Frequently Asked Questions

Here is some information on setup and operation of your Gratnells Learnometer

General Questions

What is Gratnells Learnometer? What does it measure and what can it do?

Gratnells Learnometer is designed in conjunction with Professor Stephen Heppell and his research team and is designed specifically for education. It tracks the seven key factors that determine air quality: temperature, humidity, light, sound levels, carbon dioxide, chemicals (VOCs), and dust (PM2.5). It has a fully customisable display, with an 8-hour battery backup. It can be used to constantly monitor your air quality, and connects to your wireless network so it can be managed remotely.

What are Learnometer's sensor specifications?
  • Dust (PM2.5): 0 to 1,000μg/m³ ±15μg/m³ or 15%
  • TVOCs: 0 to 60,000ppb ±10%
  • CO2: 400-5,000ppm ±75ppm or 10%
  • Temperature: -40 to 125°C (-40 to 257°F) ±0.2°C
  • Humidity: 0 to 100% ±2%
  • Ambient Light: 0 to 64,000lux
  • Ambient Noise Sensor: 40 to 95dB, A-weighted, slow-response

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How many Learnometers do I need? How long does each Learnometer last?

Since walls and doors will have an impact on the way air flows through your school, we recommend one per room to get the best information about your environment.  Depending on its operating conditions, a Learnometer will last three to seven years. Each Learnometer comes with a one-year hardware warranty.   

Can I customise the display?

The Learnometer’s display is fully customisable capable of showing values from all sensors.  You can also fully disable the display so that your Learnometer cannot be tampered with locally. .

How do I install the Learnometer in my space?

The installation process is quick and easy. Each unit comes with a wall mount and a display stand for desks or tabletops so that it can be easily placed at breathing height. The wall mount includes a stick on pad or use the two screws and plasterboard anchors (also supplied) for a more permanent solution. We recommend selecting places close to a mains power outlet, and to avoid corners of rooms, areas with lots of direct sunlight, and places within one metre of a vent. Once your Learnometers are placed, setting up each Learnometer takes about two minutes using our iOS  app. You must also register for a Learnometer Dashboard before you can install with the app.  Please note you will need a wifi connection to enable your Learnometer.

What are the system requirements?

The Learnometer requires a constant Wi-Fi connection, and a compatible iOS device with bluetooth (4.1) for installation. Learnometer is compatible with 802.11 b/g/n connections, with 2.4GHz. The App is compatible with iOS phones and iPads, running iOS 8 or later, and shortly (although not currently) with Android phones, running Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) or later.

Having trouble setting up your Learnometer on your School wifi?

Learnometer is compatible with 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n networks. For most users, reviewing the following aspects in your router’s settings will resolve any connection issue:

  • Frequency: Learnometer is only compatible with 2.4GHz networks. Learnometer will not discover or pair with 5GHz networks.
  • Mode: Learnometer works best with routers set to mixed access mode (802.11b/g/n). Due to the stricter access rules, Learnometer may not be compatible with 802.11ac or 802.11n-only modes at this time.
  • Channel: Generally, channels 1 and 11 have the least amount of interference. However, you may find that your Learnometer performs best on other channels, so it may take some tweaking and analyzing your environment to find your optimal configuration. Wi-Fi scanning services (such as NetSpot) can be helpful to find right channel for your environment.

If you’re trying to connect your Learnometer to a corporate or high-security network, we recommend taking a look at the following best practices. Here is an overview for the following:

Advanced Networking Highlights
Network Encryption Methods
Managing TCP Ports
MAC Address Whitelists
Testing for Network Compatibility

If you continue to run into trouble getting your Learnometer connected to your network, please contact us so we can help. We’re happy to troubleshoot over email or schedule a phone call at your convenience.

 

Advanced Networking Highlights

Your Learnometer requires outgoing TCP & TLS connections on Ports 8883 and 443.
The connection on Port 8883 is indefinite, the connection on Port 443 is intermittent.
For adding device-specific permissions, every Learnometer has a standard MAC-48 address listed on the back of the product.
Learnometer does not support networks requiring two factor authentication, login portals, or managed login networks. You may be able to connect your Learnometer to these networks by setting device-specific permissions (e.g. MAC Whitelists).

Network Encryption Methods
Learnometer recommends using a password protected Wi-Fi network. Because of the extra security it allows, we specifically recommend using WPA2 (WPA2 + AES) as the network authentication method. However, your Learnometer is also compatible with WEP, WPA, and open networks.
Your Learnometer is not compatible with WPA Enterprise, WPA2 Enterprise, or WPS encryption methods. Learnometer does not support networks requiring two factor authentication, login portals, or managed login networks–however, you may be able to establish a connection to these kinds of networks by adding your Learnometer’s MAC address to your network’s whitelist.

Managing TCP Ports
Basic security firewall configurations will commonly allow outgoing connections from all devices, but high security configurations may block all or a portion of this traffic. If your firewall is particularly restrictive, try adjusting your firewall’s policies to allow your Learnometer to make outgoing TCP connections on Ports 8883 and 443.
Your Learnometer uses one long-term secure communication protocol to send data back to Learnometer’s servers. After connecting to your Wi-Fi network, your Learnometer will open an ongoing TCP connection on Port 8883 to Learnometer’s servers, secured with standard TLS encryption. If severed, your Learnometer will continuously attempt to re-establish this connection.
Once per hour, your Learnometer will check for and download firmware updates when available. This check is done via a TCP connection using TLS security and HTTPS protocol, initiated on Port 442 to Learnometer’s servers.
All connections to your Learnometer are outgoing, no incoming connections are established.

MAC Address Whitelists
You can add your Learnometer to your network by whitelisting its MAC address (this method is sometimes referred to as MAC address authentication or filtering). You can find your Learnometer’s unique MAC address on the back of your product, it’s the 12-digit number starting with “70”.
Whitelisting your Learnometer by MAC address is often the best way to connect Learnometer to managed login access points requiring secondary authentication.

Testing for Network Compatibility

If you’re unable to connect to your Learnometer after trying the methods above, your network may be incompatible with Learnometer. While not the most elegant method, the quickest way to test the compatibility of your Wi-Fi network is to use a mobile hotspot.

By setting up a mobile hotspot or tethering to your phone, you’ll be able to quickly determine if your Learnometer’s connection issue is rooted in the advanced configuration of your Wi-Fi network.

However, if you’re unable to connect your Learnometer to the network created by your mobile hotspot network, it’s possible your Learnometer’s hardware may be defective. This rare situation is covered under our 1-year warranty and we’re more than happy to replace your product if needed.

I can't access my dashboard

Please note the url to log into your existing dashboard changed in January 2023.  The new address is https://learnometer.awair.cloud

Will my Learnometer work without wifi?

For ongoing use without a Wi-Fi connection to the dashboard and cloud storage you will not be able to view and analyse both current or stored data from your Learnometer. Without a Wi-Fi connection the Learnometer is limited to only showing current sensor values via its built-in display.  You will need a Wi-Fi connection initially to set up your Learnometer.

What is the Learnometer Subscription and how much does it cost?

Your Learnometer is supplied with a one year free subscription to the online dashboard analysis software and cloud storage for all captured sensor data. After the first year, the subscription charge is £60 per year (£5 per month). This amount may change. Discounts for multi-year subscriptions are available. Your Dashboard will remind you when your subscription is due for renewal.

Without a subscription to the dashboard and cloud storage you will not be able to view and analyse both current or stored data from your Learnometer. Without a subscription the Learnometer is limited to only showing current sensor values via its built-in display

 

What software services are available with The Learnometer?

Learnometer subscribers have access to the Learnometer Dashboard

Understand the health of your School at a glance
The dashboard’s colour-coded Learnometer Status Indicator allows you to understand the real-time status of each of your Learnometers at a glance. You can use the dashboard to compare air quality readings across multiple Learnometers to understand trends and potential source problems.

Receive alerts when your air quality needs attention
The Dashboard can send notifications when your Learnometers recognise issues with your air. Enable notifications for all Learnometer sensors relevant to your goals, and we’ll notify you if your air needs attention via email and through the notification panel in the dashboard.

Receive a weekly assessment of your School’s air quality
The Learnometer will send you a Weekly Report outlining your air quality status from the previous week as well as an analysis on where there is room for improvement.

Can I use the Dashboard to manage my privacy settings?

The dashboard includes permissions and roles to share and limit access to the Learnometer units attached to your dashboard. It’s fully customisable, so you’ll have full control of which units each member will be able to view.
For example, if you’re managing several School campus you can choose to share the dashboard with the teachers in each school so they only see data for their specific location.

Where can I buy a Learnometer?

If you are based in the UK or Ireland you can buy a Gratnells Learnometer from https://www.gratnells.com/product/learnometer.

 

To buy a Learnometer anywhere else in the world please contact us and we will either ship one to you or put you in contact with your local supplier.

 

Please note if we ship you a unit outside the UK you will be responsible for all local taxes, customs and duties.

About Air Quality

CO2

Exposure to excessive indoor carbon dioxide will impair learning, engagement and performance. The damaging levels are surprisingly low.  The Learnometer sensor can detect levels between 400-5,000ppm ±75ppm or 10%.

Professor Heppell indicates that above as little as 1,000 parts per million CO2 will be inducing sleepiness, poor concentration with abnormal heart rate and nausea. Problems increase towards 5,000 ppm which many learning spaces often exceed daily. Recommendation no higher than 2,200

Chemicals (TVOCs)

Beyond the impact on wellbeing, research confirms that airborne pollution significantly damages learners academic progress.  The Learnometer will detect between  0 and 60,000ppb ±10%

Fine Dust (PM2.5)

Micro-particulates can travel into children’s lungs, triggering health problems that also impact on attendance and performance. The Learnometer can measure from 0 to 1,000μg/m³ ±15μg/m³ or 15%

Temperature

There is an optimal temperature range for learning. Outside that range performance suffers immediately. Learnometer will measure temperatures between -40 and 125°C (-40 and 257°F) ±0.2°C.

Professor Heppell suggests between 18 and 21 degrees centigrade is ideal for learning environments.

Humidity

Similar concerns to temperature, but also bringing other health risks like toxic mould spores. Dehydration also damages cognitive performance. the Learnometer will measure levels between 0 and 100% ±2%

Ambient Light (Lux)

Children learn less well when light levels are low, and behaviour also suffers. There is an equity issue too, when light levels are uneven across a room. The Learnometer will measure light levels between 0 and 64,000lux in brightness.

Professor Heppell’s guide would be above 500 lux, with a target of 750 to 1,000 – but being careful to get suitable Kelvin values in your electrical lighting too.  A minimum of 250 lux if there is only conversation taking place

Ambient Noise (dBA)

Noisy rooms obstruct children’s ability to concentrate and perform, wherever they are. The Learnometer has an ambient noise sensor measuring between 40 abd 95dB, A-weighted, slow-response.

Professor Heppell advises sound above around 72 decibels starts to be disruptive – although what the sound is matters too. A simple guide for beats per minute is to stay below 80 bpm

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