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The lecture hall seating and desk is a key element to consider if we want to enhance learning effectiveness and productivity. Over the last few decades, a lot has changed in the way we teach and learn. Trends come and go, from choosing traditional lecture hall seating to mobile lecture chairs to collaborative learning systems to smart education. However, among all these constantly changing elements, one thing remains the same: the importance of its seating is paramount.
Research shows that when the desks and chairs in the classroom are not ergonomic, it will not only cause adverse effects on students’ bodies such as myopia and spinal curvature, but will also affect students’ concentration and learning efficiency in listening to classes.
Whether a classroom can become a comfortable learning environment, desks and chairs play an important role.
For students, the time spent in contact with desks and chairs at school is at least 6 hours a day;
For teachers, teachers of different subjects have different needs for the placement of desks and chairs;
For teaching, the placement of desks and chairs directly affects the effectiveness of the learning space.
Flexibility is essential for future lecture hall furniture
Desks and chairs in future classrooms must be flexible and able to accommodate different arrangements within the space, ensuring that the indoor arrangement can be quickly and quietly adapted to the various activities proposed by the school curriculum.
In the past, only one scene was required in the classroom: the teacher wrote on the blackboard, and the students sat in parallel rows of seats to listen and take notes. But nowadays, teaching styles have undergone tremendous changes. The protagonist of education has changed from teachers to students, and the design of the teaching environment must change accordingly.
When the classroom teaching method needs to be changed to types such as seminar, small groups, co-working, etc., the layout of lecture hall seats can quickly change from the traditional rectangular arrangement to the round shape, U-shape, face-to-face shape, co-working shape, etc., to promote communication and interaction between teachers and students, and to enhance students’ participation, enthusiasm and concentration in learning.
Arranging lecture desks and chairs may seem like a simple matter, but there are many different classroom seating arrangements available, each with their own pros and cons.
Seating arrangements can have an impact on student learning. Research shows that students who sit in the front of a classroom are generally more attentive than those in the back, and they are more likely to ask questions and actively participate in class discussions.
So, what are the best ways to arrange lecture desks and chairs? How do you determine the best seating arrangements for classrooms with different courses?
Type 1: Traditional arrangement
Due to space constraints, many classrooms have to arrange desks and chairs in this efficient way. The advantage of this arrangement is that it provides students with privacy and space for independent study and thinking, preventing interference from others. Therefore, this form is more suitable for use when students are giving exams or classroom presentations.
This seating arrangement is a great space saver – having seating that is tiered allows many more seats and a greater number of students to sit and view in a smaller location. Comfort–tiered seating comes in an array of different styles and alternatives and allows comfortable and spacious seating options to suit each individual venue.
The only disadvantage may be in terms of classroom participation, it is designed for “lectures” rather than teaching – students in the front row have the highest participation, while students in the back row have lower participation, and teachers cannot care for every student. This arrangement is also not conducive to collaborative learning or group discussions.
However, there is a solution for it – to achieve the best seating capacity while giving students good opportunities to interact with each other. With Leadcom Seating’s innovative 360-degree turning and learning seating system Titan LS-420, students can turn back and discuss with who sits behind them to form a pair or a small 4-person group. To learn more about Titan, please click here.
Type 2: U-shaped or horseshoe shape arrangement
Students can have their own desktop to read and write, and direct access to teachers and audio-visual media. Students can have face-to-face contact with each other. Have students sit in pairs. The teacher can walk into the middle of the U-shape at any time to deliver lectures. Make sure there is enough turning space between U shapes. It can also be made into a semicircle in small groups.
U-shaped placement in smaller classrooms is more conducive to face-to-face communication between teachers and students, thereby establishing a good relationship between teachers and students.
Type 3: Group/Team Co-working
Depending on how many students there are, seating combinations of 4-6 students can be created. Arrange seats closely around the tables that are joined together to allow students to have contact and promote group interaction. Some students need to adjust their chairs slightly to see the blackboard, teacher, and projection screen.
This type of lecture seating arrangement is highly effective for teamwork and cooperative learning. By dividing students into groups in a targeted manner, students are encouraged to communicate with each other, and friendly competitions can be held between groups to encourage more active learning behaviors.
Type 4: Mixed type
Depending on the needs of classroom courses and different teaching methods, some schools and classrooms are considering using combined configurations. Find a way to meet the needs of all your students by mixing and matching various layouts.
So, with a clear idea of how you want to arrange your lecture hall seating layouts, what needs to be paid attention to before you buy the right lecture hall seating and desk at the right budget?
- Ergonomics
Lecture hall seating for students must be ergonomic and able to meet the physical needs of different ages, ensuring that students can move around in their seats and maintain good posture.
- Security
Lecture hall seating is the most frequently used and used furniture in classrooms. In future classrooms, desks and chairs will be moved, combined and adjusted in height at any time. Safety when using desks and chairs is particularly important for students.
First of all, when schools choose desks and chairs, in addition to considering their durability, ease of cleaning, and maintainability, they should also understand the environmental safety of the materials used in the desks and chairs.
Lecture hall seating must be made of materials that do not contain formaldehyde, benzene, phenol and radioactive substances, are not harmful to human health, and have zero formaldehyde and no odor.
Secondly, the parts of lecture hall seating are tightly integrated and are not easy to loosen, crack, or come off. For desks and chairs connected to wheels, there must be valves that can fix the steering of the wheels so that the desks and chairs can remain in a fixed position when movement is not required.
- Convenience
Consider whether the lecture chair in tiered lecture halls is convenient for students to clean in the lecture theater. Is it convenient for students to enter and exit?
When a flexible design is paired with a corresponding teaching model, it can stimulate more interest among students and make students more willing to cooperate with each other and interact with teachers, thus producing better results.
Leadcom Seating, as a world-leading seating manufacturer for education, provides a full range of seating products for universities, schools and training institutions – lecture theater auditorium chairs, traditional fixed lecture room desk and chairs, collaborative seating systems and mobile training chairs, etc. To suit different site requirements and budget limits. Vist our education page here for more products and solutions.
