By Jolene
Levin, Director, Norva Nivel, USA
Teachers are
increasingly challenged to engage students. Traditional classrooms with rows of
desks and chalkboards in the front of the room aren’t conducive to meeting students’
needs, particularly in our fast-paced society, where information, visuals and messages
compete for their attention. The classroom of the past — too often today’s
classroom —is a motionless venue that lacks inspiration and does not deliver
the essentials for building an enthusiasm for learning.
A recent study
conducted by MDR, a division of Dun
& Bradstreet, and the Education Market Association, found that
approximately 94% of the more than 1,600 teachers polled agreed that the design of a learning space impacts students’ success. The study
highlighted the importance of flexibility and collaboration, technology
integration and intentional
design in modern classroom spaces.
In 2010, we visited our first school. Listening to
the school’s principal, teaching staff and students, we unearthed their
challenges and needs. Their frustrations centered on the fact that most learning
spaces aren’t customizable and do not accommodate a variety of learning styles.
They do not address individual student needs and cannot adapt to varied
subjects and teaching styles. The educators and administrators we’ve spoken
with stress that the classroom needs to be relevant and vital, in keeping with ever-evolving
technologies and what’s required to capture students’ attention.
We see the challenge surrounding engagement increasing
exponentially over time. An assistant principal put it this way: “It doesn’t
matter what quality of curriculum you deliver; if they’re not engaged in the
practices that you’re delivering, it counts for nothing.” This is why we’ve
developed an advanced and innovative version of the “agile classroom,” a
learning environment designed to meet a complex variety of student, teacher and
district needs.
The Agile Classroom
Some call it the future of education. Education experts call it the agile
or flexible classroom. Based on its transformational attributes, we know it
defines what’s possible in education today. George
Lucas’s educational foundation, Edutopia, says this: “While a classroom is different from a [business] startup, certain mindsets
and strategies translate well: vision, agility, the right tools, creative
thinking, and recognizing individual strengths. An
agile classroom is an environment in which students are motivated to do their
best work and feel invested in the class as a whole.”
Engagement is one descriptor that repeatedly emerges when education
experts describe this learning environment. It generates superior student
outcomes, adapting to a diverse range of learners — from cognitive to hands on.
This goes beyond how specific students learn best by offering accelerated
growth regardless of learning style. This growth builds confidence and
cognitive abilities in large part through the physical attributes of agile
spaces. In our work transforming classrooms, libraries,
collaborative learning spaces and presentation areas, we’ve heard countless
teachers and school administrators affirm the efficacy of agile learning
spaces.
They report student outcomes being impacted in tangible
ways, such as:
- An increased sense of ownership and pride by students in their learning spaces and
educational process, plus the ability for teachers to more easily motivate them;
- The benefits of movement
as well as adaptability, which supports all teaching styles, learning styles
and subjects;
- The breakdown and removal
of barriers to learning, based on varying student populations and
individual needs, inclinations and tendencies.
Fostering
The Ownership Mindset
Technology has demonstrably impacted society
in several ways, learning being one. America’s classroom is one of the last
holdouts and it’s in dire need of evolution. Transitioning from
the acquisition of knowledge through instructional teaching, learners are now
being encouraged to develop the 6 Cs, a set of skills transferable to any
learning activity and ultimately any profession. With this shift, the need to change educational
spaces is essential. The key is to create modern
learning spaces, classrooms and environments that cater to students’ individual
needs and learning styles. Then, to show educators successful methods for
motivating and engaging students, which include getting students to embrace the
ownership or accountability mindset.
The agile class gives
students the power to decide how they learn and from whom; it offers more choice,
promoting a sense of ownership, control and agency. Guided by their teachers,
students are empowered to think and make
smart choices. This empowerment nurtures a sense of proprietorship. We’ve seen these
learning environments completely change the classroom dynamic. Teachers
regularly comment on how their students are driven as never before and how
their spaces capture kids’ attention, even high-energy learners.
Agile spaces help
teachers motivate and engage students in a lasting way. And, because they can quickly
and effortlessly be changed based on subject matter, class requirements,
student needs and other factors, classrooms don’t become dated, stale or
obsolete. Moreover, the flexible
classroom teaches skills, not just knowledge —facilitated by the space itself
and the relationship the learner has with it. Students are guided
through strategic facilitation by the teacher but have an ownership stake in
the learning environment and how it’s structured. They experience movement,
diversity and choice in their relation to their classrooms.
Movement Matters
Studies show that movement in the
classroom setting builds focus and improves learning outcomes. We’ve observed thousands of students
acquire more balance, focus and accountability through the movement that agile
spaces provide. Learners acquire transversal skills, those relevant to future
jobs and occupations and lifelong learning. These skills can be acquired through education or training if the setting is right.
We believe that all truly
flexible learning spaces should be able to be reconfigured in 60 seconds or
less, by even the youngest of learners. With straightforward guidance from
their teacher, learners can modify their environments quickly and intentionally.
This requires concurrent physical and analytical engagement that students steer,
helping them take charge of and responsibility for learning.
Another example of movement
in a learning space is having tables at various heights in a classroom. Versus
a series of static or even height-adjustable tables, this variety encourages
students to freely move from one workspace to another. Standing height tables
create the opportunity for movement and increased blood flow, with physical as
well as cognitive benefits. At a standing height table, students can use a
balance board, which we incorporate into our agile classrooms. In doing so,
they fuse physical (body) control with concentration and focus (mind)
requirements.
Removing Barriers to Learning
Whether they’re visual or hands-on learners,
or those requiring additional support, every student must be involved so they
can learn and thrive. Using agile furniture, such as moveable and multipurpose tables;
storage that doubles as seating or work surfaces; a varied selection of
workspaces; lightweight, movable seats and other adaptable features, each space
has the flexibility to be quickly rearranged and transformed into a unique,
subject-appropriate setting —one that’s visually appealing, smart and that
involves the student at a deeper level.
In addition to creating
spaces specific to an activity, flexible learning environments can be
reconfigured according to student and teacher needs, breaking down obstacles to
learning. Students can select their preferred workspace or create their own.
When they are in a space where they feel more comfortable or safe, they are
better able to retain information and are more engaged. In addition, to more
effectively utilize the space and engage, our classroom furniture designs
always include versatility. We make use of walls, floors and the entire room,
enabling teachers to have kids stand during certain aspects of the lesson, sit
during others and balance (seated or standing) for others. This exemplifies complete engagement and helps kids
manage their energy levels.
We’ve had hundreds of
teachers and school administrators tell us that the empowerment students
acquire enables introverted learners to shine. One principal emailed us
recently saying “Our best teachers are saying that with the agile classroom,
kids are more likely to collaborate with students they would ordinarily not
interact with. They are inspired, self-motivated and less likely to be
intimidated by personal or environmental limitations.”
The Future is Now
The right lighting,
comfort elements, technology and customization are essential but without agile
features, today’s classroom is incomplete. The agile classroom offers immediate
and complete customization; they are completely adaptive and modular. Today’s
classroom cannot remain static. Our youth have a tremendous amount of energy
that needs to be harnessed for absorbing and retaining information. An agile
classroom combines physical and cognitive elements of learning that helps students
acquire a true sense of ownership. It breaks down barriers in education and
addresses a broader array of learning needs and styles.
The multifunctional and
adaptive characteristics of the agile classroom help our educational system
evolve in our fast-paced, ever-changing society to engage more students. In all
classrooms, the role of the teacher cannot be underestimated. In agile environments,
the teacher acts as a facilitator, nurturing a sense of proprietorship and deeper
interest in learning. They guide kids through the decision-making process and make
deeper engagement possible.
Undeniably, these
flexible education spaces offer elements that adapt to the needs of teachers
and students alike. Greater choice means kids are more actively engaged in the
learning process, which inevitably produces better outcomes in all types of
learners.
All educators we’ve
conferred with agree: stagnancy hinders engagement and a lifelong passion for
learning. To spark ownership, agency and empowerment, learning environments
must be relevant today and remain that way well into the future. This is what the agile classroom delivers.
Jolene Levin is a director at NorvaNivel USA, designers and
manufacturers of educational furniture and learning spaces, which are made in
the U.S. For more information, visit https://norvanivel.com/.
