Learning spaces and environments

With COVID an ongoing concern and flu season getting started, aerosol researchers say there needs to be a focus on improving the quality of the air we all breathe while inside.

Almost two-thirds of Brisbane classrooms monitored for air quality have recorded carbon dioxide levels at high risk for COVID-19 transmission, a new study finds.

Outdoor spaces have been a boon to the continuity of teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a solution to safety and social distancing concerns. But they also hold potential for new pedagogical approaches that can improve the student experience. 

Companies are trying to work out the best post-pandemic working model. What can we learn from these four companies?

With evidence showing the COVID virus is airborne, it’s no coincidence many outbreaks in schools have occurred in winter – when windows are closed.

The evidence shows the main way COVID-19 spreads is through the air. I propose 3 steps Australia needs to take to protect people from infection risk and other indoor air hazards.

Our buildings and cities were not designed to handle a pandemic. But countries around the world are coming up with design ideas, some high-tech and some more basic, to reduce the infection risks.

Most Australians working from home were happy to do so before COVID hit, but research has identified several key factors in whether these arrangements are likely to work out well for you.

If you happen to be reading this at your desk — and you can see the eyes of the person sitting across from you — scientists say beware.

A simple yet elegant solution grounded in science.

Too few schools have used Covid relief funds to improve air quality properly.

The NSW and Victorian government say they’re providing schools with adequate options for ventilation, including air filters. But schools can’t take proper action without monitoring air quality.

As children return to face-to-face learning, schools will need to adopt multiple strategies to overcome their longstanding problem of overcrowding.

An expert in air quality is warning Australia's reticence to improve ventilation and acknowledge airborne spread of COVID-19 is leading to lockdowns that could have been avoided.

The new study, published last week in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, suggests public schools may be able to reopen safely for in-person instruction as long as children maintain three feet of distance between them, and with other mitigation measures maintained, such as wearing masks.

Open windows and doors, use fans, and set your aircon to pull fresh air from outside.

To combat the coronavirus, schools across America moved students outdoors. Here’s a look at four new learning environments.

BBC News explores how the pandemic might change the way we live and work.