COURSEWORK OVERVIEW
Module:	BENV0054 – Wellbeing in Buildings: Theory and Practice
Coursework:	Experiment on the effect of the built environment on wellbeing
Weighting	100% of marks for module
Coursework Issued:	11th of October 2023
Submission Deadline:	Tuesday, January, 24th, 2024, at 11 am.
Word Limit	3,000 words (excluding references, tables and Appendix)
Page Limit	None
File format	Word or PDF (do not submit zipped files)
Submission	ALL students to submit a complete electronic copy of coursework
	submission through Moodle (and the Turnitin system1). This is the copy
instructions
	that will be used to assess the work so it is the FINAL copy.

Coursework Aims (Learning Outcomes)

Upon successful completion of the coursework, the student should be able to:

· Define wellbeing.

· Identify appropriate techniques for measuring wellbeing in practice.

· Understand the difference between laboratory experiments and field studies.

· Understand the complexity of designing experiments and interpreting the data.

· Design an experiment, gain ethics approval and collect data.

· Describe an experiment in all necessary details.

· Analyse and present the experimental results in a cohesive manner that is easy to understand.

· Discuss any flaws in the experimental methodology or measurement techniques.

· Learn how to write-up and present experimental results.

· Understand the implications for the future design of offices and make recommendations.

Overall Brief

There are two key parts to the coursework:

1. An introduction (literature review) to an experiment on wellbeing. We recommend initially writing a short essay on how to define and measure wellbeing before converting it into an introduction.

2. Design and conduct a pilot experiment investigating the impact of an element of the built environment on wellbeing. The final submission will include the introduction, method, results and discussion.

However, parts 1 and 2 will be marked as a single piece of coursework, you need to submit one document only.

Further Details

Each student’s submission will be assessed individually.

There will be two experiment teams. The experiment will be designed and conducted as a group activity but the data must then be shared so that each student can carry out their own analysis and write-up. The initial essay should be reformatted or written in such a way that it forms the introduction to the experiment report.

It is recommended that each student volunteer as a subject for their classmates’ experiments, ideally participating in all the teams’ experiments. However, participation is not compulsory and is entirely voluntary. Please note: other friends and volunteers who are not part of this module are NOT permitted to act as volunteers. See section on ethics and data protection for further details. It is accepted that the experiment may have limitations due to the limited number of subjects, but it may be considered a pilot or concept study.

Student need to participate in one of two groups; the possible topics are biophilia and sound. The experiment might, for example, compare the impact of different real, simulated or virtual stimuli related to biophilia and / or sounds on various metrics of wellbeing. Similarly, the subjects may be monitored in a “laboratory” pre- and post-exposure to a different environment. Any changes to environmental variables will need to kept within safe levels recommended by relevant standards and best practice guidelines.

A mixture of quantitative/qualitative and subjective/objective measures are expected. The experiment should include at least four of the following metrics:

.Please note that you do not need to analyse all available measures within one category, e.g. for subjective responses you do not need to include all that have been measured.

1) A subjective response – for example paper or on-line questionnaire responses of comfort, performance and hedonic wellbeing,

2) Performance task – either paper based or on-line or app based including cognitive tasks and brain games etc,

3) Physiological measurement – i.e. galvanic skin response or pulse using lab-based or wearable technology,

4) Environmental condition – measured with monitoring equipment e.g. temperature logger or sound level meter.

5) Environmental description – demonstrated through photographs, expert observation and/or subject assessment.

Use of AI not permitted, Cat. 1 as per UCL’rules: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/generative-ai-hub/using-ai-tools-assessment#%20AI%20tools%20cannot%20be%20used%20in%20this%20assessment

Resources needed to complete this coursework

Student will be advised of the resources required during the initial lectures. A demo of the equipment will be given during class. The focus will be on questionnaires supported by performance tasks plus basic physical/environmental and physiological measurements. Three primary types of equipment are available:

1) Edu-Loggers – There are two sets of sensors and loggers consisting of sound level, light, temperature, humidity, heart rate and galvanic skin response. The sensors are all displayed and analyses by a single NeuLog interface.

2) The department has other specialist equipment for measuring environmental parameters such as CO2 concentration in the room, e.g. Hobos, which may be available depending on timing.

3) Fitbits to measure heart rate (10).

Format of Report

In your submission, use the standard format for psychological/behavioural experiments, as outlines at https://www.simplypsychology.org/research-report.html:

0.	Abstract
1. Introduction (background, aims, hypothesis)		4.	Discussion
2.	Method (design, materials, participants, process)	5.	Conclusion
3.	Results	6.	References

Please include a copy of the Information Sheet and blank (not signed or completed) Consent Form as an Appendix.

Suggested Timeline

Students are advised to organise their work around the following milestones and indicative timeline:

1) The coursework is introduced on Wednesday, 4th of October. 

2) Students will be divided into groups after Wednesday, October, 18^th and should then start working on their studies ideas and do some literature in their groups outside teaching hours.

3) On Wednesday, November, 1st, we will have a one-hour practical on the coursework where you can get some initial feedback and ask questions.

4) On Wednesday, November, 8^th, I will meet with each group for 1 hour to discuss the experiments and your ethical application.  

5) The Information Sheet and Consent Forms must be completed and submitted by Friday, 17^th of November, 9am.

6) Students will present on their study and research ethics on Wednesday, 22nd of November in the practical.

7) Students will conduct a pilot study on Wednesday, 29th of November from 11 am – 1 pm.  

8) On Wednesday, 6^th of December, you will collect the data for your coursework.

9) Submission deadline, Tuesday, January, 24^th, 2024, at 11 am.

Practical Arrangements

Note the following practical arrangements for the experiment.

1) Group Formation: after discussing ides for the experiment, two groups will be formed. You will be given further instructions on group formation by the module lead during class. It is the responsibility of the students in each experimental group to communicate with each other, and for the two groups to coordinate, and develop a timetable, for the use of equipment and experimental rooms.

2) Venues for experiments Bernard Katz Building Wilkins Garden Room and UCL GOSICH - Wellcome Trust Bldg Lower Ground Seminar Room (30 Guilford Street)

3)  Note, a teaching assistant will assist you with data collection.