Group: Joanne Kwon, Juhi Mehta, Khushi Sharma, Vandana Rajesh
General Chosen Topic: Social/Political/Emotional Climate
Specific Topic: Social Climate in Schools
Phase 1
Mind Map:
Mural Link:
Secondary Research Links:
Social/Classroom Climate and Learning
- The meaning of social climate of learning environments: Some reasons why we do not care enough about it (Journal)
- The purpose of this article is to analyze reasons underlying the neglect of social climate in education
- The arguments support the view that social climate is an essential factor in educational processes and make incomprehensible the sparse attention given to it in educational policy, research and teacher education programs
- Participatory and action research designs involving school staff, students and parents could be appropriate for offering conditions that are necessary to support sustainable processes of change of the social climate in educational organizations
- Classroom Climate and Class Success A Case Study at the University Level (Journal)
- This study sought to assess the actual and ideal social climate of an undergraduate social science class for educators
- It was argued the classroom social climate may contribute an independent and malleable feature of the classroom setting which an instructor can use to his/her advantage
- Creating a motivating classroom environment (Journal)
- This chapter addresses the complex question of what makes a motivating classroom environment
- Key concepts include group cohesiveness and interpersonal relations, group norms and student roles, teacher leadership styles and the process of facilitation, as well as the main phases of a proactive, motivational teaching practice
Architecture and Learning
- Architecture design studio culture and learning spaces: a holistic approach to the design and planning of learning facilities (Journal)
- The problem is that teaching has been wrongly assumed to take place in buildings and neglected the other experience in which learning can be experienced
- This paper reviewed the studies of the possible design approach in planning and design architecture design studio learning spaces
- The Design of Learning Spaces: Architecture as a Teaching Tool (Web)
- Design can contribute to forming critical thinking, encouraging autonomy, responsibility
- Explores the impact of space on learning, specifically in primary and secondary education, discussing how architecture could aid the education process, becoming a teaching tool
Design of Flexible Spaces / Examples
- NYU Libraries Opens Low-sensory Room for Neurodiverse Students and Others Who Benefit From a Calming Environment (Example)
- Example of spatial design for diverse learning
- NYU Libraries has opened a low-sensory space on the first floor of Bobst Library, providing students who are neurodiverse with a dedicated room to support their academic success
- UCLA The Study at Hedrick Hall / Hedrick Study by Johnson Favaro at UCLA (Example)
- Example of spatial design for diverse learning
- Combines old style European food markets with a traditional American collegiate library (without books) to create a place for students that they could and would want to use 24/7.
- Several kinds of seating and study areas such as open lounges, a fireplace living room, a reading room, study hall, four small group study rooms and a community table seating 60
- 10 Examples of Flexible spaces in education architecture (Web)
- The Architecture of Ideal Learning Environments (Web)
Stakeholders:
1. Anita Perr – Accessibility Specialist
2. Neurodivergent Student
3. Neurotypical Student
Phase 2
Quantitative / Qualitative Questions:
Quantitative Questions
1. On average, what percent of students consider themselves neurodivergent?
According to survey: 26.7%
Approximately 15% – 20% of people are neurodivergent, characterized by autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or other patterns outside the neurotypical mainstream (IECA)
2. On average, what percent of students struggle with mental health?
According to survey: 46.7%
Approximately 77% of students experience moderate to serious psychological distress (Best Colleges, Bryant & Welding)
3. On average, what percent of students feel overstimulated during class?
According to survey: 20% frequently, 33.3% sometimes, 26.7% rarely, 20% never
4. On average, what percent of students enjoy being in the classroom space?
According to survey: 46.7% enjoy, 46.7% sometimes enjoy, 6.7% do not enjoy
65% of students prefer in-person instruction, 18% prefer hybrid, and 9% prefer remote learning (Healthline, Citroner)
5. On average, what percent of students are dissatisfied with lighting in classrooms?
According to survey: 40% (33.3% too bright / 6.7% too dim)
Lighting has a great impact on vision, mood, and cognition, which in turn affects learning (Illuminating the Effects of Dynamic Lighting on Student Learning, Mott, Robison, Walden, Burnette, Rutherford)
Qualitative Questions
1. How does classroom design and architecture impact students’ performance?
Classroom design and architecture can unconsciously affect the values, attitudes, and norms established in classrooms.
Open spaces encourage collaboration, much like a hands-on design studio or studio culture, where interaction, communication, creativity are welcome.
Many classrooms have characteristics of common modern workplaces, which normally include systems of hierarchy with strict division of labor and rigorous obedience.
For example, in classrooms there’s instructors’ vs. students’ desks or areas.
“Architecture is in fact itself pedagogy and each building have their own embedded hidden curriculum that can greatly influence and affect learning process.” – Abdullah et al.
“In the future, space types are more likely to be designed around patterns of human interaction than around the specific needs of particular departments, disciplines, or technologies.” – Abdullah et al.
Important to consider light, form, proportion, scale, color, and texture as well as the perceptual feeling that they create.
Bullies seek out areas tucked away from adult supervision (The Architecture of Ideal Learning)
2. How does integration of technology impact students’ perception of social climate in the classroom?
According to our survey, a larger percent of students prefer in-person learning as opposed to remote learning.
More personable and involved
Technology can help with critical thinking, appy learning, increase collaboration, and allow for more personalized learning opportunities (BAU Learning)
Approximately 59% of students say digital learning tools help them with grades (How Important is Technology in Education? School of Education)
3. How do architectural features, such as natural light and flexible seating impact students’ stress levels and overall well-being?
“Research suggests that there are many benefits from learning in the outdoors, including improving creativity and reduced stress.” (The Architecture of Ideal Learning)
Flexible spaces allow different types of learning and instructional variety – direct instruction, group work, independent work (The Architecture of Ideal Learning)
Lots of examples of stairs turned into seating spaces (The Architecture of Ideal Learning)
4. How does sound, such as music and/or ambient noise, affect students’ perceptions of the atmosphere and their ability to concentrate?
Noise pollution from both internal and external sources can not only affect students in the moment, but also in the long-run. After prolonged exposure, people will no longer pay attention to the noise levels they experience in their daily environments. This changes if they visit a desert where it’s absolutely quiet. (Noise Affects Learning)
Music can motivate, improve mood, motivate, improve memory, increase focus, and help you relax; however, different types of music can have different effects. (Music and Studying: It’s Complicated)
Music can also be distracting, have negative impact on working memory, or lower reading comprehension
Best type of music is ones without lyrics, slow, instrumental, low volume, commercial-free, and songs that don’t have strong connection to
5. Would low-sensory classrooms help improve students’ mental health and/or focus in classrooms?
According to survey: 53.3% of students say yes, 40% say maybe, and 6.7% say no
Example: NYU Low-sensory Room
Phases 3 & 4
Primary Research
Stakeholders:
1. Anita Perr – Accessibility Specialist
2. Neurodivergent Student
3. Neurotypical Student
Interview 1: Neurodivergent student:
- On the spectrum of autism and ADHD
- Struggles with sensory overload (bright lights + noise)
- Prefers quietness and dim lighting
Interview 2: Neurotypical student:
- Struggles with anxiety
- Dislikes dull environments and lack of personal space
- Prefers colorful spaces and individual seating
Interview 3: Stakeholder – Ms. Anita Perr
- Emphasized importance of lighting accommodations
- Mentioned the benefits of indoor plants
- Taught us about decreasing sound levels within a classroom
Personas:
Walkthrough:
Workshop:
Focus Areas
Lighting
Based on the interviews we conducted with a neurodivergent student and Ms. Perr, a professor who is knowledgeable in accessibility, we found that lots of students found regular classroom fluorescent lighting to be overly bright and overstimulating.
So we decided to include LED fairy lights in our prototype to:
- Create a dimly lit classroom with soft/warm white lighting
- Reduce overstimulation
- Create a homey/familiar environment to reduce stress
Colors
Additionally, we wanted the color palette of the room to be calming and non reflective of the light, so we prompted on deep blue, light blue, light green, gray, as well as brown neutrals.
Based on our research, we also wanted to incorporate plants in our classroom. The plant we chose is a Golden Pothos (aesthetically pleasing and has many positive effects).
Foliage
The addition of plants in a classroom:
- Enhances cognitive function by boosting attention and focus
- Benefits those with anxiety/depression due to air filtering properties (fresh air/connection with nature)
- Reduces stress levels by producing negative ions (which have mood boosting properties)
Sound
Next, we decided to focus on the property of sound. Classrooms can be very noisy sometimes, especially for neurodivergent students. This can be a huge problem for those who experience heightened sensory levels.
- In our prototype, we included padding in one of the walls to absorb sound.
- This type of foam would not only absorb some sound but also sound reflection/travel within the room.
- This will not make the room soundproof, but will overall reduce noise levels.
Furniture Specifications
We also wanted to include comfortable soft chairs, some with barriers, and chairs of different purposes: spinning, swivel, no wheels, etc for different options. Also desks with wheels, that are for group seating and also individual seating, as well as ones that can be raised for standing purposes. We also included a box of fidget toys.
Phase 5
Sketches
Final Sketch:
Phase 6
Final Prototype & Next Steps
