Does physical learning environment matter? Effects after the move to a new campus on the perception of the quality of studies

The present study examined the effects of a move to a new physical learning environment – Belval Campus – on the students’ satisfaction with the course program in psychology. It was hypothesized that the move to a new and modern University campus with better study facilities increases course climate, learning promotion, and skill acquisition. Participants were 538 undergraduate students who completed the Bachelor Evaluation Questionnaire, which assessed the perceived quality of the course program as well as five infrastructure and equipment aspects of the new campus. Findings show that students were more satisfied with the classrooms, the capacity of the rooms, and the library facilities, but there was no increase in perceived course climate, learning promotion, and skill acquisition of the students after 6 months nor after 18 months from the move. The implications of these findings for the need to change physical learning environments are discussed and recommendations for the design of learning environments are presented.