Classroom Design for Inquiriy and Making
"Teachers are master strategists considering the army of tools at their disposal— notice that the students are not the army; rather the tools are the army. The teacher then commands and arranges the tools in such a way that the enemy—ignorance and small thinking—is effectively banished and replaced with intense questioning, playful curiosity, and deeper thinking. In this approach the learners are being gently guided by the army of tools—the educational makerspace—to create their own learning for their own reasons" (Kurti, 2014).
Space encourages knowledge construction through experience. Opportunities for construction, design, robotics, coding, 3D printing, art, media production, etc. are dispersed throughout the environment.
Space supports diverse interests and abilities allowing student to engage in meaningful self-directed learning.
Technology is integrated throughout the learning environment and is being used to support a diverse interdisciplinary pedagogy.
Areas designed to facilitate whole group instruction, small group collaboration and individual focus.
Space encourages interaction and collaboration. Students can take on multiple roles (creators, mentors, problem-solvers, etc.)
Furniture, resources and technology are highly mobile allowing for flexible use. Spaces can be used for multiple purposes.
Flexibilie Design
Learning within a makerspace environment can manifest in countless ways. Students engage in unique personalized activities while occupying the same physical space as their peers. Classrooms that are designed flexibly can better support a wide range of activities. Furniture and resources that are mobile allow the limited space to be used in different ways for different activities. Spaces for whole group instruction, small group collaboration and individual reflection need to be utilized simultaneously to fully support learning.
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Flexibly designed classroom furniture can help achieve this goal. Below are some examples of flexible furtniture options…
The examples above are largely mobile and also provide students with increased comfort or movement opportunities, depending on student learning needs. These options do require a significant financial investment. Affordable alternatives are available…
Technology Integration
A major consideration concerns the integration of technology within the redesigned learning space. The development of 21st century skills has become a central issue in many schools across Canada. The need to integrate new technologies has “changed the way learning spaces are designed. With Smart boards, laptops and iPads, the flow of the classroom naturally shifts and teaching and learning becomes more flexible. There has to be room to move and collaborate in this type of environment. Teachers need to easily create custom workspaces for class, group or individual activities” (Winske, p. 1). Educators are searching for ways in which technology can be used to enhance constructionist pedagogies. For example, the physical placement of technology within the classroom can affect its pedagogical use. It is “apparent that space can be a partner within pedagogy, and such a partnership is precisely what could be interesting when we consider ICT integration in education” (Tondeur, 2015, p. 554). Furthermore “technological devices do not embody one single pedagogical orientation; instead they enable the integration of a spectrum of approaches to teaching and learning” (Tondeur, p. 554). Flexibility of use is essential when utilizing learning theories that relying on self-directed learning and engage the diversity of interests within all learners. Traditional methods of incorporating technology within the school environment, such as the use of computer labs, do not allow for the seamless support of interdisciplinary, multimodal learning typical of makerspaces or inquiry learning environments. The inclusion of activities related to product design, coding, robotics, movie making, photography etc. within the classroom relies on the underlying support of various forms of hardware and software, which each present unique challenges to maintain functionality and achieve full seamless integration. Practical issues regarding mobility, accessibility, device compatibility, space and charging requirements need to be considered when designing supportive spaces.
Start Designing Your own Space!
Use the links below to acces digital classroom planning tools...
Classroom Design
Virtual Makerspaces
Makerspace Examples
 Classroom Design |  Virtual Makerspaces |  Makerspace Examples |
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