When Tohru Yoshida walked into 204 Sackett Building, he noticed Japanese writing on the blackboard.

The students had written: "Study outside."

Yoshida, instructor for Japanese 402 (Advanced Reading), said he already considered having class outside since he had left the classroom setting for the Old Main lawn last week as well.

"I found it really refreshing for students to take the class to a different place," he said.

As the spring-like temperature floods State College with ample sunshine, many professors are opting to hold classes outside.

"Everybody likes to go outside, especially with winter being so late and cold," AccuWeather meteorologist Henry Margusity said.

This time of year, temperatures can fluctuate, shifting from 80-degree weather to cooler, rainy days, he added.

The warm temperatures will last for today and tomorrow and then temperatures will drop to about 60 degrees for the rest of the week, followed by a rainy upcoming weekend, Margusity said.

"In the next couple of days we are going to have to put out a tanning alert, but then we'll have to break out the jackets again for next week," he said.

Camille-Yvette Welsch, a lecturer in English and an English undergraduate advising coordinator, who teaches English 213 (Writing Poetry) and English 263 (Reading Poetry), said she has taught both classes either on the steps of Old Main or the steps of Schwab Auditorium.

"The outdoor environment has given [the students] more intimate communication, and it bolsters people's spirits," she said. "They tend to be more engaged."

Getting up from the Old Main lawn after his Japanese 402 class ended, Alex Bochicchio (junior-media studies) said he enjoys having classes outside despite some distractions.

"It's more comfortable than sitting in a stuffy classroom, and it's nice to sit outside and get some fresh air, since it's not nice here a whole lot," he said.

As a student in Japan, Yoshida said he seldom got the chance to have class outside.

He said he always thought of it as "something really American."

Since coming to Penn State three years ago he said he tends to have classes outside when the weather is nice.

Jackie Virgi (senior-biology) said she has never had a class outside because most of her classes involve PowerPoint presentations and the use of the overhead projector.

Brandon Hayes (senior-animal bioscience) said he thinks classes that are more discussion based are more likely to be moved to an outside setting.

"It could be distracting, but you only get so many days of this weather," he said. "Why not learn and get a little sun on the side?"

Welsch said that if the material is interesting and involvement is encouraged students are more likely to be engaged in the discussion. But there are other things to take into consideration too, she said.

"I have to be careful of the students because I have extremely pale students who can't be in the sun, and I've had to pick places where there's shade," she said. "You have to take care of everyone."