See
I toured a number of potential
classrooms for observation at several universities to conduct my research, and
noticed varying degrees of potential obstructions to the educational process
within the physical environments. One significant comment that I received from
several participants within the research responses was that the very act of
trying to mitigate problems, even though actions did not completely alleviate
the issue, was beneficial.
Rhatigan and
Schuh (2003) describe how even small interactions with students where faculty
and administration extended themselves to support, encourage, or make the
environment better for students, have the potential to make great changes in
students’ lives. They describe these opportunities as small wins, and
say that “when small wins accumulate, people begin to take the view that
larger-scale, complex problems can be solved” (p. 18). A post-occupancy
evaluation can be a diminutive way to give students some control of their
environment and demonstrate that their opinion is valued. Part of asking about
their likes and dislikes of the facility, is considering the issues that they
value which faculty or administration may not share. Thus, little opportunities
to be included in a process can be empowering! The act of opening and closing
blinds or turning on and off the heating or lighting system, whether performed
by the teacher or as a teacher-student activity, or by students to prepare the
space for learning, can serve as subtle ways to acknowledge the role of the
physical space in the teaching and learning process, while setting the mood in
class and letting students know that the time with them is important.
Increasing the font size to make a presentation more legible in a room is, in
itself, a modest gesture, but it contributes to small wins. Rhatigan and Schuh
state that:
Small wins can
produce results that are electrifying and, in some cases, life changing….Our
small efforts can produce good outcomes. The good that each one of us does
lives on. Faculty and administrators do not want to be among those who limit
themselves by lacking imagination, energy, and effort in the small room in the
world that has been entrusted to our care (pp. 19–22). What little steps can we take now toward
creating an effective environment in which students can learn?
