Research suggests that effective learning space design improves student achievement and engagement. Administrators can greatly improve a student’s progress by moving them from an ineffective learning space to a highly effective learning space. Important factors include naturalness (i.e., natural light, air quality), individualization (i.e., ownership, flexibility), and stimulation (i.e., complexity level).
This report describes how districts select and implement classroom layouts, furniture, and technology resources to support student-centered instructional practices.
Redesign motivationsEducators are increasingly focused on how classroom design affects learning. The crowdfunding site DonorsChoose saw requests for funding for flexible furniture increase from 110 to 21,163 from 2015 to 2016. Recently, districts and cities—including all profiled districts—have begun to undergo school upgrade and classroom design initiatives. In major cases (i.e., cases that incorporate building renovations), initiative costs can reach prices from $42.5 million dollars to 1.2 billion dollars.
Contacts and research studies suggest that learning space design measurably contributes to student academic achievement. Teachers at District A report that the quality and creativity of student work improved following learning space redesign. Further, a study of 153 U.K. classrooms asserts that administrators can greatly improve a student’s progress by moving that student from an ineffective learning space to a highly effective learning space. Importantly, the study found that whole-school factors (e.g., size, play facilities, navigation routes) are less impactful on student outcomes than the design of individual classrooms.
Classroom designResearch on learning space design recommends that teachers segment their classroom into defined learning zones that…