Durham University | 2009
Who said classrooms couldn’t keep up with technology? Durham University’s Techno Cafe is a prime example of a learning environment that is designed for educational purposes. The Techno-café allows students to work together in a comfortable setting, supported by flexible and time-saving technologies.
The space consists of ten booths (also called ‘pods’) which will comfortably seat six students to a table. Each pod has controlled top-and-back lighting so that the lighting can be adjusted for individual group activities. The furniture is sleek and ergonomic so the students can work for long periods of time. Students stay up to 3 or 4 hours at a time, almost double what it used to be before the new design. The walls adjacent to the booths allow for an excellent source of natural light which has been shown to improve student performance. Every table is set up so that the students can bring their own laptops, mobiles phones, or tablet PCs and hook them into the hub to collaborate with their peers.
This cutting edge computer lab demonstrates an alternative to the traditional computer lab with rows upon rows of computers in a congested space. The students ultimately have a more positive experience when using this facility at the university. Durham received 4.2 out of 5 for overall student satisfaction. And when students are feeling good about going to school they will perform better. Durham University has an outstanding graduation rate of 95.1%, the highest in the UK.
University of Bolton | 2008
Does your classroom have a lawn on the roof for you to walk up stairs and get a breath of fresh air? This learning and teaching environment at the University of Bolton does. Not only does this space have the standard audio and video technology, it really allows for a more flexible way of working.
In an interview done by jiscinfonet.ac.uk, it was found that the principles behind the design were to try and find something aligned more with constructivist approaches to teaching and learning and the idea of personalization for students.
The lighting is a significant part of this design. The large wall of windows provides natural light and is great for students spending a lot of time on computers. It allows students to “take a visual rest” and gaze outdoors. The lighting also allows the building to keep the artificial lights off during the day, which makes the building much more energy efficient. The students and teachers even mentioned “the overall ambience is great – its’ a very pleasant building to work in”
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Classroom design has a profound impact on the success of students and faculty of any school. See all of the research and resources to back the findings.