How Flexible Classroom Designs Help Prepare Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s World

A flexible space at Chillicothe Intermediate School, designed by SHP.

Today’s educational paradigm is less about knowledge transfer and more about knowledge creation. To adjust to this shift, classrooms must transform from an industrial-era model to one that is learner-centered and personalized.

Having adaptable spaces for different types of learning maximizes student opportunity and choice. We should prioritize developing students who can work together, engage in respectful discourse, problem solve, and collaborate in both physical and virtual spaces. Learning spaces designed for collaboration have flexible seating arrangements, boast comfortable furniture and are agile enough to be quickly rearranged. That way, groups may go from a handful of students to larger clusters several times in a class period.

To offer every opportunity in tomorrow’s world means meeting the needs of today’s learners by providing areas where class discussions thrive and social skills are nurtured.

Read more on the importance of flexible classroom designs in Edutopia.