The Spaces of Teaching and Learning As a Geographer, I am very interested in the way that people interact with spaces. Geographers argue that the way in which they physical features of a space are arranged can impact the social relations and behaviour that play out within it (Auyero, 2006). I would like to argue that classrooms, and all the spaces in which teaching occurs, are no exception. The size and shape of a teaching space, and the way that chairs, tables, whiteboards, lecterns, and other physical features are arranged within that space have an impact on the teaching and learning that occurs within it. Different spaces are better suited to different types of teaching, for example a lecture theatre designed to seat several hundred people is not the best space in which to conduct a seminar with ten students. If effective teaching is dependent on an understanding of how students learn (Fry, Ketteridge, and Marshall, 2009), then an understanding of how teaching spaces impact how students learn is also important. I am by no means the first to make such arguments. Gary Thomas (2013) argues that Primary School classrooms are often arranged in such a way that the children can sit in, and communicate with, small groups. This in keeping with the progressive school of education. However, children are often set individual tasks to do, more suited to the formal school of education, and in these situations the group seating only results in children being able to distract each other more easily. Admittedly, Thomas’ arguments are made in relation to Primary Education, which is very different to teaching at an undergraduate level. However I feel that the example is a good illustration of the importance that the layout of a classroom can have. Jamieson et al. (2000, 222) make similar arguments with a focus on higher education:
the size and form of a lecture theatre governs much of the teaching that happens within it. It is an environment focused on the teacher’s presentation. Although the physical context’s influence will vary from teacher to teacher, the physical environment is bound to play a significant role in how teachers approach their teaching or how they view what is possible within a particular place.
From my own experience, I can provide an example of the impact of classroom design on teaching. I acted as a demonstrator on an undergraduate research techniques course. The students split into groups of between 3 and 5 to conduct various tasks, but the room was laid out for lectures, with rows of tables and seats all facing in one direction. This made group work awkward, and it also made it difficult for me to move around the classroom to talk to the groups. I frequently had to climb over furniture, or stand or kneel uncomfortably, which I feel negatively impacted my ability to communicate with the students. I understand that the ability of the teacher to choose an appropriate learning space is limited by issues such as the type of rooms available at their institution and the difficulties of scheduling, but I do think it is an important factor which should be taken into account when planning your teaching.
Bibliography Auyero J. ‘Spaces and Places as Sites and Objects of Politics’ in Goodin E and Tilly C (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Contextual Political Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Fry, Heather, Steve Ketteridge and Stephanie Marshall ‘A User’s Guide’ p. 3–7 in Fry, Heather, Steve Ketteridge and Stephanie Marshall (eds) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice. Abingdon: Routledge, 2009.
Jamieson, Peter, Peter G. Taylor, Kenn Fisher, A.C.F. Trevitt and Tony Gilding “Place and Space in the Design of New Learning Environments,” Higher Education Research and Development 19, no. 2 (2000).
Thomas, Gary. Education: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
As a Geographer, I am very interested in the way that people interact with spaces. Geographers argue that the way in which they physical features of a space are arranged can impact the social relations and behaviour that play out within it (Auyero, 2006). I would like to argue that classrooms, and all the spaces in which teaching occurs, are no exception. The size and shape of a teaching space, and the way that chairs, tables, whiteboards, lecterns, and other physical features are arranged within that space have an impact on the teaching and learning that occurs within it. Different spaces are better suited to different types of teaching, for example a lecture theatre designed to seat several hundred people is not the best space in which to conduct a seminar with ten students. If effective teaching is dependent on an understanding of how students learn (Fry, Ketteridge, and Marshall, 2009), then an understanding of how teaching spaces impact how students learn is also important.
I am by no means the first to make such arguments. Gary Thomas (2013) argues that Primary School classrooms are often arranged in such a way that the children can sit in, and communicate with, small groups. This in keeping with the progressive school of education. However, children are often set individual tasks to do, more suited to the formal school of education, and in these situations the group seating only results in children being able to distract each other more easily. Admittedly, Thomas’ arguments are made in relation to Primary Education, which is very different to teaching at an undergraduate level. However I feel that the example is a good illustration of the importance that the layout of a classroom can have. Jamieson et al. (2000, 222) make similar arguments with a focus on higher education:
the size and form of a lecture theatre governs much of the teaching that happens within it. It is an environment focused on the teacher’s presentation. Although the physical context’s influence will vary from teacher to teacher, the physical environment is bound to play a significant role in how teachers approach their teaching or how they view what is possible within a particular place.
From my own experience, I can provide an example of the impact of classroom design on teaching. I acted as a demonstrator on an undergraduate research techniques course. The students split into groups of between 3 and 5 to conduct various tasks, but the room was laid out for lectures, with rows of tables and seats all facing in one direction. This made group work awkward, and it also made it difficult for me to move around the classroom to talk to the groups. I frequently had to climb over furniture, or stand or kneel uncomfortably, which I feel negatively impacted my ability to communicate with the students.
I understand that the ability of the teacher to choose an appropriate learning space is limited by issues such as the type of rooms available at their institution and the difficulties of scheduling, but I do think it is an important factor which should be taken into account when planning your teaching.
Bibliography
Auyero J. ‘Spaces and Places as Sites and Objects of Politics’ in Goodin E and Tilly C (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Contextual Political Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Fry, Heather, Steve Ketteridge and Stephanie Marshall ‘A User’s Guide’ p. 3–7 in Fry, Heather, Steve Ketteridge and Stephanie Marshall (eds) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice. Abingdon: Routledge, 2009.
Jamieson, Peter, Peter G. Taylor, Kenn Fisher, A.C.F. Trevitt and Tony Gilding “Place and Space in the Design of New Learning Environments,” Higher Education Research and Development 19, no. 2 (2000).
Thomas, Gary. Education: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.