Schedule no-cost green breaks after mentally demanding activities to sustain students' cognition¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 1 study (1 review), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The review's practical recommendation is that schools exploit short-term passive exposure to nature as a restorative break. Because breaks in a school or study day are necessary anyway, holding them in green areas restores directed attention depleted by demanding cognitive work at no cost. The review states that "a no-cost opportunity to sustain students' cognition is a break in a green environment after mentally demanding activities," grounded in attention restoration theory and supported across educational levels in 12 of 14 studies.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Access to a green outdoor area (or a green view) within reach of a 10–90 minute break in the school or study day

Constraints¶

• The exposure must be passive; experiences using nature as the medium of instruction, such as gardening or outdoor lessons, are outside the scope of this recommendation

Target Learners¶

• elementary, secondary, and university students

Target Learning Goals¶

• restoration of directed attention and working memory performance after mentally fatiguing activities

Affordances¶

• Attention Restoration Theory Soft Fascination

Claims¶

• In elementary school students, short-term green breaks restore attention and working memory, with effects on inhibition mixed [+W]
• In secondary school students, breaks with green views or walks in larger green spaces improve attention performance [+W]
• In university students, walks or sitting in natural settings after cognitive fatigue improve some attention and working memory measures, with null results for others [+W]
• Short-term passive exposure to nature produces cognitive benefits in 12 of 14 reviewed studies across educational levels, mainly as directed attention restoration [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Lucia Mason, Angelica Ronconi, Sara Scrimin, Francesca Pazzaglia. (2022). Short-Term Exposure to Nature and Benefits for Students' Cognitive Performance: a Review. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09631-8