Next Classroom

NEXT EDUCATION ® LEARNING SPACE ANALYSIS

HOW SUSTAINABLE AND FUTURE-PROOF LEARNING SPACES ARE CREATED

Can the physical environment affect learning?

MAKE ROOM FOR LEARNING

CLASSROOM INSPIRATION

CLASSROOM BY

Elisabet Ingemarsson, Principal

Peter C. Lippman, Learning environment expert

Hjärnberikad & KAKA Architects

CAN THE PHYSICAL ENVIRON MENT AFFECT LEARNING?

At Kinnarps, we are convinced that it can. In a survey conducted by Demoskop (2016), for example, two thirds of teachers say that the physical environment is crucial or very important for their students’ performance. In the report ‘Clever Classrooms’ (2015), whose main author is Peter Barrett, British professor of property and construction management, the researchers find that classroom design can increase students’ knowledge development by up to 16% in a single year.

The physical environment can make the daily work of both students and staff easier. It’s a matter of creating a well-thought-out and properly designed learning environment, which takes into account interior design, ergonomics, acoustics, lighting and air quality. This has the effect of promoting health, improving performance and saving time, and provides security for teachers and students.

CREATING INCLUSIVE LEARNING SPACES

Through research, contact with teachers, physiotherapists and other experts in the school world, as well as through our own experience, we know that children and young people learn in different ways and have different capacities for assimilating knowledge. Some need peace and quiet, while others need the opportunity for movement. In an inclusive learning space there is a variety of interior furnishings to support both collaborative and individual work. There, the students can make active choices of where they work to suit the task in hand, feel that they have a say and can develop on the basis of their own abilities.

It is important to bear in mind that what benefits students with special needs also benefits the other students. It is important to take this diversity seriously. Differences become an asset and create synergy effects that benefit all students. The physical environment must be designed to support all individuals and created for equality. Through a better understanding of how the physical environment can promote achievement of

the school’s goals, new learning environments can be built to support the teachers’ important work.

SUSTAINABLE LEARNING SPACES FOR EVERYONE – THREE CLASSROOM DESIGNS

To learn more about how the physical environment can affect learning, we contacted learning environment experts. They were each asked to design their ideal classroom and explain their choice of interior design. We hope this will inspire you to consider how, by using different types of furnishing, you can support students with different needs and give them the best opportunity to learn.

Some perspectives occur repeatedly, such as individualised, active, wholeness, security, overview and  movement, but there are also differences between the environments.

This supports our view that there should always be some kind of analysis of the learning environment before interior design is purchased, in order to find out about needs and ways of working. In this way, sustainable environments that support both students and teachers in their everyday work can be created.

We invite you to read the interviews, look at the sketches and consider how your school can use the physical environment as a positive pedagogical tool.

Next Education ® is Kinnarps’ concept and method for creating customised learning spaces based on the unique characteristics and needs of each school –read more about this at the end of the brochure.

KINNARPS CLASSROOM BY ELISABET INGEMARSSON

Pedagogy and technology change – but furnishing learning spaces that support the individual and the students who are to work in them creates the very best opportunities for active learning. Both now and in the future. This is the view of Elisabet Ingemarsson, principal of the innovative Sjölunda school, a municipal school for children from preschool to year 6 in Lidköping, Sweden.

Elisabet and her colleagues have realised their shared vision of activity-based learning and multi-modal work which takes the individual’s abilities and needs as its starting point. In the classroom, the children have the opportunity to develop and choose their own place for different tasks.

A CLASSROOM FOR ACTIVE LEARNING

“For me, the fundamental thing is that the classroom should activate the children and enable them to choose between different workplaces. I have designed a classroom consisting of a large home base supplemented by two group rooms with project tables and soft seating. The classroom offers four completely different ways of working.”

The students can choose to work on the floor, which is covered with a soft, comfortable carpet that frames the whole room and signals to the children that it’s okay to sit here.

“These four spaces signal to the children that it’s OK to change their position and way of working in discussion with their teacher. I have also chosen to abandon the classic teacher’s desk. Instead, there is a desk where the teacher can set up their computer and put their work material down, and then move freely around the classroom.”

Elisabet Ingemarsson’s starting point when she created her ideal classroom was her extensive experience.

In the classroom there is an education table with chair, which supports a more traditional way of working. This is supplemented by a high table that enables the students to stand up and work – they can also choose to sit at the high table on a high stool. The fourth parameter is soft seating in the form of easy chairs and sofas.

“I didn’t actively look for research that supports my theories, but through my proven experience I have seen how the children react to different environments. I also base my work on Reggio Emilia’s philosophy of the importance of a good learning environment, what the learning environment signals to the students and how they can conquer the learning environment. In Sjölunda, we think we’ve achieved a really good result, where the students have a great interaction with the teachers and the environment. We’ve seen that when we work with activity-based learning, we get good work processes in the room, since the children find their own way of learning. If a student is lying on the floor reading a book, it isn’t actually the position itself that’s important, but the

I have designed a classroom for preschool to 6 that offers four completely different ways of working.

ELISABET INGEMARSSON, PRINCIPAL OF SJÖLUNDA SCHOOL (PRESCHOOL-6), LIDKÖPING, SWEDEN

learning process that’s taking place. In this way we can draw out the best from each student.”

PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND PEDAGOGICAL ENVIRONMENT IN HARMONY

Traditionally, in Swedish schools, we have worked a lot with benches and desks - there were not so many work surfaces for the children to go to. In view of the fact that some children have a lot of movement in their bodies, this kind of environment can sometimes be a problem. They need alternatives, Elisabet thinks.

“Visitors to Sjölunda sometimes ask us whether the children fight to sit in the easy chairs, but that isn’t the case. Because there are so many different types of environments to go to, there’s never any competition. Some children also learn really quickly what suits them - freedom of choice becomes a route to increased self-awareness.”

“Overview and transparency are really important in my classroom. As a teacher, I want to be able to scan the environment with my eyes so that I have a good overview and can see what’s happening. This also gives the children security. That’s why my classroom has no hidden or forgotten corners, and no shelves more than a metre high that can obstruct the view. My eyes have to be able to meet the children’s. But it’s important to emphasise that my ideal classroom is marked by strong leadership from the teacher. This means that the children aren’t allowed to jump around just as they like, but they choose a place and way of working in discussion with their teacher. It’s the teacher’s task to use their leadership to guide the children around the environment. The interaction between the students, the teacher and the environment is the key to a good learning environment.”

When Elisabet furnishes her classroom, she starts with the accessibility model, where she attaches equal importance to the physical, social and pedagogical environment. These three factors interact in the interior design. In the home base, the combination of different tables, carpets and soft seating makes it easy for the individual student to choose the place that suits the current task. The group room with a project table supports concentrated collaboration and the group room with soft seating is a room that encourages conversation and dialogue.

“The fact that the environment also supports the social aspect and gives both quietness for study and security in relations with other students and the teacher is really important. When we carry out surveys among the students, a quiet atmosphere for study comes high up on their

5 TIPS!

1. An activity-based classroom makes it possible to meet the needs of the individual student and utilise every individual’s full potential.

2. Four different ways of working – sitting on the floor, sitting at a table, standing at a table or soft seating – make it easy for the students to choose the place that suits the moment.

3. Flexible interior design solutions support the pedagogical need and facilitate the use of new technology.

4. Focus on ergonomics: seat ergonomics, acoustics and a calm, harmonious design with muted colours.

5. The activity-based classroom is founded on strong leadership, where the teacher has a good overview and can guide the students through activities and places.

The accessibility model

wish list, so I’ve chosen a number of acoustic solutions in the form of sound-absorbing furniture and carpets,” says Elisabet, who has noticed that children often seek out the soft elements when they are exploring a new environment for the first time.

“We’ve become really good at looking after adults’ office environments, but the idea of ergonomics has never really caught on in the children’s world. Now we’ve begun to talk about the environment as the third pedagogue. We see the environment as an important teaching resource.”

FLEXIBLE INTERIOR DESIGN AND THE RIGHT COLOURS

An important element of the classroom’s design is that Elisabet has chosen to have storage units on castors, which are easy to move around, making the room flexible. Depending on what the student group is like, their age and how they work, the room can quickly be modified.

“We’ve chosen colours on the basis of how children react to them, and what signals the colours send out. It’s important that the room is not perceived as messy. So we’ve chosen unified colours for the rooms – white laminate and the same type of wood throughout as a calm, neutral basis. Then we bring in colour in the form of textiles and covers, for example blue and green. A calm, stable environment with unified colours sends out good signals to the students – many children can react really badly if there are too many sensory impressions. For us, it’s important for all children to have the same opportunities – to create a school for all students.”

ORIGO

A series of school tables available in many different heights and shapes to suit all needs. Table tops with sound-absorbing characteristics for a good acoustic environment and the possibility of adding castors for smooth movement. At the side there is a hook for a jacket or a bag.

XPECT HIGH

An embracing student chair that gives the student their own space and creates security in the classroom. The flexing back encourages movement and allows a high level of concentration to be maintained for longer periods. Suspendable to facilitate cleaning and stackable for efficient use of space.

VAGABOND DUO

A functional and creative table with two heights, for standing or seated work. A perfect table for collaboration. Lockable castors make it easy to move or put in a fixed position – all for a flexible environment.

SPACE LECTERN

A lectern with castors, easy for the teacher to roll around the room. Gives a functional work surface and practical storage unit, within easy reach.

MOTUS

Stool in two heights, with castors for smooth transportation. The curved, upholstered seat makes the stool comfortable. The design allows for different ways of sitting.

In order to make the furnishing in the group rooms adjoining the classrooms visible, a glass wall has been drawn in, but in reality this should be a covered wall.

INVITO

Sturdy, comfortable easy chair with an embracing back. Perfect for comfortable individual seating with time for focus or in a group for collaborating with other students.

CLASSROOM BY PETER C. LIPPMAN

The ideal classroom is created to build relationships between teachers and students, and between student and student. According to learning environment expert Peter C. Lippman, this is a matter of creating a classroom that enables the students to develop self-awareness, social awareness and spatial awareness.

Peter is a learning environment expert from New York and has been working on designing learning environments for more than 25 years. He also conducts research in the subject and is currently working on his dissertation on school environ ments at La Trobe University in Bendigo, Victoria in Australia. His research covers various projects in schools in Australia, USA and Sweden. Peter is also one of the people behind the innovative Skapaskolan in Stockholm, Sweden. With degrees in psychology, sociology and philosophy, he always bases his work on scientific evidence.

for groups of four students, while the tables and sofas at the front are for groups of eight.

“The grouping of the furniture is based on research into group work, where the groups can consist of up to eight people, but then gradually break up into groups of four, and then two. The larger groupings are right at the front, so they are easily accessible for the teacher. By creating these various groupings, the teacher can easily integrate with all the students in the room.”

A CLASSROOM WITH VARIATION

“This room for classes 7 to 9 has been planned to be used for large group meetings, group work and individual work. The best thing is that teachers and students can switch seamlessly between different activities,” Peter explains. The hard architecture in the room, such as the walls and windows, is based on existing classrooms he has worked with in his Swedish projects. The concept of the arrangement of the room is based on his ideas and his work in the USA, Australia and Sweden. Right at the back of the room, perpendicular to the wall, are high benches designed

This type of furnishing has many advantages. A larger number of smaller groups is easier to manage. The teacher can focus on the whole class, and if necessary circulate among the groups and talk to them directly. Plus, each student can focus on the work tasks individually. To put it simply, every student has a place in the room. Another advantage of this arrangement is that all the students can focus their attention towards the front of the room at the same time as they have their own personal space - an invisible bubble around them – which can be extended or shrunk depending on what activity they are involved in and who they are cooperating with.

Whether we are talking about today or tomorrow, a modern learning environment enables the teacher to move around the room and have direct contact with each student.

PETER

Even if the room doesn’t have a teacher’s desk, you can add a small table where the teacher can put a laptop, for example.

“The purpose of the room is that the teacher can move around in it, and see and understand how the students interact when acquiring knowledge,” says Peter.

CHOOSE THE PLACE TO SUIT THE ACTIVITY

The classroom is very flexible, which means that the students can move between and around the different furniture groups with their work material to accomplish the task.

For example, you can sit and work at a table, and when you need a break from standing or sitting on a stool you can sit and carry on working on the floor, sit at a table and go on working on the project on your own, or discuss it with the other students or with the teacher.

With the right kind of furnishing, the students can also show and make visible what they have learned, for example by using printable desk surfaces, movable writing boards with magnets or walls painted with whiteboard paint. In this way, a classroom with space for a number of different furniture groupings encourages the students to develop social and emotional skills, and gives them the opportunity to collaborate with others while the teacher observes what is happening at a certain distance. The layout is structured to support behavioural, cognitive and social skills at a high level.

INTERACTION: THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

How well a classroom functions depends entirely on the people who use it, according to Peter.

“Teachers need to feel that they have the self-confidence and competence to work in these environments and to understand that the only difference between a traditional classroom and this one is that it gives them easier access to the students.

The students will develop their self-awareness, their social awareness and their spatial awareness, while teachers will be able to strengthen students’ sense of well-being and belonging in a better way, by being able to interact with the students actively as they gather new knowledge. We

5 TIPS!

1. Classrooms are collaborative environments where we can create various different layouts that support different ways of assimilating knowledge. The spaces must be integrated in order to encourage learning and motivate students. These are spaces for performance, and we should aim to make every day a new experience for both teachers and students.

2. Corners, which are built into the architecture and created with the help of furniture, make safe, secure places where the students can find calm and feel safe when they are working on their projects.

3. The teachers should be able to move around the room easily, which means that the learning environments cannot be crammed with furniture. There should be a number of different activity spaces in the classroom.

4. Make the walls places the students can use to find calm, as well as being other focus points in the room.

5. Try out different layouts, visit other schools and see how they do things, and find out what works and what doesn’t, and what challenges and opportunities different environments bring. Always ask yourself the question: what works best for you and for your way of teaching, and how do you want your students to learn new things?

simply move away from the feeling of performing on a stage, and instead enable the teachers to perform in a classroom where they get to know their students, learn more about their friends and families, what they like and don’t like and how they learn new things best.”

According to Peter, it is important to realise that classrooms are not perfect but are, rather, constantly developing. Architecture is one of the elements that help to facilitate teaching and learning, and we should aim to create an integrated spatial design rather than relying on fragmented solutions.

“Before we design buildings, we first have to understand what activities are intended to take place in them, and if necessary help both teachers and students to make the transition to these innovative learning environments. This is a journey, and we must embrace it so that we can develop students who learn for their entire lives.”

Before we design buildings, we first have to understand what activities are intended to take place in them, and if necessary help both teachers and students to make the transition to these innovative learning environments.

VIBE

A versatile, flexible and creative screen series that includes ceiling, wall, floor and table screens. The screens are sound dampening and contribute to a good acoustic environment. Easy to personalise through a wide variety of dimensions, colours, shapes and choice of accessories such as shelves, hooks, mirror, newspaper pocket etc.

XPECT LOW

An embracing student chair that gives the student their own space and creates security in the classroom. The flexing back encourages movement and allows a high level of concentration to be maintained for longer periods. Suspendable to facilitate cleaning and stackable for efficient use of space.

NEO

Bar stool for higher sitting, with comfortable support in the back. Upholstered seat for extra comfort and stackable for efficient use of space.

PLINT

Creative and highly regarded stool that allows students to choose their own way of sitting. Available in different heights and sizes and with fixed legs or rocking frame for active sitting.

CAP

SPACE

Multifunctional and flexible student storage on castors that can also be used to screen off the room. Possibility of choosing whiteboard or sound dampening on the back. Choose between drawers, doors or sliding doors.

A small, light, stackable stool, easy to bring out to create additional seating. Manufactured in moulded felt, producing a sound-absorbing effect.

In order to make the furnishing in the group rooms adjoining the classrooms visible, a glass wall has been drawn in, but in reality this should be a covered wall.

HJÄRNBERIKAD & KAKA ARCHITECTS

The teenage brain has special needs that set requirements for classroom design. Hjärnberikad and KAKA Architects have put their clever heads together and created a varied, exciting and relaxing classroom that gives the teenager confidence and a desire to learn.

For more than a decade, Linda Bellvik and Ulrika Ahlqvist have been working to convert brain research into practical pedagogy for schools, companies and organisations. Hjärnberikad wants to work for a better understanding of how our brains work and how they are affected by the environment around us. Linda and Ulrika have developed a concept with ten good habits related to food, movement, sleep and physical and mental environment that contribute to stimulating the health and well-being of the brain. The methodology is based on collaboration with leading brain researchers, including Rolf Ekman, who is a brain researcher in neurochemistry.

“We share a common approach, in which the physical, social and pedagogical learning environments are equally important in creating an optimal, complete learning space,” says Ulrika Ahlqvist at Hjärnberikad.

The teenage brain is a challenge, according to Linda Bellvik at Hjärnberikad.

This classroom for students in classes 6 to 9 has been designed in close collaboration with KAKA Architects, Annika Hedeblom and Bodil Perneborn. Hjärnberikad and KAKA have been working together for a long time to realise brain-friendly environments on behalf of schools and companies and share the vision of more inclusive school environments that contribute to improved well-being. At KAKA, around 15 architects work on designing new preschools, schools and offices, and their commissions cover the whole spectrum from interior design to construction architecture and urban planning.

“The teenage brain is a challenge, because it has a completely different chemistry than the child’s brain or an adult brain. It has an increased need for sleep and has also gone a little off course when it comes to developing executive functions such as control of impulses, management of feelings, logical thinking and risk assessment. The teenage brain is in a sensitive phase and we therefore need to treat it with particular care.”

A classroom that supports teenagers’ development and learning therefore needs to offer movement and stimulation in combination with security and opportunities for recuperation.

FURNISHED FOR MOVEMENT

This classroom encourages variation and movement in a number of ways. Divided into a number of different zones, it gives students and teachers the opportunity to change the furnishing of the classroom as required, explains Bodil Perneborn at KAKA.

We have created a classroom that takes account of the needs of students in classes 6 to 9, and is sustainable in the long term. The idea is to give the teenage brain the right conditions, both mental and physical.

HJÄRNBERIKAD & KAKA ARCHITECTS

“It should be possible to divide the classroom into a number of small zones that can be customised to the size of the groups and the activities in progress. The possibilities are marked by the different carpets on the floor and the drapes that can be used as dividers. But the furniture itself, for example the staggered seating in the corner, also exudes flexibility. In the staggered seating you can sit, stand or lie down. You can sit and work there, alone or in a group, or listen in to the classroom. But you can also turn the setup around and sit on cushions down on the floor and listen upwards.”

Physical movement is another important factor for the teenage brain, according to Ulrika Ahlqvist.

“We weren’t made to sit still. We manage to sit still and listen for about 20 minutes, then we lose focus. We have therefore designed the classroom so that it encourages movement, with height-adjustable tables, balance boards, skipping ropes and pilates balls. The tables are also easy to move, so you can quickly clear a bigger space if you want to make room for a bit of a ‘brain break’.”

THE BRAIN WANTS TO REST

A teenagers’ sleep pattern means that the students tires easily It’s therefore important to design the classroom so that it’s possible to withdraw for rest and recuperation. If you want to work separately in small groups you can pull the drapes in front of the staggered seating or go into the small grouproom with the sofa and close the door. In the classroom there are also two section seatings with easy chairs that can be screened off with drapes. The built-in storage unit above it helps to make it particularly cosy.

“Storage is really important in a classroom, but unfortunately something that’s often neglected. Here we have chosen to build a generous-sized built-in storage unit, which both contributes to the spatiality and makes it easy to keep things organised and tidy. A storage unit with tight doors makes it possible to direct the students’ focus by putting away things that might have a distracting effect. As a result, the classroom takes on a calmer atmosphere,” explains architect Annika Hedeblom at KAKA.

5 TIPS!

1. The brain is not made for sitting still. After 20 minutes sitting still, it loses concentration. The classroom should therefore have built-in opportunities for movement in the form of active sitting, height-adjustable tables and furniture that is easy to move around.

2. A safe brain is a smart brain. The classroom should provide both physical and social security. If correctly furnished, with the possibility of creating social spaces, the classroom can strengthen the students’ sense of belonging.

3. The brain benefits from recuperation. Therefore, the classroom should provide the opportunity for students to withdraw for rest and reflection, individually or together. This facilitates learning and increases well-being.

4. A safe environment need not necessarily be predictable. Flexible furniture that can easily be re-arranged creates anticipation of the next step of the learning: what’s going to happen now?

5. Variations in colour and texture stimulate the brain and contribute to a safe, attractive environment where the students feel at home, and where they want to return to.

For the classroom, KAKA Architects have created three different colour concepts inspired by nature – a place where the brain always feels at home: ‘Oatfield’ with green and yellow straw shades, ‘Waterside’ with blue, sandy and warm pink shades and ‘Lingonberry thicket’ with a hint of lingonberry and milk. You can find all the concepts at kinnarps.com

LIGHT AND GREENERY

The stimulating impression comes instead from the classroom’s carefully thought-out combinations of colours and textures. Damped colours in harmony, together with tactile materials – wood, carpets and drapes – create an exciting and cosy variation.

Light and greenery are important for the chemistry of the brain, and Hjärnberikad and KAKA have therefore worked actively to maximise the natural daylight entering the room by using large windows which also serve as seats. The artificial lighting is also varied, with space-creating vertical light. In the classroom there are also green plants.

But what about technology?

“The great thing about new technology is that you don’t need to be limited to a single whiteboard, but that you can be flexible. We work a lot with projection on walls and VR in small student groups – digitisation means you can move around however you want,” says Linda Bellvik.

THE CLASSROOMS OF THE FUTURE

This is only the beginning of the changes our learning environ ments are going through, Linda Bellvik thinks.

“At the moment, there’s a lot of research going on in this field, some of it in the form of different lab environments that are investigating the connections between the physical, social and pedagogical environment, with regard to new communications technology and flexi-spaces. Evidence-based research from

these lab environments will give us an understanding of how we can create the classrooms of the future and at the same time offer security to students and teachers.”

Bodil Perneborn at KAKA thinks digitisation is going to affect classroom design to an ever greater extent.

“We can already see that traditional front-of-the-class teaching is on the decline. I think there will also be a greater focus on rest and recuperation. You shouldn’t need to go to the school nurse to be able to get some rest and feel that someone’s taking care of you a little. That opportunity is available in the classroom of the future!”

BOULLÉE

A creative seat with ergonomics like a pilates ball. Encourages active sitting and contributes to a playful expression through colour and shape.

PLINT

A creative and highly regarded stool that allows students to choose their own way of sitting. Available in different heights and sizes and with fixed legs or rocking frame for active sitting.

FIELDS

A series of sofas and easy chairs with modules that can be combined in many different ways for example to create a room in a room and a good acoustic environment. Choose high or low back, with or without swivel, cushions attached to back or loose and power socket in base.

SPACE

MONOLITE

A small table which is easy to move and flexible to sit and work at. By putting your feet on the table frame you can easily pull it towards the seat. It is stackable, so it can be put away when necessary.

In order to make the furnishing in the group rooms adjoining the classrooms visible, a glass wall has been drawn in, but in reality this should be a covered wall.

A student chair with very good ergonomics. Encourages natural movement, without any disturbing noise, as the seat and back move independently. Easily adjusted for all individuals, from the tallest to the shortest in the class. Choose with or without castors.

A practical storage unit with endless possibilities of combinations. Different modules and options make it easy to create the best solution for each unique environment – large or small.

XACT

DO YOU WANT MORE INSPIRATION?

On our web you can find more information and inspiration related to ‘Classroom by’ and sustainable learning spaces.

• List of products for each classroom

• Product information

• Film with tour of each classroom

• Inspiring images and reference cases from schools

• Further information about Next Education® and our learning space analysis

KINNARPS.COM

THIS IS HOW YOU CREATE THE BEST LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR YOU –A MEANINGFUL WHOLE

We hope you have been inspired by the three classrooms. We hope they have given you a lot of knowledge and insights and, not least, some thoughts about how your own school could benefit from these ideas. There is no ready-made solution for the perfect physical environment – one size fits no one. The road to your own best learning environment is a matter of carrying out a thorough survey. In order to know what you need, you firstly need an understanding of how the current learning environment works, what your present needs are, how you would like to work in the future and what your future needs might be.

Kinnarps’ vision is to create learning spaces where all students can develop, be motivated and engaged, where they are given the opportunity to achieve their full potential. In our concept Next Education® we can, with the aid of various tools and analyses, help you in the change journey to your ideal learning space.

BEFORE A CHANGE IS MADE IN THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, WE ASK ALL SCHOOLS FIVE QUESTIONS:

1. How does our school work today –for example in terms of collaboration, creativity and security?

2. How does our physical environment support learning?

3. How are the acoustics, lighting and air quality perceived in our environments?

4. How does our learning environment promote health and well-being among students and staff?

5. Are the learning environments customised for current and future ways of working and needs?

Students and teachers in a Next Education® workshop.

HOW KINNARPS’ LEARNING SPACE ANALYSIS WORKS

Our learning space analysis finds out what is needed to create the very best learning environment for you. It gives a good basis for a supportive learning space and a starting point for sketching the interior design proposal. An important part of the analysis is also to involve, include and prepare everyone who will use the future spaces. In simple terms, it’s about understanding and analysing in order to improve. This is how our method looks:

Inspiration & vision

First, we gather the management or project group for vision and inspiration. We hold a lecture about the learning spaces of the future, based on research and experience, we make study visits and conduct a workshop to create consensus. Together, the group formulates values, vision and strategy. It is important for the management to have a clear idea of why they are carrying out the change.

Workshops

In the next stage, staff and students are involved. New ideas and ways of thinking are tried out by means of concrete tools and workshops. For example, the participants are given the chance to reflect on where they want to perform different types of activities and, with the help of blocks and a board, try furnishing different learning environments.

Web survey

The mapping also includes a web survey in which the participants answer questions about their current learning environment and how they would like to work in their future learning environment. How proud are you of your school? Do you feel secure? Are there spaces for concentration? Are there spaces for collaboration? How does the classroom work?

Data

All data gathered from the web survey and from our meetings, discussions and workshops is compiled in a report. Together with you, we go through the report and its conclusions. We make recommendations about the physical environment and what is important to consider in the next stage, when a design is drawn up. The report provides a basis for creating the very best learning environment for you.

Vision Workshops Web survey Data

THE EFFECT

The effect you get from a learning space analysis is a sustainable, future-proof, thought-out and well-designed learning space. An environment that supports students and staff today, tomorrow and over time, and that promotes success, well-being, learning and development.

Sustainable people

• Inclusion and involvement

• Better health and well-being

• Team spirit

• Pride in the school

• Increased productivity, efficiency and creativity

Sustainable environments

• The right type and number of environments

• Flexible environments that can be modified over time and as needed

• Variation of environments that encourage movement and better ergonomics

• Future-proof environments in quality, design and flexibility

• Environments that support actual activities

• Environments for collaboration and sharing knowledge

Sustainable economics

• More efficient use of space

• The right interior design solution from the start, which minimises unnecessary additions

• Increased productivity, efficiency and creativity

• Less sick leave

• Stronger brand and easier recruitment

A SUSTAINABLE CLASSROOM IS PREPARED FOR DIFFERENT LEARNING SITUATIONS

By using a flexible interior design, you can create a sustainable, future-proof classroom. Here, the same 60 sq m classroom has been furnished in four different ways with the same furniture, to support different learning situations.

Lecture Collaboration

WE LOOK FORWARD HEARING FROM YOU!

Would you like to know more about Kinnarps Next Education ® and how our learning space analysis can develop your school? Or are you perhaps interested in specific parts of our method? We customise everything to your needs and to where you are in the process. An inspiring lecture? Workshops to create a shared vision among the staff team? An analysis of the current situation or a complete learning space analysis? Get in touch, and we’ll tailor a solution.

READ MORE ABOUT HOW THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS LEARNING

Barret, Peter, Zang, Yufan, Davies, Faye & Barret, Lucinda (2015). Clever Classrooms. Salford: University of Salford. www.cleverclassroomsdesign.co.uk

Demoskop (2016). What Sweden’s students and teachers think about the school environment.

• Daram, Lisa & de Laval, Suzanne (eds.) (2017). S kolans nya rum [The school’s new rooms]: An anthology on the interaction between pedagogy and architecture. Stockholm, Sweden Arkus.

de Laval, Suzanne, Frelin, Anneli & Grannäs, Jan (2019). Ifous fokuserar skolmiljöer [Ifous focuses on school environments]: Evaluation and feedback on experience in the physical school environment. Stockholm, Sweden: Ifous report series.

• Hansen, Anders (2016). Hjärnstark [Brain strength]: How exercise and training strengthen your brain. Stockholm, Sweden Fitnessförlaget AB.

Imms, Wesley, Cleveland, Benjamin & Fisher, Kenn (eds.) (2016). Evaluating Learning Environments: Snapshots of Emerging Issues, Methods and Knowledge. Leiden: Brill.

• Jarl, Maria, Blossing, Ulf & Klas Andersson (2017). Att organisera för skolframgång [Organising for school success]. Strategies for an equivalent school. Stockholm, Sweden Natur & Kultur.

• Kinnarps AB (2019). Kinnarps presents a study on classroom working environments. https://www.kinnarps.com/about-kinnarps/press/kinnarpspresents- a-study-on-classroom-working-environments/ [19 February 2020].

• Kinnarps AB (2017). Future learning environments – trends spotted by Kinnarps.https://www.kinnarps.com/knowledge/trend-report-2017/ [20 February 2020].

Learning spaces (no date). https://www.learningspaces.dk [20 February 2020]. Lippman, Peter C. (2010) Evidence-Based Design of Elementary and Secondary Schools: A Responsive Approach to Creating Learning Environments. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

• The Classroom experiment (2010). Dylan Williams. [TV programme]. BBC2

• Valsö, Malin & Malmgren, Frida (2019). Fysisk lärmiljö [Physical learning environment]: Optimising for security, calmness for work and learning. Lund: Studentlitteratur AB.

We are currently building a test classroom at our headquarters in Kinnarp, Sweden. You and your students are invited to spend a day holding lessons and finding out which classroom furnishing suits you best. On an area of 60 sq m we have constructed a real classroom, where the interior design can be customised to suit different learning situations. Contact your local Kinnarps sales office for more information.