Transforming seating layouts, transforming the way knowledge is accessed

Transforming seating layouts, transforming the way knowledge is accessed

3 weeks ago

Today, as society changes and 21st-century requirements place greater emphasis on critical thinking, self-learning, and problem-solving skills, the traditional classroom model reveals many limitations. Students have limited opportunities for interaction, find it difficult to engage in group discussions, and their thinking is restricted within a fixed space.

The development of modern education requires that students need more than memorization: they need to experience, interact, and self-construct knowledge. The classroom space, specifically the furniture arrangement and the flexibility of the learning environment, becomes a direct factor influencing how students acquire knowledge. When the space is rigid, the thinking becomes rigid as well. Conversely, when students are allowed to rotate, change positions, and interact, their thinking expands.

A Harvard University study (2023) demonstrated that students learning in a flexible learning environment increased memory retention by up to 50% and concentration levels by over 70% compared to traditional classrooms. This means that learning effectiveness depends not only on teaching methods but also on the organization of the space. The learning environment becomes a powerful factor affecting students' learning experience and quality.

When Desks and Chairs Are Still, Thinking Remains Still

In traditional classrooms, desks and chairs are fixed to the floor or arranged in straight rows. Students face the teacher and receive knowledge in a single, one-way fashion. When group discussion is required, teachers waste time asking students to move the furniture, leading to noise and loss of focus. This rigidity reduces the ability to communicate, limits interaction, and makes the learning process passive.

Beyond affecting activities, traditional furniture also causes physical health issues. Many students have to sit in incorrect postures for long hours, leading to fatigue, muscle strain, and reduced concentration. This is why ergonomic furniture was created to solve this problem: supporting correct posture, helping students study in a comfortable state, and optimizing concentration.

Changing the furniture, changing the mindset: Flexible learning spaces not only increase memory retention by 50% but also help students escape rigidity, construct knowledge, and protect health.

Changing the furniture, changing the mindset: Flexible learning spaces not only increase memory retention by 50% but also help students escape rigidity, construct knowledge, and protect health.

In advanced countries, classrooms are designed so students can move freely and transition between activities naturally. Leading schools apply the Active Learning model—an active learning model that encourages students to participate in the process of seeking and acquiring knowledge instead of just listening and taking notes.

Active Learning – Where Students Are the Center of Knowledge

Flexible Learning Spaces Nurture Active Learning Thinking

Active Learning is an educational model where students become direct participants in the learning process. Instead of sitting still and listening to the teacher, students discuss, critique, work in groups, present, and solve problems. The teacher is no longer at the center but acts as a guide, inspiring and supporting students to develop independent thinking.

In this model, the flexible learning space plays a crucial role. If the furniture is fixed, students cannot move and participate in group activities naturally. But when the space can change, the learning mindset changes with it. Teachers can transform the classroom from an individual to a group layout in just a few seconds without interrupting the lesson. When furniture supports flexibility, students easily transition from listening to group work, from observing to presenting, and from receiving to creating.

Flexible learning space is the key to Active Learning success, turning students into active knowledge constructors and allowing teachers to easily transition learning activities.Flexible learning space is the key to Active Learning success, turning students into active knowledge constructors and allowing teachers to easily transition learning activities.

Modern Educational Furniture, The Foundation for Active Learning

To support the active learning model, educational furniture must change, from design philosophy to functional utility. No longer heavy and fixed sets of desks and chairs, ergonomic furniture is created with the goal of supporting the body, assisting movement, and optimizing concentration.

The Smart Zico height-adjustable desk is one notable solution in the modern learning space. With flexible height adjustment capability, the adjustable desk allows students to switch between sitting and standing to learn, depending on the activity. Changing posture not only improves health but also helps students be more alert, focused, and grasp lessons faster.

Along with the Smart Zico height-adjustable desk, it becomes a crucial element in the flexible classroom. The ease of adjustment helps students join group discussions quickly, without interrupting the lesson. The chair design adheres to ergonomic standards, supporting the spine and reducing back fatigue from prolonged sitting.

The adjustable desk is the new ergonomic foundation, turning educational furniture into a powerful tool that supports movement and optimizes concentration for Active Learning.

The adjustable desk is the new ergonomic foundation, turning educational furniture into a powerful tool that supports movement and optimizes concentration for Active Learning.

Furthermore, the folding table is an optimal solution when the classroom needs to switch to movement, discussion, or project activities. In just a few seconds, the classroom layout is completely transformed without wasting time or creating noise.

Flexible Spaces Drive Effective Learning and 21st-Century Skill Development

Flexible spaces not only make students more comfortable but also promote important skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. When students are allowed to move, interact with peers, and present their ideas, they learn how to work with others and confidently articulate their views.

Many studies show that students in the Active Learning model have higher levels of proactiveness and creativity compared to the traditional model. Changing the spatial layout also helps teachers easily adjust teaching methods according to the objective of each lesson instead of just teaching in a traditional manner.

A flexible classroom will help students develop a flexible mindset—the goal of modern education.

RPB Education & Public – The Pioneer in Designing Active Learning Spaces

RPB Education & Public is a pioneering brand in Vietnam in the field of designing and manufacturing modern educational furniture. With over 15 years of experience, RPB Education & Public researches ergonomic furniture solutions, adjustable desks, 360-degree swivel chairs, and folding tables, aiming to create flexible, scientific learning spaces that fit the bodies of Vietnamese students.

RPB Education & Public not only produces furniture but creates learning experiences. Each product is designed based on observing and researching learning behavior in real-world environments, thereby optimizing every detail to support teachers and students in the learning and interaction process. When the space changes, the way of learning changes. And when the way of learning changes, students become the center of knowledge.

RPB Education & Public pioneers the creation of flexible Active Learning spaces in Vietnam, helping to change the mindset, and foster students' proactiveness and creativity.

RPB Education & Public pioneers the creation of flexible Active Learning spaces in Vietnam, helping to change the mindset, and foster students' proactiveness and creativity.

Changing the way we 'arrange desks' is not just changing the position of furniture. It is changing the educational mindset. From a passive learning model to an active one. From learning to memorize to learning to understand and apply. A flexible classroom helps students be confident, creative, and proactively access knowledge. When furniture supports movement, thinking expands. And when thinking expands, the learning journey becomes more profound.

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