This week I explored experience design, redesign, and design theories when designing experiences in the classroom and other learning spaces. From a young age, teachers dream of setting up their own classroom and spend endless hours making sure the color coded sanctuary is “perfect”. Although it may seem “perfect” in the teachers mind, do the learning spaces we create foster learning opportunities for our students to be successful? As I explored experience design this week, I questioned my own learning space and the different ways to improve the learning space for my students. Below, I created an image that generally depicts the current learning environment of our classroom. My classroom consists of cool colors, flexible seating chairs, stools, plants, pillows, rugs, and many of bookshelves with many books! As the reading teacher, I like to provide ample space for students to get cozy and read! I also like to make our learning space collaborative. Therefore, I have different tables throughout the room where students can collaborate with one another. Students are also 1:1 with Chromebooks and often prefer to work on the rugs with a pillow. Chromebooks allow students to be mobile and move around to different spaces when working. Students work together all over the room and even create their own working spaces. Although, I may have thought that I created the “perfect” space, after diving into experience design for innovating learning spaces, I realized that some changes needed to be made. After researching learning theories and maker education, I had an opportunity to redesign my learning space. Check out my redesigned learning space below! I was very deliberate in many of my redesign changes which brought in specific elements. Overall, I want to provide students with collaborative innovative learning spaces. For example, according to The Third Teacher+, providing students with places to test new skills sparks cognitive development. Therefore, I created a variety of spaces for students to collaborate or work individually so students can be exposed to new learning spaces. In addition, Third Teacher also states that giving students furniture that allows them to turn and twist will increase their ability to concentrate, which is why I have incorporated a variety of chairs. Lastly, learners need a comfortable, soft, and cozy area which is why I brought in more rugs and pillows. According to Vanhermert (2013), researchers found that complexity and color both relate to providing visual stimulation for students in the classroom. I choose different shades of blue because cool colors support younger students, and I aim to keep the space clutter free so it is visually appealing and not overstimulating. You will also notice the redesign includes two pods blocked off by bookcases. My intention is to create spaces for students to innovate collaboratively as well as individually or in small groups. I believe the redesign supports both Constructivism and Constructionism in a variety of ways. For example, collaborating with one another supports Piaget’s Constructivism because students are constructing meaningful connections through collaboration and building relationships with old and new knowledge as they innovate. The tables, rugs, and pods will allow students to do so. On the other hand, Constructionism is also supported because students have the spaces to learn by doing. Papert advocated that learning is most effective when the learner designs or constructs a tangible or meaningful product as part of an educational activity (Akerman, 2011). Therefore, construction of knowledge occurs when students build, make, and publicly share objects and students have the learning spaces to do so (Cohen et al., 2018). The redesign provides students with spaces to both innovate and construct new knowledge as well as construct meaningful connections for new learning through collaboration. Learners will use this space to experience learning through making and collaborating in order to gain 21st century skills to be prepared for our global society. References:
Ackermann E. (2001). Piaget's constructivism, Papert's constructionism: What's the difference. Future of Learning Group Publication. http://www.sylviastipich.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Coursera-Piaget-_-Papert.pdf Cohen J. D., Jones W. M., & Smith, S. (2018). Preservice and early career teachers' preconceptions and misconceptions about making in education. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education. https://www-tandfonline-com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/doi/pdf/ DeVoursney J. (2020). Learning Space. [image]. Screenshot. DeVoursney J. (2020). Redesign.[image]. Screenshot. Sheridan K. Halverson, E.R., Litts, B.K., Brahms L, Jacobs-Priebe, L., & Owens, T. (2014). Harvard Educational Review, 84(4), 505-531. Learning in the making: A comparative case-study of three maker spaces Vanhemert K. (2013). Study Shows How Classroom Design Affects Student Learning. https://www.fastcompany.com/1671627/study-shows-how-classroom-design-affects-student-learning Comments are closed.
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