Faculty and student perception of engagement in two (mobile desks or mobile tables and chairs) low-tech active learning classroom (ALC) designs were compared. Student (n = 413) perceptions of engagement were measured with the Engaged Learning Index (ELI) and the Social Context and Learning Environments (SCALE) instruments at the beginning and end…

An "active learning" classroom design recognizes the importance of students becoming engaged in their own learning. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study compared student-reported data (n = 219) and used the "community of inquiry" framework to evaluate the impact of environmental features on students' experience. Students…

While the interior design of classroom spaces has evolved to support active learning methods, few studies have isolated environment changes from curriculum changes to understand the impact of space on behavior (Brooks, Walker, & Baepler, 2014). Adapting an observation instrument from the Brooks (2012) study, "Space and Consequences",…

In this article, we present a revised version of the active learning classroom observation tool (ALCOT), designed in 2015, to support instructor reflection on instructional approaches applied within active learning classrooms. The design of active learning classrooms and teaching approaches within them have changed significantly since the initial…

Student learning and engagement are paramount for educational institutions. This paper examines the impact of an interactive learning space on teaching and learning for both faculty and students. Specifically, four faculty from disparate disciplines examine the impacts on teaching and learning of an active learning space designed for student…

This case study describes a Dartmouth College classroom redesign that intended not only to encourage innovative teaching but to also promote new ways of thinking about how space influences learning through a partnership with faculty to create an incubator for study. This article discusses the campus context for how the classroom was redesigned;…

This is a report of the third phase of a research study on students' groupwork. The two earlier phases of the research focused on the assessment and outcome of students' groupwork in general, but at this phase the focus is on Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs). At this phase the author surveyed faculty and students about the effectiveness of…

This cross-sectional study examines students' and faculty members' perceptions on their use of active learning classrooms in a university in Singapore. The study targets students (398) and faculty (6) who use active learning classrooms -- Applied and Collaborative learning Environment (ACE) rooms. It investigated whether novelty to the learning…

Active learning spaces form an important part of university learning environments and have the potential to enhance student learning, yet studies on student and faculty perceptions of collaborative learning pedagogies indicate that many remain resistant. To overcome this resistance, an academic department developed and implemented an active…

Having experienced preliminary success in designing two active learning classrooms, Lethbridge College developed an additional eight active learning classrooms as part of a three-year initiative spanning 2014-2017. Year one of the initiative entailed purchasing new audio-visual equipment and classroom furniture followed by installation. This…

A responsive case study evaluation approach utilizing interviews and focus groups collected student and faculty perspectives on examined how instructors and students utilized a newly redesigned active learning space at Iowa State University and the relationship of this design with environmental and behavioral factors of student engagement. The…

This study investigates how instructor teaching philosophy (traditional vs. constructivist) and type of learning space (traditional vs. active) influence instructor perceptions of student engagement. In a quasi-experimental study, we found that instructors perceived that students were more engaged in the active learning classroom (ALC) than in the…

This article presents the results of a quasi-experimental research project investigating the impact of two different formal learning spaces--a traditional classroom and a technologically enhanced active learning classroom--on instructor behavior, classroom activities, and levels of on-task student behavior at the University of Minnesota. Using…