Learning Space Design

The Benefits of Flexible Furniture in the Classroom

by Doug McIntosh | Sep 19, 2022 | Learning Space Design | 0 comments

Flexible Learning Spaces

The terms, flexible seating, flexible furniture, and flexible classroom are really the end product of the pedagogical change from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning. A learner-centered environment embodies practices that optimize the students’ movement from whole-group instruction to smaller groupings, to personalized spaces.

A flexible learning space is designed to morph classroom activities into different learning configurations by using furniture, materials, tools and technology. It becomes an essential part of learning and teaching by enhancing both the students’ and teacher’s sensory input, physical movement, and psychological well-being.

I like to use the term, mobile and modular (or mobimod for short) to describe the live action of a classroom moving from one activity to the next. Imagine a fourth grade classroom working on a paper airplane building project in small groups, and then, the students easily move their “mobimod” furniture to the walls to make room for a square dancing activity happening five minutes later, in the same space.

To optimize such a flexible design, these face-to-face learning spaces utilize five categories of furniture and technology to enhance student movement, which in turn helps to spark their motivation, engagement, and creativity.

Seating and Movement
Sitting with subtle movement while working independently or in groups
Modular Sitting Tables
Sitting at shaped tables that optimize space while working in groups or independently
Sit to Stand Tables and Movement
Having a standing option to weight-transfer while working independently or in groups
AV & Visual Communications
Walls that talk using audio, video and visuals with a variety of fixed and mobile displays, and boards
Mobile Storage
Bin and cabinet places organized and optimized for stacking and mobility. Personalized storage for each student, and for the variety of room materials, books, tools and technology

From Classroom to Learning Studio

As a child in the 20th century, you probably attended K-12 classrooms where all the desks and chairs were the same, probably in rows, facing the front chalkboard. As 21st century learning and teaching practices support literacy, STEAM, project-based learning, critical thinking, and collaborative learning, the curriculum has been transformed. What hasn’t evolved as much is the physically furnished classroom in this century. Stationary single or double desks and 4-legged chairs still make up most classrooms today designed for single activity whole-group instruction.

Change is often a slow process especially when considering the budget realities in changing out whole classrooms of furniture. However, in the last ten years many more teachers and administrators have moved together to sync their 21st century curriculum with a sprinkling of flexible furniture and technology in their classrooms. I call this process, “transitions to transformation” as the physical classroom evolves into what many are now calling, “Learning Studios.” As we move forward in the 2020’s, I see classrooms becoming learning studios as pedagogy and physical space converge to enhance student creativity, expression, and understanding.

Flexible Learning Space Assets

Emulates the world of work – In the real world, adults work in teams. Project-based tasks are what most women and men do everyday at their jobs. In the 21st century, office space has transformed how people work in face-to-face environments that also facilitates online activities as well. Educators are empowered as designers to create learning spaces that now includes a broader mix of hard and soft furniture not only made for schools. This new mix includes furniture from office and work, hotel and restaurant, and home and living space environments.
Designers of their space – A teacher working with her/his students should be the designers of their learning space. With a variety of district standard flexible furniture, the classroom design is often the first class project of the school year.
A Social and Emotional Safe Nest – When students walk into a classroom, they need a safe place to land. Cozy is cool- both a physical and emotional feeling. Many students need the comfort of a welcoming classroom to serve as a springboard for the deep-dive of learning with a class of peers.
Living with Covid – As collaborative teams had become standard practice in pre-covid classrooms, the pandemic has created learning challenges that include the furniture. Flexible shape desks and tables that can both be configured for group work, or can easily be reconfigured for social distancing space and individualized seating.

To flex minds, we need to flex classroom space. Learning spaces in the 2020’s need non-traditional eclectic designs to create a positive learning environment. The key to a flexible learning space combines a student’s need to fidget, rock, swivel, stretch, stand, and even get horizontal with mobile and modular furniture and technology. Subtle self-movement and weight transfer keeps our brains stimulated and helps prevent mental fatigue within a contained space. It’s really simple, physical movement sparks the mind to enhance one’s motivation, engagement, and creativity that opens paths for learning.

Resources

Flexible Classroom by VS – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU2C0hy7FV8
Fostering Student Well-Being in Elementary Learning Spaces –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PulZZvr7tI
Well-Being by VS –
https://vsamerica.com/media/partnerNet/El/Elem/Elementary-Well-Being_Brochures2022.pdf
Design Patterns for Creative Learning Environments –
https://fieldingintl.com/design-patterns/
D&D Project Portfolio –
https://ddlearningspaces.com/project/project-portfolio/
D&D Products –
https://ddlearningspaces.com/products
This article has also been published in the Fall 2022 Issue of Slate Magazine – the quarterly magazine of the Idaho School Board Association:
https://www.idsba.org/blog/publications/slate-magazine/

by Doug McIntosh | Apr 26, 2022 | Learning Space Design | 0 comments

In the big picture, a school is a holistic learning environment. We are a small business. We listen to educators, and have been doing so for over fifty years now. In our experience, we have learned that furniture and technology must be integral to a specific grade or course of study for both the students and their teacher. We have come to specialize in K-12 environments and the diversity of learning spaces within.

We want our education clients to view us as a partner, not a furniture vendor selling tables and chairs to a school from a catalog or online shopping cart. In turn, we have developed practices that follow our educators and their specific curriculum. We call these practices, Learning Space Design, defined here as-

The K-12 curricular integration of movement and furniture with AV and mobile device technologies within a learning space.

As a company, we strive in all of our projects to better understand the curriculum within a learning space so that we can optimally craft the educator’s vision of that space.

Traditionally:

• a classroom is a place where students are taught;

• a library is a place to research, read or study;

• a lab, or shop as places for hands-on learning activities;

• a studio is a place where things or performances are created.

As 21st century teaching and learning practices embrace collaborative and project-based learning, the pedagogical change from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning is also changing traditionally furnished classrooms as well. Here, the physical learning space itself plays a key role in our students mental and physical well-being and becomes embedded with a school’s overall social and emotional learning plans.

Traditional learning spaces designed with a singular purpose are transformed to multi-purpose learning spaces. This transformation from 20th-century to 21st-century learning spaces uses a new lexicon to describe the metamorphosis from –

1. Classroom to Learning Studio

2. Library to Learning Commons

3. Lab or Shop to Makerspace, STEAM, Esports, etc.

4. Various outside spaces converted to Outdoor Learning Spaces

Other traditional schools spaces are experiencing the same change from-

1. Cafeteria to Cafe or Dining Commons

2. Counseling Office to Wellness Center

3. Staff Lounge to Professional Learning Center

Traditional learning spaces now take on a more eclectic function. From whole class instruction, the learning space becomes ‘flexible’ by using mobile and modular furniture and technology. Furniture that moves allow for in-the-moment small work groups, or even gives students the option for personal space and teacher options for testing, or social distancing from a flu outbreak, for example. In essence, the movement of the students, teacher, furniture and technology within the learning space, optimizes all learning activities.

Let’s take a look how D&D has been working with K-12 schools to craft their transformations. Here are three quick examples.

1. D&D’s CTE Projects

As classrooms become more mobile and modular, we can start to take a fresh look at the whole space that is typically no more and sometimes less than 960 square feet (the California minimum requirement for 1st-12th grade classrooms). Here is a before and after transformation with a high school CTE classroom to a Video Production Studio.

Before

After

2. D&D Library/Learning Commons Projects

In libraries, we typically have more area space to work with and can craft a variety of ‘learning zones.’ Here is a before and after transformation of a high school library to a “Quest Center.”

Before

After

3. D&D Lab/STEAM/Makerspace Projects

As many makerspaces are created using typical classrooms, here’s a staff concept to transformation in repurposing a portable classroom at an elementary school, now called “The Makery.”

Before Design by Teachers

and the finished Makerspace

Here below is D&D’s Project Portfolio & Inspiration Spaces in the K-12 Learning Environment (that’s always being updated). You can find this list in our drop-down top main menu under, ‘Learning Spaces.’