Using furniture to enhance learning.

"Never did I realize just how valuable a piece of furniture can be to how one perceives learning opportunities."

For many years, researchers have understood that the Learning Environment impacts student behavior … "But we hadn't really looked at it from an Education Learning Space and student perspective."

"Never did I realize just how valuable a piece of furniture can be to how one perceives learning opportunities. If you're going to change the culture of education you've got to give them the opportunities to be able to explore what effective pedagogy in an Active Learning Space can lead too, we're seeing without a doubt that learner-centered pedagogy is at the heart and soul of improvement in student learning."

"If we're going to move to problem-based and inquiry-based learning methods, then connecting and feeling connected to others is a critical part of student success, It's really challenging to step back and say, 'How best do students learn and how might we support that?'"

"You can have students change and switch in a fluid moment, rather than clunking around to try to get into different situations. We really felt that allowed the teacher to be able to be more of a coach … rather than just focusing on pedagogy that might be all about the delivery of information."

Overall, 72 percent of students said the changes increased their motivation. 72 percent said the design would increase their ability to achieve a higher grade and 84 percent reported being more engaged, according to an early draft of the study. The differences in student engagement levels between the old and new classroom layouts were also statistically significant.

In a survey on their perceptions of students' engagement to the Learning Environment, nearly all – 98 percent – said there was a moderate to exceptional increase in student engagement, and all said there was an increase in students' ability to be creative. Large percentages – 68 percent and 88 percent, respectively – also said they saw increases in students' ability to achieve higher grades and in students' motivation to attend class.

Adapted from Lennie Scott-Webber: Gary Pavlechko: 

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