Why Designing for Potential Makes for Better Classrooms

In this post, I identified the teacher as the essential ingredient in creating a great classroom. I think the next one is ‘potential’ – when designing a learning space, imagine entering it for the first time and thinking ‘am I inspired to learn here?’

Flexible use and class sizes of a typical classroom can compete against this immeasurable quality of ‘potential’, but I think these ideas can help.

1. Show evidence of other subjects. Innovation combines ideas from sometimes diverse areas – show that in the classroom.
2. Don’t over-design; let the users be flexible in how they use it.
3. Gen Z uses technology to share amazing, unique stories. What you can do with technology is what matters.
4. Natural light is not always needed. A focus on what is happening inside makes for a powerful space to inspire learning.

For the 20 years I’ve been designing learning spaces, those that have this sense of ‘learning potential’ instilled in the design have had one common factor – the designs were driven by people whose aim was to inspire learning. People like Jon Peacock, Deborah Corrigan https://lnkd.in/gc-5SM5, Peter Tregloan https://lnkd.in/gqrzW_v, Alice Di Pasquale, Trish McCluskey, Peter Jamieson, Leanne Rose-Munro (MAICD, VIT registered), Svetlana Khalif.

Peter Schreuder, Managing Director