Do you run a school, college or a training centre? If you are by any means associated with running a place where people come to learn, you might have to update your thinking about 21st-century classroom furniture.
On the face of it, is there anything to think about, when it comes to classroom furniture? What else do you need apart from a whiteboard and a set of chairs and desks? If you have been to a university, you will know it for a fact, this is not the ideal environment for people to learn.
Yes, there is a huge degree of subjectivity for people to feel comfortable in a class, but a good amount of proactive planning can help you design a space that enhances the student experience altogether.
Here is How You Should Begin with Planning for 21st-century Classroom Furniture
1. Start with Brainstorming About the Students’ needs
Most of the classrooms are designed in a mode of thinking that hasn’t changed for over a century. There is an instructor who instructs and then there are the pupils who take notes. If you have been in a modern classroom, you will know it for a fact that those are not the only two roles in a classroom.
There are people who ask questions, there are people who take excellent notes, there are people who ignite collaboration and so on. Hence the ideal classroom for people of this century should be inclusive to the needs of all these role-players.
This would mean that you will have to think from the very first principles. Instead of putting a whiteboard and a few desks in front of it, create spaces. There should be a lecture space, a collaboration space and a discussion space in the same classroom. This is how you let people be who they are while still bringing them together into a cohesive learning environment.
2. Classroom Furniture Has to Hit the Right Balance Between Individual Spaces and Collaboration
Most universities love the arrangements they have made. There is one long desk followed by a series of chairs and this arrangement continues for several rows. The problem with this arrangement is that it does not give any heed to the needs of the individual students.
The best way to think about it is by coming to the very basic unit of a classroom – an individual student. What are the needs of this individual student? When you think about it, you will understand that this student needs a comfortable sitting space, a desk that helps her sit in the optimal posture and enough space between her and the next student to encourage collaboration but maintain individual space.
3. Focus on a Dynamic Setup Instead of Casting a Classroom Plan for Centuries
The biggest mistake you can make is by casting your classroom plan in iron! Learning requirements are shifting. Many students use a laptop in the classroom. In a few decades, this may shift to something entirely new.
Hence, it is more intelligent to have classroom furniture that enables mobility so the coming generations of students and classroom designers can create a space as per their own needs.
In Conclusion
We understand that there are several moving parts to getting the right classroom plan. You can reach out to our team of experts who can give you a free consultation session to help you navigate this set of challenges while getting the right classroom.
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