Essentials Magazine Essentials Winter 2016 | Page 24
Learning Environments
Project: Alexandria Area High School, Cuningham Group, © Brandon Stengel
The Dunn and Dunn learning style
also included a sociological domain that
identifies the preferred size of a group
for the learner. Not all lessons lend themselves to lecture format, or what is often
termed “drill and kill” exercises. While
some lessons require large groups, many
students are able to work best when they
are alone. Facility designers are cognizant of these different learning styles as it
pertains to group work when they design
and furnish the learning center. Designers take into consideration furniture that
allows for multiple configurations.
Today, many schools are being constructed with moveable walls so that
whole group instruction can occur for
an entire grade level, while at the same
time, provide resource areas where
one to four students can be pulled out
for individualized instruction. Modern
classrooms provide flexibility in their
design and use — this extends to other
environmental elements like sound and
temperature.
Flexibility in educational spaces is
more than a mere trend. Researchers
and school designers have noted that
this feature of the 21st century learning
environment is critical in meeting the
needs of our students. Students have a
diverse array of learning style preferences, and flexibility in our classrooms
and learning spaces is paramount to
help ensure that all students have an
opportunity to succeed.
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learn new and difficult information.
Their model has 28 different elements
across five domains. Learners strongly
or moderately can prefer or not prefer
an element, or may be in the middle
with their preference to an element.
To illustrate how the different elements impact learning style, consider
the lighting of a classroom. Lighting
is an element contained within the
‘environmental’ domain. Some students
prefer brightlylit areas while others
prefer soft, dim lighting. A designer of a
24 essentials | winter 2016
new learning center could consider providing spaces that accommodate both of
these learning styles. Students will tend
to gravitate to the amount of lighting
consistent with their learning style preference. Areas of bright natural light as
well as areas that are not so bright could
be available in order to meet the variety
light preferences. Another environmental element is seating. Do students
prefer desks and rigid seating or do they
prefer soft plush seating? The reality
is some prefer desks and others prefer
softer seating.
DR. G. VICTOR HELLMAN, JR., serves as
the Research Project Director for the Education
Facilities Clearinghouse (EFC). Victor has more
than 31 years of work experience in public
schools in Virginia. Prior to joining the EFC, he
served as Deputy
Superintendent
of Operations and
Support for a mid
urban school dis
trict. In that role,
he was respon
sible for finance,
facilities,
trans
portation, student
services, and food
services.