In the 21st century, education is a three-dimensional experience. In today’s world, the classroom takes on a variety of spatial forms defined by light, space, openness, and creativity. The spaces where people learn today are dynamic combinations of functional geometry, nature, and technology innovations. Design and creativity create a practical classroom for the modern school to provide educators with literal and figurative tools to tailor their teaching methods. Educational campus planning is a huge aspect of what makes certain educational institutions excel over others.
How Technological Innovation is Revolutionizing the Classroom
The integration of technology into schools has been a huge element of enhancing the educational experience. The once fluorescent, solemn computer labs of the early 2000s have transformed into creative, open spaces with innovative furniture for studying, presenting, and researching. Most modern schools and universities provide campus-wide wifi access— students can share their work in unique places all over campus. Transforming traditional educational spaces from dim-lit rooms to open spaces have allowed students to increase their peer-to-peer collaboration. Additionally, the incorporation of outdoor spaces to the traditional school environment has been a monumental agent in blending the lines between the inside-outside classroom dichotomy. Students can now study, work, and innovate outside.
Transparency: Using Architectural Elements to Enhance Learning Environments
Architectural transparency is an element of architecture that uses space to help build interconnectedness. Increasingly, educational institutions have sought to use this idea in the construction of new buildings to make the educational experience more communal. The traditional educational schematic of hallways, classrooms, labs, and cafeterias all separated from one another is being replaced by open layout design features. Creating spaces with a line of sight and glass design features creates a collaborative environment— a place where students can feel seen.
The spaces in which students learn today are enhanced be creative design features and elements that are subtly incorporated into the educational experience. To a bystander, the classrooms and multipurpose learning spaces that define most modern universities and colleges may just be an aesthetic; however, these spaces have been designed with intention— to enhance learning, collaboration, and innovation. As technology continues to evolve, educational institutions must adapt their spaces to be modern and inventive. Part of making the classroom functional is creating a space that allows a tailored experience for specific curriculums. In today’s classroom, teachers can utilize elements of design to provide an optimized learning experience.
