A redesign of UNC classrooms might be on the horizon, after a survey showed that alternative-style classrooms promote discussion between students and professors better than traditional lecture halls.
At a meeting Friday, members of the Center for Faculty Excellence discussed the results of four different classroom models — implemented in certain classrooms across campus in the fall — that were redesigned this year to increase engagement between students and professors.
Bob Henshaw, instructional technology consultant and Information Technology Services liaison, discussed the results of the experiments, which tested a lecture hall, science lab, romance language classroom and another small classroom that had been redesigned.
The surveys showed that students were more willing to explore and discuss subject matter in the redesigned setting, and were also more apt to pay attention and stay engaged, Henshaw said.
“With the traditional seats facing front, there is limited natural eye contact among students and not a lot of room for rearranging and for faculty members to get out and interact with students,” he said.
Henshaw said the redesign included different types of swivel chairs, tablet-style desks and table and desk arrangements.
Both students and professors responded favorably to the new environments, Henshaw said.
Eric Muller, director of the Center for Faculty Excellence, said these results showed that efforts toward interaction in the classroom were paying off.
“It’s not just about making plans but understanding whether you’re reaching your objectives,” Muller said.
At the meeting, the board also discussed joining a larger effort of promoting online education via MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses.
