The world of Furniture extends to all human activities that are based on a fixed space. Not just stationary space, but even space that is itself moving at high speed relative to its surroundings. One is reminded of aeroplane furniture, or even for spacecraft. But one of the most universal of applications of suitable furniture is to the world of Education. The spaces under consideration are mostly stationary here (unless it is a school bus!), but the attention to detail is just as exacting. Educators have observed on the relationship of the Furniture to the effectiveness of the Education for the Students, as well as the ease of Teaching for the Teachers. Extensive Research by Experts have been carried out, and their fine Analysis has shown that there are mainly 7 must-have features for school and university furniture, each of which will be discussed below.
The Importance of Classroom Furniture
The traditional concept of Classrooms did not have a word to say on the Furniture. Yet as Education spread the light of Knowledge around the Planet, the generations coming under the influence began to study all aspects of imparting and receiving this Knowledge. Classroom Furniture came to the fore, with its sweeping influence on the ease of absorbing learning at all levels. Both tiny tots and the career-minded young professionals need their classrooms to have Features that strengthens the process of absorbing knowledge. Classroom furniture once meant student chairs with arm-rests, which could be stacked any which way in a classroom, at the instant bidding of the Class Teacher. Classroom design was not given much thought or consideration. But the studies being carried out about the importance of the right learning environment for students, and the effect of this environment on the performance of the students by complementing the curriculum, have convinced Educators to focus on the design and features necessary for Classroom Furniture.
The Seven Features
The 7 must-have features for school and university furniture have been presented below:
- Creative Feature: The most important feature that school and university furniture must possess is the blessings of human creativity. The furniture must be creatively molded to suit the purpose they have been built for. A typical example will suffice. The classes may have been designed for the free exchange of ideas, which include collective jotting down of discussion points. This is particularly true of joint problem-solving sessions. Constructing the tabletops of whiteboard materials give the students a place to jot down and share their inner contributions with ease. The ecosphere of the classroom must energize the students with the ability to use the creativity of their innate talents.
- Technology Savvy Feature: The modern concept of classroom furniture incorporates the latest technology to make learning easier. Classroom furniture is not only designed and constructed by CAD-CAM (Computer-Aided Design Computer Aided Manufacture) so that each piece of a collection are identically planned and constructed to prevent any gross errors, but have incorporated the latest Technological Aids to strengthen the students’ power to enhance their own creativity. Laptops, student Apps, Smartphones, Routers, Tablets…the list of power tools available at pocket-friendly prices is almost endless. The furniture of these school and university classes are now designed to accommodate and power these gadgets and learning tools to assist the students during classes. Not just the classrooms, but the furniture must be equipped with sufficient power supply outlets to accommodate even the personal gadgets of enthusiastic students. This needs “Technology Savvy” features for classroom furniture these days.
- Student-based Design: The important consideration for these groups of furniture is often whether the classroom is meant to teach one particular year of students, or several years of students at different times. In other words, the design must be Student based. The classrooms which will serve multiple ages, as well as sizes, must consider adjustable desks so that the learning environment is dedicated to the needs of the students.
- The flexibility of Use: The actual uses to which the classroom and its furniture will be put is the most important criteria for designing the best quality to satisfy all needs of the students and teachers alike. The questions to be asked are often whether the students will be working as Teams in pursuance of the curriculum laid out. Do the students need to move around the classroom, or, as in traditional teaching, will the students be expected to be stationary during the learning time period? Comfort during any of these functions is important, both for the Teacher and the Students.
- Cost Consciousness & Effectiveness: The budget is an important consideration for the selection of furniture, as any good professional knows. The departments charged with furnishing school and university classrooms are often made to work with small purses. Yet the demand for student compatible furniture is growing continuously. Fortunately, there is a class of very large Educational Business Houses who have dedicated a whole section of their efforts to reduce the price both for the schools, universities and the parents of students to ensure top class furniture at startling prices. This is because this is a mass demand item, and the economies of scale can effectively satisfy both the demand for quality and cost-effectiveness.
- Sturdiness and Durability: The naturally boisterous nature of many students means that they are sometimes driven to be rough on the furniture. The lasting power of the furniture is also an important feature as is the durability and sturdiness of each piece. The furniture needs to stand up to rough usage year after year. That is why “Lifetime Warranties” are often in force for this class of furniture.
- Storage of Materials: The need to store curriculum materials for the learning spaces (including STEM classrooms) is inherent to this class of furniture. Storage solutions that are easy to access must be included in the design of this class of furniture, to maximize classroom spaces.
