Does Your Classroom Matter For Learning?

From: Alan Altany (altany@email.wcu.edu)
Date: 03/31/04

  • Next message: Alan Altany: "Follow-up on Classroom Design"

    Does the physical environment of your classrooms affect the learning of
    your students? If so, what kinds of physical environments enhance
    learning?

    The Physics Department of NCSU had done such a study. While it is
    focused primarily upon large enrollment classes, it can readily be
    applied to smaller classes as well. For info, go to
    http://www.ncsu.edu/per/scaleup.html
    <http://www.ncsu.edu/per/scaleup.html> .

            "Educational research indicates that students should collaborate
    on interesting tasks and be deeply involved with the material they are
    studying. We promote active learning in a redesigned classroom of 100
    students or more. (Of course, smaller classes can also benefit.) We
    believe the SCALE-UP Project has the potential to radically change the
    way large classes are taught at colleges and universities. The social
    interactions between students and with their teachers appears to be the
    "active ingredient" that make the approach work. As more and more
    instruction is handled virtually via technology, the
    relationship-building capability of brick and mortar institutions
    becomes even more important. The pedagogical methods and classroom
    management techniques we design and disseminate are general enough to be
    used in a wide variety of classes at many different types of colleges."

    Has anyone modified the physical arrangement of your classroom away from
    the standard rows facing the teacher? If so, why, how and what have
    been the results?

    Thanks.

    Alan

    Alan Altany, Professor & Director
    Coulter Faculty Center
    Western Carolina University
    Cullowhee, NC 28723 (U.S.)
    Email: altany@email.wcu.edu
    <mailto:altany@email.wcu.eduFAX> FAX: 828.227.7340
    CFC Web Site: http://facctr.wcu.edu <http://facctr.wcu.edu/>

    SoTL at Western: http://www.wcu.edu/sotl/

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