The 21st Century Classroom
How to think about designing some of the most rapidly changing spaces on college campuses
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Teaching and learning are constantly evolving. Classroom typologies, learning styles, pedagogical approaches, institutional culture, and campus standards vary wildly across the higher education landscape. This presents unique challenges in the design of learning environments. As a result of our experience, Jones has developed key metrics for learning spaces that we use as a planning resource with our clients.
Learning environments are changing — faster than ever thanks to Covid-19. The rise of interdisciplinary and collaborative learning has fostered a host of changes to departmental structures, institutional policies, educational pedagogy, research funding, and student life.
Good learning environments are shaped by the activities that they contain, and space planning and design strategies are evolving in response to these changes. As teaching and learning approaches evolve, we work with clients to align and anticipate future needs in the architecture, systems, furniture, AV, technology, finishes, and other aspects of the environment.
Some of the trends that we see in learning include increased competition/increased expectations, supporting broad ranges of teaching and learning styles, providing a diverse portfolio of learning environments, combinations of service and learning, finding learning spaces everywhere, and exploiting opportunities for program sharing or consolidation.
Jones has completed hundreds of classrooms on nearly two dozen college campuses over the last 10 years. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve learned about planning, design, and construction projects for learning environments.
JONES FINDINGS
Contrary to popular opinion, most campuses have enough classrooms.
ON THE HORIZON
Hybrid is Here to Stay.
Not every classroom needs technology
Active learning is best supported by spaces that can adapt on the fly
Adaptability means different things to different groups.
Density differs according to teaching modes.
Creating a prototype classroom is a low-cost way to evaluate needs and efficacy before making a major investment in classroom changes
Classrooms wear many hats; set priorities for how to serve multiple audiences.
The occasions for custom solutions are rare, but necessary.
There is a consensus that there will be other pandemics or crises, and that Universities need to be ready to flip to remote settings at a moment’s notice. Faculty who may have been resistant to the technologies that support remote learning were forced to tackle them over the last year. The crisis also spawned invention — lowcost and user-friendly online collaborative software, guest speakers from across the globe, online breakout sessions for students, integrating media into learning in new ways.
Technology on Tap.
We are now working with several clients on technology improvements in an effort to overhaul classroom inventories to support hybrid settings. At a basic level, this means projector upgrades, cameras, microphones, and software. Many institutions are taking it as an opportunity to improve related technologies — assistive listening for example — to create more inclusive settings for their student body. The rapid turnover of technology requires that these upgrades be focused on the backbone and infrastructure upgrade more than the device.
Seat Counts.
There is a tension between open and flexible classrooms, which necessarily have a lower seat count, and dense and fixed-seating classrooms, which result in a higher seat count.
Registrars and provosts tasked with meeting the demand for seats in a given period are sometimes at odds with faculty who want to teach with active learning, high-touch methods. Hybrid learning could allow new opportunities to relieve this pressure by utilizing remote learning sessions in an equitable and appropriate way.