It's well established that students benefit from peer to peer interaction in collaborative classrooms that promote a group approach to enhance learning, the question is how do you set them up?
The best place to start is to plan the space. Establish what activities you want your students to undertake then determine which furniture arrangements will facilitate this. In other words, what are you teaching, how are you teaching it and what layout will best accommodate it?
For collaborative work, groups of 2-6 are recommended with good eye contact between group members to encourage effective communication that can deliver successful outcomes. Therefore, circular tables where participants face one another are ideal to ensure everyone comes together and listens to all viewpoints to harness everyone’s ideas collectively through Active Learning.
Traditional rows of rectangular tables don’t work in new collaborative settings however with the simple addition of trapezium tables, creative group settings can easily be achieved. Alternatively, existing rectangular tables can be moved to the outskirts of the room to create zoned areas for independent work with round group tables added to the centre for students to toggle between.
Lyndale Secondary College
In establishing the group setting, the process is “Think”, “Team up” to discuss and problem solve, then “Share and Review”.
The “Think” stage can be delivered whilst sitting in circular settings. “Team up” where groups problem solve should ideally incorporate writable surfaces so ideas can to be evaluated and refined in a non-permanent setting to eliminate the fear of error. Depending on your available space, this can be achieved sitting at a writable top table, standing at a mobile whiteboard or lounging with a whiteboard tablet.
The “Share and Review” stage can then take place back in the collaborative setting. Mobile or modular tables that can be brought together then separated back for individual learning are ideal in this situation.
VE Furniture's Podz Modular Table Range has been designed with collaboration in mind. With a range of top shapes and sizes complemented by a choice of leg including height adjustable and mobile, they can be used stand-alone or brought together for interactive workspaces, thereby empowering students to focus, collaborate, explore and learn.