FEATURE FOCUS: INTELLIGENT CLASSROOM DESIGN
afforded the same duty of care as those who want to return to ‘offline’ learning. This means helping them to utilise their technology in a safe and appropriate way. Since couches, dining room tables, kitchen benches and beds were never designed for comfortable or productive working, many offices are now requesting that at-home employees take photos of their working area so a health and safety assessment can be undertaken. Why shouldn’t the same be carried out in the education system? To ensure students can then take advantage of
appropriate desks, seating, laptop equipment and monitors that optimise wellbeing, institutions could offer advice on achieving healthy posture by investing in ergonomic furniture and accessories, such as sit-stand desks and other fixtures, in a range of budgets, to set up a suitable home-based learning environment.
educators. Additionally, enhanced opportunity for tailored, more personalised learning has been created, offering scope for developing character, building community connections and reconsidering resources like time, space and technology. That said, concerns still remain for many
students and their parents following the enforced shift to online learning. Many primary and secondary school pupils do not have access to laptops and similar remote learning devices – Ofcom estimates that approximately 9% of children in the UK don’t have access to a laptop, desktop or tablet at home, which puts them at a huge disadvantage. Fortunately, businesses and charities are assisting, with schemes like The London Grid for Learning (LGfL) that is spearheading a national drive to procure two million cost effective Chromebooks and WinBooks. The UK Government has also distributed over half a million laptops to the schools that need them the most. While there is still a lot of ground to cover, more learners are better equipped for virtual learning, and more ably supported by schools, many more of which have embraced the digital curriculum. Another concern has been how the physical
separation from peers, educators and the physical classroom or lecture theatre environment potentially impacts the wellbeing of students. Wellbeing is not just about the physical, but also encompasses the mental and emotional states, both of which have come under much greater scrutiny since the start of the pandemic. On the positive side, teachers, coaches and school counsellors are far more aware of ‘pandemic- related’ mental health issues and have set up processes and systems to ensure that learners are receiving the mental health support they need – whether that’s in-person, online, or a combination of the two.
Blended learning is here to stay Even though schools are currently closed in the UK, they will reopen as soon as it’s safe to do so. The implication is that in the context of this COVID-19 education environment, social
February 2021
distancing and isolating when symptomatic or at risk are set to stay, so it’s essential to embrace the full array of available learning tools and technologies to support this new normal and strike the right balance between online and offline/in-person learning.
Technology solutions From a technology perspective, visualisers or document cameras offer a great opportunity to share a projected live view of 3D objects. They enable bigger groups, both in and outside of a room, to share a detailed, close-up view of an object without having to come within close proximity. Not only can everyone see the content, they can also annotate it. This includes collaborating on ideas, adding to group work and remaining completely part of the process. Flat panels, which are a common feature in
many school environments, don’t offer much flexibility and have no scope for increasing the screen size. Since the size of a display in relation to a student’s location can affect engagement, learning and comprehension, a monitor that can scale screen sizes up is a more flexible, high- quality and reliable option.
Ergonomic-orientated solutions In terms of the physical aspect of learning, many kinetic and mobile furnishings in schools and universities facilitate flexibility in reconfiguring their learning environments, which enables them to make the most of their existing spaces and accommodate the appropriate number of staff and students safely. Equipment such as adjustable monitor arms and sit-stand desk converters will allow different users to work in an ergonomic and productive way, irrespective of which room or desk they use each time. The agility of a monitor arm and a sit-stand desk converter supports a quick adjustment to users’ needs and in practice allow institutions to safely allow students and staff to physically be in the learning environment, without sacrificing productivity or health and safety. It may be that some students choose to
continue learning from home, and they must be
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Future-proof learning experiences It is rather an understatement to say that the current global reality is a challenge, particularly with regard to education. One thing we do know is that it’s expected to be protracted, with a slow move back to an adjusted version of ‘normal’, which no one really knows what that will look like. This aside, it’s important for educators to strive
to be fair, ensuring that all children, whether in the classroom or based remotely, have the ability to access and view material, with the appropriate equipment and furnishings to support safe, productive learning. These will create the platform needed for a successful, if somewhat different, year of education.
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