The Phenomenon of Corrective Measures

Abstract

The physical qualities of any college classroom have an effect on the educational experience of both teachers and students.  If the actual space inhibits teaching and learning, they may take remedial measures to improve the learning environment.  The author conducted qualitative research to determine what remedial or corrective measures teachers and students take, how prevalent these actions are, and the perceived effect on the educational experience of both constituents.
            Examples of student remedial responses are to see, hear, or be heard better, to accommodate writing or computer use at ones seat, and to stay warm or cool enough.  Teacher actions might include rearranging furniture, changing or altering the lesson plan, class activity, or manner of teaching to allow easier delivery of the curriculum and adequate interactions between teacher and students, and between students.  Classroom design encompasses the physical space, including furniture, fixtures, and equipment.
                The author conducted this research with students and teachers from eight universities in the Boston metropolitan area in both the physical classroom setting and online courses, using contemporary social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The author’s mixed research methods included written and online surveys, online interviews, and recorded classroom observations. The author collected data within an environment-behavioral construct and analyzed it based upon the Community of Learning model.
            Findings indicate that after performing remedial responses, most students label them as not significantly affecting their learning experience. Students that did find them important were largely those who reported the control of their learning closer to themselves and their actions. Students who found them insignificant were generally those who report control of their learning farther from themselves. Secondly, my research showed that students highly value and have strong beliefs about maintaining attention, which was an impetus for performing remedial actions, much in line with current research on the Millennial population in college.  Lastly, teachers in the study listed adaptation as their primary strategy for deciding on what remedial measures to take in response to an inadequate classroom environment, which not only require teachers to modify their teaching methods, but also can impact their relationship with their students, who often bear the brunt of performing remedial actions to improve the learning environment.

            This research has implications for university administrators trying to determine the true costs and benefits of maintaining or renovating an existing facilities, for teachers who want to take remedial action to fully include their students in the learning process and for students who embrace their power to shape learning experiences.

Keywords: physical classroom, remedial responses, post-occupancy evaluation, case study, control, attention, adaption, User’s Environmental Interaction Framework, Community of Inquiry

Chapter One: Introduction to the Research

                Recently, the author went to a continuing education seminar  at the newly remodeled campus of a university in New England.  The workshop met in a new, theater-style classroom with 150 fixed seats with fold-down tablet arms, and a sloped floor.  The author attended this all-day seminar with a co-worker who was about six feet tall.  Immediately after he sat down, he complained that his chair was uncomfortable.  All morning long, he alternated between sitting angled to the lectern and slouching forward.  He also frequently rocked back and forth in his seat.  He left the room to go to the bathroom mid-morning and upon return, stood in the back of the room until the lunch break.  He returned to the fixed seat for the short afternoon session, and soon began the same re-positioning movements as earlier.  Near the end of the workshop, the attendees were asked to complete an evaluation of the seminar.  When the survey asked about the adequacy of the facility, the author’s colleague rated it as “excellent.” He also rated the whole learning experience as “excellent”!
                This disparity between the experience and the evaluation begs for an explanation. This dissertation discusses the phenomena of taking action to make up for shortcomings in university classroom design (the space furniture and fixtures) and how students and teachers, as they perform their actions, impact the teaching and learning experience.  First, Chapter One provides an introduction to the subject of the research project.  Chapter Two, provides a review of relevant literature. Chapter Three contains a description of the research methods and the participants in the study.  Chapter Four presents the data collected, and Chapter Five details an analysis of the data, offers interpretation of the findings, provides conclusions as well as closing remarks, and includes a repository of research documents and graphical aids.
                To introduce the research, the author outlines his background and connection to this subject, and then presents the scope of the issue.  Thereafter, he defines the problem, offers a framework for evaluation, and articulates the research question within the context of epistemologies and topical issues.  Finally, he details the purpose and importance of his work and offers concluding remarks.