standards for certification and accreditation might encourage training on classroom environments. Professional development programs might consider adopting research findings into their curricula. School administrators might provide venues for teachers to share information on school environments.

Structural Features: Lessons From Research Evidence Many schools continue to describe aspects of their facilities as unsatisfactory (e.g., lighting, acoustics, air quality), and these structural inadequacies can hinder learning. Districts might avail themselves of research on structural inadequacies and their potential impact, and weigh these among other budgetary priorities. In addition, policymakers might incorporate scientific findings when updating building standards.

Legal requirements do not always cover the spectrum of physical conditions that can facilitate achievement for all or certain groups (e.g., voluntary standards for acoustics that can help children with hearing impairment or attention deficit disorder; ). When budget constraints pressure school infrastructure, resources might best be allocated toward bringing all schools up to par on structural conditions such as adequate lighting, air quality, and temperature regulation. Once these basics are in place, further high-end structural improvements in facilities do not necessarily improve student performance (; ). Because schools with inadequate structural conditions are more likely to serve students of color and low-income students (), making improvements to structural conditions may also help reduce achievement gaps. Bringing the Structural and Symbolic Classrooms Together: Policy-Relevant Considerations Several key differences between structural and symbolic features of the classroom are relevant for policy.

First, structural and symbolic features typically have different budget implications, with structural features generally being more costly. This may affect policy choice, but choices about structural and symbolic features need not compete with each other. Second, different decision makers may be involved in structural and symbolic features. Structural decisions typically reside more with school districts, whose decisions about buildings are bound by state statutes and regulations (as well as federal laws and regulations regarding accessibility). Symbolic decisions often reside with individual teachers, who might value access to information about such research in their training and professional development.

Teacher training programs in schools of education could consider incorporating guidelines on symbolic aspects of the classroom, and school district officials and principals could consider the symbolic classroom in selecting professional development resources. All these decision makers are guided and constrained by state regulations (see the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification), federal initiatives (e.g., through the U.S.

Department of Education), and national organizations involved in certification (e.g., National Education Association, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards) and accreditation for teacher preparation (e.g., Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation). Third, increasing achievement for all students may require different environmental interventions than reducing achievement gaps between students. Because structural inadequacies of classrooms are often directly tied to school and district resources, they will often affect most or all students in a school, with a possible greater impact on students with disabilities. Symbolic features may similarly affect all students (e.g., when the symbols are distracting) or be more limited to certain groups within a school setting (e.g., girls in a science classroom). For students to learn to their full potential, scientific evidence suggests that the classroom environment must be of minimum structural quality and contain cues signaling that all students are valued learners. Of course, the redesign of classrooms must be considered within the context of a set of larger factors that promote educational attainment, such as curriculum development and teacher training. Nonetheless, a plethora of scientific evidence suggests that student learning and achievement is deeply affected by the environment in which this learning occurs.

Improving student learning, achievement, and motivation requires attending to both the structural and symbolic features in the classroom.

All You Wanted to Know About MS Office May 30, 2017 is a set of vital applications primarily known as Office Suite which has been designed by Microsoft to carry out different office tasks smoothly and with ease. Bill Gates, the Chairman of Microsoft Corporation first launched it on August 1 1988at COMDEX in Las Vegas US.

The initial version of MS office only comprised of a few applications which included MS Word, MS Excel as well as PowerPoint. However, with the passage of time other new applications were also added in the suite such as and. In fact, Microsoft has also been developing the Office Business Applications specifically to provide a platform for the business owners. Four years ago, the users of MS Office had already crossed over one billion worldwide and are steadfastly growing with time.

Whenever you buy a new desktop computer or a laptop you will find that the MS Office is already preinstalled in it most of the times. In fact, MS Office is not only installed in computers run on Microsoft Operating System but even in Mac Computers, iOS and. In addition, you can also get Office Online which is a web-based application for office. Recently, the Microsoft launched its newest desktop version Office 2016 for Windows and OS X on September 22, and July 9 2015. Various MS Office Applications of Desktop • Microsoft Word Out of all the different components the is the most commonly and widely used application all throughout the world. You can easily open the application on both the Windows and Mac Operating Systems. First came into existence in 1983 initially for the MS-DOS OS.

That was when the mouse was added to the keyword, although there was no need for it. People could buy Word 1.0 with bundled mouse. Word for MAC OS was introduced a couple of years later in 1985.

Previously, the Word Processor was in the Doc format but when the 2007 version was released the format changed to. This was the time when the Portable Document Format (PDF) and Open Document Format were first introduced in the 2007 version. The MS Word made typing of words and other documents very easy. Almost all content writing works and official documents or letters are typed on MS Word. You can save your written document which can serve as a record. • MS Excel When was initially introduced by Microsoft, it had to face a stiff competition from but outclassed it eventually. It is an application which is based on a spreadsheet and available on both Windows as well as OS X.

The program was launched for Mac OS in the same year as the MS Word. However, the first Windows version came in November 1987. It was much better than the earlier offering more functions.

It is used for storing data and usually helpful in preparing ledger balance and maintaining accounts. • MS PowerPoint The introduction of has made the work of presentations very simple. Thus, it is known as a presentation program. With the help of this application you can design creative and engaging slides by not only adding the texts but also adding graphics and other files such as images and videos.

You can decorate the slides and make them colorful and just put up a to showcase your portfolio or sample. • MS Outlook MS Outlook is yet another important and useful program which contains a number of vital features such as client calendar; address book, e-mail and task manager. However, it is different from Outlook Express and so do not assume both to be the same.

Its main purpose is Windows Messaging. • MS OneNote is a free unique program where you can easily gather all personal information such as bank account details, financial deals, and medical details and so on and store it safely. In addition, you can also note down small details and information about events and meetings. These notes can be typed or handwritten. This new feature has been recently added from the 2007 version and was not there in Microsoft 2003. You will also find this important application in your Windows and iOS phones. • MS Access is a database management system which acts a merger of Microsoft Jet Database Engine and Graphical User Interface (GUI) as well as software developing applications.

It can store the data in its own configuration. It can connect you with data of other applications. Some Other Extensively Used Programs The above discussed applications are some of the most important and widely used MS Office Programs.

These are as follows- • Skype Most of you must be familiar with the Skype which undoubtedly has become exceedingly popular as communication source whether it is related it to business or personal interaction. You can do a video chat with a person face to face even if he/she is in some other country or continent.

You just have to make a call to the person and open your web camera to see the person on your screen. This means you do not have spend heavily on your international calls.

• Microsoft Office Picture Manager It is indeed a vital tool which has been developed by Microsoft to help in editing or resizing your images. You can resize your picture according to the dimensions you wish and increase or decrease the brightness and contrast of the image. • Microsoft Publisher The is yet another desktop publishing application predominantly used for designing broachers, calendars, banners, greeting or visiting cards, newsletters, company letter pad and pamphlets etc to promote any product or used as advertising for the business.

• Microsoft Share Point Designer It is a program which is used as HTML editor for Windows developing the share point for the websites. You can download this application for free. • Microsoft Project As the name suggests it is a program which can help in developing network charts and Grant charts. You can also keep a track record of the projects. Smartphone Applications offered by Microsoft Microsoft is effective in providing some useful apps for your smartphones specifically for the office purpose. You can have an easy access to them while you are not at your workplace.

A few of them include- • Office Remote With the help of this unique app, you can convert your mobile phone into a remote control for the desktop versions of Word, Excel and so on. • Office Lens This application is mainly used for scanning the images. You need to first take the picture of the document or image through your mobile camera and then straighten the image. You can copy file or image paste it on the word doc or the excel sheet and other desktop applications. Now the Server Applications The Microsoft offers some server applications in their office version.

These include- • Microsoft Search Server • InfoPath Form Services • • • Excel Services • Microsoft Project Server The Chronological Versions for the Windows The history of MS Office takes us back to the year 1990 when three different applications for Windows 3.0 were introduced. It included Microsoft Excel, MS Word and MS PowerPoint of versions 2.0, 1.1 and 2.0 respectively. However, later on MS Office 1.5 was launched which updated the set with MS Excel 3.0. • Microsoft Office 3.0 The Microsoft Office 3.0 was brought to the forefront in August 1992 and therefore, it is also known as the Microsoft Office 92.

It had all the major office applications such as Word 2.0, Excel, 4.0, PowerPoint 3.0 and so on. The buyer could purchase it on the CD-ROM.

A year later the Microsoft introduced the Microsoft Office Professional with additional features like Microsoft Access 1.1. • Microsoft Office 4.0 Microsoft 4.0 was launched in 1993 with a little higher version of different programs including MS Word 6.0, MS Excel 4.0a, and PowerPoint 3.0 etc. One of the significant aspects of this application was that it excelled from 2.0 to 6.0. This was done to match the versions with the MS-DOS and Macintosh. Now it is important to remember that the Microsoft kept on updating the versions and hence very soon in the next year it brought Microsoft Office 4.2 for Windows NT. The version for the Word processor was similar but it increased to 5.0 in the case of MS Excel. • Microsoft Office 1995 Microsoft Office 1995 came into existence from August 1995.

In fact, the company also released its logo in the same year with the introduction of Office 95 and it was later used in Office 97, 2000 and XP. Here the version of each and every application was raised to 7.0 as it was developed as a full 32 bit version. In fact, it was available in twin versions- Office 95 Standard and Office 95 Professional. The only dissimilarity between the two was that the 95 Professional contained an additional 7.0 was not present in Standard version.

This Operating System was also available in CD. • Microsoft Office 1997 The version 8.0 could be found with the successful launch of the Microsoft Office 1997. It was here that the computer operators could see a much improved and advanced in the applications. A number of new features were also added. The user was provided with more options by the addition of new menus and tools in MS Word and Excel etc. It also had Natural Language Systems and grammar checking, • Microsoft Office 2000 The Microsoft Office 2000 came up with a more updated version of 9.0.

It had adaptive menus and more options for the users. For the first time, the Microsoft Company took a significant step by introducing the digital signature so that the security threats related to large-scale viruses could be eliminated. • Microsoft Office 2002 or XP When the Microsoft Office XP was launched in the year 2002, it become a huge success as by then the number of people using MS office had incredibly increased worldwide. Therefore, one could see XP being installed in a number of desktops as Operating Systems. This was the version 10.0 which has much more advanced than the Office 2000. It introduced the option of Safe Mode for the first time which enabled the users to boot the applications in case of any failure. This was an effective and useful feature which could identify the problem and then repair it.

Another useful and effective tool added in the Windows XP was the addition of Smart tag a technology to reduce the errors in typing. The Microsoft also introduced Product Activation policy for the first time with an intention to curb the piracy which had spread throughout the world. • Microsoft Office 2003 As the time moved on, Microsoft kept on launching newer and faster versions of the MS office and the Microsoft Office 2003 was the next in this series.

The version was released with a new logo and more importantly two new applications were added to the suite. They were Microsoft InfoPath and OneNote. It also brought Windows XP style icons. The MS Outlook was made more functional which made the task of the users much easier. • Microsoft Office 2007 Credit goes to Microsoft for continuously offering new and advanced versions of the MS Office. The Microsoft Office 2007 which is still relevant and used widely today is the 12.0 version of Office.

It includes a new Graphical User Interface (GUI) which substituted the old menus and toolbars. • Microsoft Office 2010 The Microsoft Office 2010 is the 14.0 version of the MS Office. It provides a number of new features such as collaboration of the tools, customizable ribbon; backstage file menu and much more. It is available in both variants- 32 and 64 bit. The logo is similar to 2007 Office with a subtle difference. • Microsoft Office 2013 The version was released in January 2012 and its interface is based on Metro similar to Windows Phone and Windows 8. It provides altogether a different visualization with more modernized features in both MS PowerPoint as well as MS Outlook.

Not only that, other applications have also undergone an emphatic transformation. • Microsoft Office 2016 This is the newest version of the Microsoft Office which has been recently launched last year only in January 2015.

However, it is in the process of development.