Lightcap 3: Light in outdoor contexts

О курсе

Light is one of our most valuable resources on this earth. It makes the world visible to us, is the major driver of the 24-hr sleep-wake cycle to which not only humans, but virtually all life on earth (fauna and flora) submits. In fact, there would be no life on earth without light. It is therefore hard to overestimate the impact light has on humans, biologically, psychologically, socially. And yet, we hardly ever think or speak about light. LIGHTCAP 3 “Light in outdoor contexts” explores the principles of lighting and its effects on humans in various outdoor settings from the perspectives of pedestrians and drivers, covering topics such as alertness, wakefulness and attentiveness, but also feelings of safety and aesthetics. The course is one in a series of four, each with a different disciplinary basis and with complementary perspectives to the domain of light for humans. The basis of this course is predominantly in (environmental) psychology. In this course you will: (1) Be able to understand and explain concepts of arousal, anxiety and fear. (2) Understand different perceived safety measurement methods and be able to explain their advantages/disadvantages. (3) Be able to interpret the link between urban lighting and feelings of safety. (4) Learn about road lighting standards (P-class) and understand the purposes and benefits of minor road lighting. (5) Be able to understand the link between light and alertness, why this could matter for pedestrians, and learn about methods to assess alertness in lighting research. (6) Be able to understand and explain the concept of cognitive workload and the relationship between cognitive workload and driving performance (7) Learn how to measure cognitive performance in practical applications such as driving (8) Be able to understand and explain the concepts of attention, alertness and mystery and understand how different attention levels can influence our perception and behaviour (9) Be able to reflect on what might be the advantages/disadvantages of using lighting design for attention benefits. (10) Learn how to measure the energy consumption of a road lighting installation (11) Get familiar with currently available road lighting standards and be able to reflect on what might be a beneficial change in the big picture considering all aspects of a change in road lighting installation. (12) Develop knowledge about the challenges of outdoor lighting design and to demonstrate an understanding of light pollution (definition and types). (13) To understand the impact of light pollution on people’s safety and wildlife.

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Yvonne de Kort

Full professor light and environmental psychology