Embracing Flexibility in Education: Lessons from the One-Room Schoolhouse
Navigating the future requires embracing adaptable learning environments inspired by the valuable lessons of the one-room schoolhouse.
In the beginning was a one-room schoolhouse. In its simplicity is a lesson we should not overlook: flexibility. That one room was the original “multipurpose room.” We can learn much from our past, building upon our successes and exploring new understandings to inform our future; this is especially true in our era of rapid change.
Flexibility is a best practice for adaptable, engaging environments. In addition to providing student-friendly learning environments that accommodate a variety of learning modes, flexible educational spaces can help to “future proof” an investment in school facilities and allow a school to adapt to evolving needs over time.
In 1938, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Martha Royer teaches a class at a one-room school.
Captured by Sheldon Dick
Cultivating Future-Ready Learning Environments
Flexibility in design takes many forms. A space might be adaptable, transformable, convertible, or some combination of the three.
An adaptable design supports different uses, such as a cafeteria that can also be used as an auditorium or gymnasium space. On the other hand, a transformable design supports builtin modifications, such as versatile technology integration. A convertible design may be created to accommodate planned changes over time, such as a swing space being used for classrooms in the short term that will transition to a media center during future phase of construction.
Future-ready design is crucial in K-12 schools as it promotes educational environments that are well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of students and adept at adapting to advancements in teaching methodologies and technology. It fosters flexibility, innovation, and sustainability, creating spaces that cultivate collaboration, critical thinking, and digital literacy, preparing students for the dynamic challenges of the future job market and society.
Adaptable Design
Re-Imagining Learning Environments
One of the many substantial educational changes since the days of the one room schoolhouse is the shift from one-directional learning to project-or inquiry-based learning. Instead of the teacher delivering a lesson and students memorizing it, today’s instructional delivery is more likely to be hands-on and interactive. The pace, place, and mode of learning are all adaptable, and school facilities must be designed to encourage a variety of tasks and learning modes. Students need spaces that allow for exploration while providing structure for students and teachers; skilled designers can help schools navigate the balance of openness and enclosure to facilitate collaboration while minimizing distractions. Today’s learning environments are far more transparent and social than lecture-based classrooms. Direct whole-group instruction still has its place, but an ideal learning environment makes it easy to transition between learning activities.
Maximizing Space Use
Understanding that school construction budgets can be limited, and that more efficient facilities are more sustainable and easier to operate, a flexible design will allow spaces to serve multiple purposes. Classrooms with movable walls and modular furniture are well suited to adapt and transform as they accommodate different modes of learning during the school day with minimum transition time. A flexible approach to design means that circulation areas aren’t just corridors; they can also become extensions of the learning environment, allowing for gathering, individual study, small-group meetings, or areas of respite. Cafeterias can become social and gathering spaces, or host performances and large- group presentation. Smaller cafes can serve as “breakout” areas for students and teachers, and can be scattered throughout a facility to encourage more choice and socialization as an alternate to a full cafeteria. Libraries and Media Centers performing as knowledge centers, both analog and digital, and are also inviting as meeting spaces or as touch-down areas for remote learning. Outdoor Learning Labs, likewise, can serve as extensions of internal classrooms providing choice for students and teachers. (In recent years, these outdoor environments have served as a vital tool to minimize the spread of respiratory illnesses while harnessing the benefits of in-person instruction.)
@ MARCUS MURPHY
Integrating
Technology
Technology is particularly subject to rapid evolution, and systems that are effective today may need to be upgraded in the future. To accommodate as-yet-unforeseen changes in infrastructure and equipment, designers and school districts can work together to provide easily reconfigurablesystems that support flexible educational models and instructional goals. Some systems view technology as an operating expenditure through leased equipment; leasing rather than owninghardware allows for easy upgrades as systems become obsolete. Like so many of today’s workplaces, schools may also consider establishing a hybrid learning culture, with options for video meetings or recording live classes with in-person students for remote learning or review. Schools must also consider how to provide critical technology tools to a broad range of students, including access to wifi and sufficient internet bandwidth to support academic success.
Designing for Accessibility
Schools are inclusive places, and facilities must consider and support the needs of all students and staff. Accessibility is a must for a range of physical needs and abilities; achieving universal accessibility guidelines as well as meeting ADA standards benefits everyone, from teachers using ramps to move into classrooms to parents with young children in strollers. Gender-neutral facilities should include restrooms which provide safety, comfort, and privacy; these will also serve diverse user groups. Dedicated spaces for behavioral health and wellness can help every student and staff member be successful and function at their best. Examples include respite rooms, mothers’ rooms, and other areas to seek guidance or take a ”time out.”
Flexible Furnishings
Navigating the world of flexible furniture in education, and its role in empowering dynamic learning spaces.
Unlike the fixed desks and chairs in the typical one-room schoolhouse, flexible, movable furnishings allow students and teachers to change gears quickly during the school day. Even young students can help adjust the environment when changing tasks, What does flexible furniture look like? Hint: it doesn’t mean that everything has to be on casters.
Designers can help educators select appropriate furnishings based on anticipated uses. Factors to consider include materials, durability, cleanability, and technology integration. Flexible furnishings serve a variety of purposes, including:
1 Reinforcing a space or zone for activities such as group work, reading, presenting, interaction, or team building.
2 Building interpersonal relationships with other students, especially helpful for students entering school post Covid who may have had very little social interaction outside of family.
3 Allowing for movement and different postures throughout the day, supporting better ergonomics and accommodating students who require more physical activity to stay focused.
4 Supporting hands-on or collaborative learning activities that may have been limited by a more traditional classroom design.
5 Providing more choice to help students engage more fully in their school day.
6 Encouraging creativity by giving students permission to interact with their environment.
7 Creating a sense of ownership and among students, knowing that this classroom is theirs and they have a role in shaping and managing it.
Schools as Centers for Community
Architecture can support community in a variety of ways. Community begins with providing accessible, secure facilities that instill a sense of pride and ownership, from carefully considered interior spaces to an attractive, welcoming exterior. The school and grounds can become part of the learning experience, incorporating site features such as outdoor classrooms or community gardens producing a harvest that can become part of breakfast and lunch. An attractive campus signals that schools are important civic places and are valued elements of our neighborhoods and our cities.
For maximum efficiency, school facilities can be designed to welcome the wider community for after-hours uses such as evening events or vocational educational opportunities, or shared facilities with community institutions such as the YMCA to provide additional services and minimize duplication of separate gyms, meeting spaces, or athletic fields. Schools can also serve as safe havens in natural disasters or other community events –designing for resiliency and planning spaces which could double as community shelters during an emergency further reinforces that schools are community anchors with far-reaching impacts.
Remote & In-Person Learning
The pandemic ushered in a new era of remote learning; lessons learned during this experience will be valuable in blending in-person learning with the benefits of digital tools for appropriate purposes.
Many schools are integrating broadcast studios, useful for creating podcasts, educational videos, and other engaging content which can be shared across platforms. The use of tablets and technology, both in remote and in-person learning, is increasing; providing the appropriate tools including hardware, software, storage, and support spaces. Touchdown spaces will be helpful for students working in flexible locations throughout the school day, or those who are learning primarily remotely but visit campus occasionally for classes and meetings. Dedicated spaces for computer-based testing may also be useful, as well as smaller 1:1 spaces for face-to-face meetings for in-person meetings, counseling, or testing.
Today, the pace of change is far greater than in the days of the one-room schoolhouse; our schools need to be able to adapt quickly to new teaching and learning methods, new technologies, new challenges, and new opportunities. We don’t know exactly what will be different for the next generation of learners, but we can set them up for success today with smart strategies to allow our schools to flex and adapt for an exciting future.
