The primary purpose of lighting in the classroom is to provide enough light to support the learning process while simultaneously staying within your utility budget. One method to achieve this is to choose lamps carefully. Fluorescent lighting is therefore a smart choice because of its low cost and longer lamp life.
The combination of light level and color are essential to a classroom's environment. By increasing the light level in certain areas of the classroom, you can draw attention to those areas. This implies that higher light levels should be focused on the teacher of the class as well as on the blackboard. In addition, the combination of medium to low levels of light and warm colors give a relaxing feel to the classroom, allowing students to focus on the subject matter without feeling rushed.
The wavelength of light also plays an important role in defining a classroom. The perceived color of an object depends on the wavelengths present in the light source. If you are demonstrating contrast between two pieces of art and want to focus on the difference in color, you should make sure your light source has a variety of wavelengths. Otherwise, some colors may appear dull when they are really not.
Factors such as glare, brightness and reflection may annoy a student's field of vision. Background brightness can be a visual distraction to many students. This brightness may be coming from windows or glowing objects behind the teacher. To diminish distractions, cover all windows with blinds and turn off any glowing objects during class. Sources of extreme brightness can also be detrimental to visibility, especially to younger students. You should make sure that the level of lights in the classroom is not too high, even if you intend to accentuate an object in the classroom. Last, remove any objects that may reflect light in the classroom (such as mirrors), as these can also become major distractions.