Assessment Item 1

The Problem Space
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The Year 5 learning space has undergone some significant changes this year. Originally 3 separate classrooms, the teachers of these classes decided to remove the walls between the rooms in an attempt to enable a new pedagogic approach. The classrooms were separated by solid wall partitions on tracks that locked together to create a wall. In previous years, these partitions remained closed. The teachers wanted to develop a more flexible learning space and facilitate team teaching models and enable new types of learning.

Removing the walls was only the first step. Utilising the existing classroom furniture represented further challenges. To enable the type of learning teachers were planning, students needed a variety of seating arrangements. This proved hard to achieve with individual student desks. To assist in the trial, several group tables were swapped in from other locations around the school and some of the individual desks were removed. The only furniture purchased were shelves of trays to provide students with a place to keep their personal equipment and remove the need for individual tidy-trays in desks. One of the teachers supplied an old couch of her own for the space. ​

Observations
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The lesson observed began with all students gathered for approximately 10 minutes of direct instruction. They then broke off into different groupings to work with particular teachers or independently. The teachers later explained their desire to keep explicit instruction included in their approach. This style of teaching is of notable importance according to Hattie (2012). During the observation, noise level was initially noted. With so many children occupying the one open space, all sounds and voices compounded. The start of the lesson also presented volume challenges. With all students gathered and a single teacher giving the instructions, it was unclear if all students could see or hear the teacher. During the main part of the lesson, all three teachers instructing their groups could be heard at different times.

The lack of space in general appeared to cause issue and was a second point of note. A number of students worked on the floor or other soft furnishing while the students in groups with teachers made use of the larger desks in front of the boards, the location of which ultimately dictated this layout. The 3 classes occupying the space presented almost 90 students in total. The space felt very full. Ensuring every student had a place to be productive seemed like a challenge as several of the seating arrangements didn’t seem suitable for extended periods of time.

​Opportunities for Change

The wall partitions seem like they could be utilised more to help segment the space and perhaps block noise. By creating a half wall, the teachers could then section off part of the classroom into a smaller group working space. Furniture options that partition off areas and provide students with low distraction working spaces may also be helpful.

​Some of the furniture in the middle classroom could be removed so that all students can fit and see during times when all 3 classes are together for direct instruction. A teacher microphone that plugs into the classroom AV system might also help students hear instruction during this time. 

​It appeared that all 3 classrooms were trying to suit every purpose – from whole class teaching, to group work and individual work. Perhaps separating the roles of the 3 spaces might help them achieve what the teachers are hoping, using 1 whole classroom for the group instruction and using the other 2 spaces for groups and individual work. As stated by Razzouk (2012) design is an iterative process, solutions may be modified or new solutions may be developed until an optimal solution is found. This could be a second iteration of a possible solution. ​

There was an impression that there were a lot of unknowns about what the desired result really looks like. As Eris' (2004) definition of "the brief" explains, “we don’t know what we don’t know” and would like the design process to unearth that. It is possible that as the teachers continue to work in this space, they will learn more about what they are looking for. This "fuzzy" problem (Melles, 2010) has the opportunity for unexpected solutions.

References

Eris, O. (2004). Effective inquiry for innovative engineering design. Springer Publications

Hattie, J. & Yates G. C. R. (2013). Visible learning and the science of how we learn. Routledge.

Melles, G. (2010). Curriculum design thinking: a new name for old ways of thinking and practice? Sydney: Proceedings of the DTRS8 Conference 299-308. 

Razzouk, R., Shute, V. (2012). What is design thinking and why is it important? Review of Educational Research, September, 82 (3), 330–348