Engaging Students Through The Design of Learning Spaces
(Excerpts from a dissertation study, Millennial Students' and Faculty's Perceptions of a New Generation of Learning Classrooms)
A Classroom With A Purpose
"The main purpose is to create a team work environment. You feel that you are actually going to do something instead of watch the instructor." - Millennials
"I get more student interaction in the Learning Studio. I struggled to get my students to participate, respond, react, and ask questions in a traditional classroom. Now, students are engaged. It encourages group work. It makes it easy for students to cluster and talk and ask questions with one another." - Faculty
Participating In Nontraditional Roles
"In the traditional classroom, the instructor is the boss. They don't want the students to teach. They take the role of a lecturer. Now, the instructors are not seen as the authoritative person in the Learning Studio. They are more of a mentor. This new teaching method has more involvement with the students. The professors know more about the students." - Millennials
"You (faculty) become the guide rather than the person who does all the lectures and who has all the information. I do less talking in the Learning Studio. Everyone is an expert in some area. All this is different when students are aligned like soldiers in a row. Then, they would look at the instructor as an authoritative person." - Faculty
Inundated With Technology
"There is a jump in technology in comparison to the traditional classrooms. There are computers everywhere." - Millennials
"All the technology that I want to use is in the Learning Studio and not in the traditional classroom. There is a laptop at every desk." - Faculty
Forming A Support Network
"When we are in a group, students open up a lot more. If the professor asks you a question and you don't know the answer, then it can be referred to your group members. The spotlight won't be on you. You are not sitting by yourself. We support each other. You're not by yourself in this environment." - Millennials
"Students who wouldn't normally talk now ask questions in their groups. They become very comfortable." - Faculty
Increased Access To Students
"The set up of the tables is easy for me to navigate. It's not like you have to be in the front and center all the time. I can tap a student on the shoulder. I like the openness of it." - Faculty
Increased Comfort
"The chairs are supportive for your back. They invest in chairs. If you have the ones in the traditional classroom you are always sitting straight. It makes you tired. You want to leave because they are not comfortable. I like the design of the tables (curvy sides). It's on wheels, so you can move it around. Your body is molded to your spot on the table" - Millennials
Collaborating On Writing Spaces
"The students are eager to write and share their ideas on the whiteboard. They record ideas and ask students to take a look at what they wrote. It's right there in front of them" - Faculty