How could you design the physical environment of the classroom,

including technology, to be conducive to student-centered learning? 

By: Carolina Agudelo and Chris Sturmer

As all teachers and teaching styles are different, there is not one simple answer to this question. Instead, there are several factors that should be considered by each teacher when addressing this question in their classroom. 

1. The arrangement of the desks – do they help support the objective of the lesson?

2. Zones – where will the learning take place?

3. Use of Technology – does it simply replace the teacher, or does it support student-centered environment?

Seating Arrangements

We have all been in a traditional classroom. Rows of desks and chairs all facing a front board with whomever is speaking, usually the teacher, the sole focus of the students. “The highest communication interactions between professors and students typically occurs with students in the first row or along the middle of the classroom. Students in back rows are more likely to be less engaged.” (Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning). To redesign your classroom away from teacher-centered towards student-centered, the first thing you should do is ditch the rows. 

Several options exist that a teacher can use to support different activities in class.

Roundtable – students and teachers sit around a large table or desks arranged in a circle. This set up is useful for promoting class discussions   (Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning).
Horseshoe – like the roundtable but with an open area. This style allows the instructor to switch between students engaging each other and focusing on specific material at the front. This setup is useful for getting the students to engage with each other over material being presented (Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning).
Pods (groups, pairs) - Desks are grouped together in a variety of ways. This style allows students to work collaborate easily or work individually. The teacher can use this style to create stations of learning. Although the picture has all the pods facing the same way, this is by no means a requirement. Moving them around the room, placing them in different shapes, and facing different parts of the room all have their advantages. (Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning).

Be creative- Rethink the way your class is set up. Do you have learning spaces for students to work in small groups?

Large groups? Independently? Are there learning spaces that don’t involve desks and chairs?

"Maximize the layout of your room”- If possible, arrange seats/tables/desks so that you can easily move among them and can see multiple screens at once. Some teachers have different arrangements for different activities (desks/seats facing the periphery during independent work, facing front during direct instruction), others use designated areas in the room for technology activities (like stations or centers), and others use mirrors around the room to provide multiple "eyes" in the room

Small Group Models - targeted small group instruction is an imperative part of the learner centered classroom allowing the teacher to meet groups of students and provide the resources and support they need based on their mastery of a standard. The following are examples of how small groups might be managed/implemented in your classroom.

http://techtips-ccsd.blogspot.com/2014/09/tuesday-tech-tips-7-classroom.html

However you decide to set up your room, be sure to listen to your students and change plans accordingly. Take advantage of student interests and ideas. Allow students to form groups and choose their learning space. Place learning materials in a location that all students can see and access easily. Create visuals for around the room in collaboration with students so that they are useful and serve a purpose.  Make the classroom theirs.

Learning Zones or Stations

As you are considering how to arrange the seats/desks/chairs in your classroom, another thought to consider is what is going to be learned and where. Do you want all learning to take place at the front of the classroom? In a student-centered classroom, learning takes place everywhere. One way to help foster this atmosphere is to create different learning zones (Lopez. 2015).

Discovery zone – spark their imagination and give them examples of projects as jumping off points. Get them interested in discovering what they can do. News zone – use this zone to provide students with due dates, assignment guidelines, homework, and anything else that is newsworthy to your students. Supplies zone – make sure your students have everything they need to complete their projects without having to ask you for something or go to their locker every 10 minutes. Community zone – use this place to discuss ideas, pose questions, share resources. Basically, remind the students that they are all working towards the same goal. Quiet zone – this is the place in the classroom for those that prefer to work alone to go. Try to stick this zone in a corner. Teacher zone – generally this is where the teacher does their work and stores their materials.  Subject area zone – this is where you display resources and materials for the subject you teach.

It is up to you, the teacher, to decide if and how you want to create these zones or use your own ideas for promoting a student-centered model throughout the classroom.

Technology

When considering whether or not to use technology, remember that the purpose of a student-centered classroom is to give the students power of choice. It should not be required that they use it, but it should be available if they want.

First, when selecting programs to use make sure the technology promotes individual learning and caters to the needs of the students. Programs such as RAZKids, Achieve3000, Gizmos, Khan Academy, and many more are great examples of programs that are designed to individualize each lesson.

Next, consider whether your students want to always use technology and offer materials in print and digital form to allow them to decide. Rather than picking a side in the great Kindle vs book debate and forcing your students to follow you, give them both options. 

Finally, give the students projects that can be completed in variety of ways (McGraw-Hill. 2017). Can they do it on their iPad, laptop computer, or with pen and paper? If they are going to use technology, be sure to guide them in the basics of unfamiliar software but be sure to let them also learn on their own. That is the point of a student-centered classroom, after all. 

Final Thoughts

Avoid "the stage"- Avoid putting yourself "on stage" in the front of the room. Create an environment where you can move freely around the room and arrange furniture and materials so that you can collaborate with students and facilitate their learning experience.

References

Lopez, Veronic. 2015, July 28. 7 Learning Zones Every Classroom Must Have. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/7-learning-zones-classroom-veronica-lopez

McGraw-Hill. 2017, September 1. 3 Ways to Create a Student-Centered Learning Environment Using Technology. Retrieved from https://medium.com/inspired-ideas-prek-12/3-ways-to-create-a-student-centered-learning-environment-using-technology-2ba9dce92682

Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. 2019. Classroom Seating Arrangements. Yale University. Retrieved from https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/ClassroomSeatingArrangements

Weaver, Jennifer. Retrieved from: https://bcpsodl.pbworks.com/w/page/106436877/The%20Learner%20Centered%20Environment