What if . . . ? A Brief Case for Learning Community Classroom Design
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| What if . . . we designed active learning spaces with collapsible walls? |
Learning communities can take many forms. Some are based on grouping students by extracurricular activities and interests, some are based on course or disciplinary groupings, and some are based on the teaching philosophies and pedagogical methods of groups of faculty members.
No matter how a learning community is created, however, something that remains consistent is the need for those students in that community to learn together. That need requires a space, and a space designed for learning communities will facilitate that sense of, well . . . community.
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| What if . . . collapsible walls allowed for the expansion of learning communities, team teaching, and cooperative learning? |
What if more institutions adopted the structure of learning communities, team teaching, and cooperative learning? What would that look like? One idea is to utilize one specific design element, the folding wall room divider, and one specific logistical consideration, block scheduling of students and faculty.
This solution requires each participating faculty member, in this case two, to teach two back-to-back sections of their class while their partner does the same. Classes happen concurrently. Students take one class, then the other, while their counterparts take the same classes in reverse order. As the semester progresses and the course materials begin to merge, the room divider can be opened, allowing for the faculty members to team teach for the day, both class blocks, perhaps offering lecture materials to the entire group, or perhaps allowing students to merge into large groups to brainstorm or collaborate on project-based learning assignments. The room can be arranged into areas that allow for faculty to mentor, meet, or otherwise assist individuals or groups of students. The room would allow for visitors, including community members and guest speakers, panel discussions, debates, and a whole host of collaborative learning activities.
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| What if . . . we opened our classrooms to community members as guest speakers? |
The possibilities greatly expand, in this scenario, for facilitating the creation of working relationships among students, among faculty, and between students and faculty. These types of relationships increase engagement and student achievement, as faculty are able to become part of students' figurative and quite literal, circles.
What if . . . this is an option worth exploring?
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Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.
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