Learning Style Preferences for Design and Their Relationship to Standardized Test Results

Statement of the Problem: The emergence of the proficiency testing movement has created a situation in which schools must administer these tests in a setting most conducive to student success. Students' performance on tests depends not only on their knowledge and skills, but also on conditions under which tests are taken. "Conditions of test administration affect test performance and hence test reliability by having differing effects on different test takers."

Recent research in the area of student learning style indicates that the various environmental elements of sound, light, temperature, and design affect student learning and test performance. This research indicates that different individuals learn or perform better in various environmental settings. The findings suggest that new investigations into the effects of environmental elements upon students' test performance are needed at the elementary school level.