An "active learning" classroom design recognizes the importance of students becoming engaged in their own learning. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study compared student-reported data (n = 219) and used the "community of inquiry" framework to evaluate the impact of environmental features on students' experience. Students…

The concept of 'flexible seating' has emerged as a possibility to meeting the goals of an active learning classroom. Recent scholarship has suggested that numerous student learning predictors are enhanced when interacting with flexible seating. This study aims to fill a gap in the literature by investigating the effects of flexible seating from a…

Student learning and engagement are paramount for educational institutions. This paper examines the impact of an interactive learning space on teaching and learning for both faculty and students. Specifically, four faculty from disparate disciplines examine the impacts on teaching and learning of an active learning space designed for student…

Problem-based learning is the latest name for a teaching philosophy that is as old as Ancient Greece. Whether you call it Socratic Inquiry, case-based teaching, problem-based learning, interactive group learning, or "flipped" learning, the essential concept is to encourage the student to collaborate in applying their gained knowledge to…

Teaching introductory courses to college freshmen requires innovative pedagogies, which are often powered by new advanced technologies that potentially increase student engagement. In addition, instructors may also plan and deploy active-learning strategies that first consider the physical spaces in which learning will take place. Effective…

This quantitative, cross-sectional research study explored students' perceptions of five different seating styles within typical classrooms in an urban public higher education institution. The five seating styles included: modern mobile chairs, tablet arm chairs, fixed tiered seating with tablet arms, rectangle tables with standard chairs, and…

Traditional designs for most mid-sized college classrooms discourage 1) face-to-face interaction among students, 2) instructor movement in the classroom, and 3) efficient transitions between different kinds of learning activities. An experimental classroom piloted during Spring Semester 2011 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill uses…