Experimental Classroom: Week One

Read part one where I detail the Learning Spaces Initiative.

Surprising Space

On the first day of class, students expected to walk into a traditional classroom with desks in rows. That is not what they got! Two students remarked that it looked like a kindergarten room. One asked if we were going to be in there the whole semester or maybe were we going to move to a different classroom. So, I had some skeptics.

Screen-centric

This “Coffee Shop” classroom only has one screen: a TV that can be moved around. The way the furniture was placed made it very difficult for students to see it. I also realized I would need to rely less on the screen for the times when I give short lectures. I made sure to place any PowerPoints on Canvas (our learning management system) before class so students could look at it on their own devices. And I made sure to have access to a laptop cart.

Group Work

I do a lot of group work and the space facilitates that well. On the first day, I have students play Human Bingo which means they are moving around a lot and talking to multiple people. I also ask students to work in groups and come up with reasons for why we study history. The markerboard tables were great for this activity!

Part of the Experiment

I did tell students that we were the first groups to use the space. I encouraged them to be open to a different room style and thus to a different way of learning. It helped to make them feel like participants instead of passive observers.