General upper secondary school students in the Tulliportti Teacher Training School’s new facilities in Joensuu now have an opportunity to become fully immersed in studying, and it is okay to wrap oneself in a blanket while listening to birdsong.
The project to renovate the school’s facilities has reached a stage where recess can be now taken either in a winter landscape or, for example, on a summery “pier”. While in class, students can get comfortable in an armchair surrounded by virtual nature. The new facilities have been welcomed to such an extent that students now rush to class, voluntarily cutting their recess short.
“The facilities have been renewed in connection with the Future Classroom Lab project. Its key concept has been the development of learning environments, the well-being and recovery of students, and support for study motivation. Naturally, this is all linked to the new curriculum for general upper secondary education, which guides us towards supporting broad-based competence,” says Sampo Forsström, the leader of the project.
Of course, cosiness in general has also been a guiding factor.
“Students immediately took to the new facilities. We have received a lot of direct feedback about how the new facilities are calmer and more motivating to study in.”
Comfortable, homey and functional
There are now three types of new facilities in the school. The Virtual Nature Classroom makes it possible for students to concentrate on studying in peace and quiet, in a manner that suits their individual needs. There are many soft seats, blankets and even stuffed animals in the classroom, all in line with the nature theme. There is also a green wall with plant installations, making the environment calmer.
“Nature is also brought into the classroom in the form of a soundscape and on a large virtual display. Our desks can be moved around, and they have been manufactured by a local wood artist, Miikka Kotilainen. Studies show that wood as a material brings well-being to its surroundings,” Lecturer Minna Ursin says.
The general upper secondary school is located on the Joensuu Campus, which has been under several construction projects in recent years, diminishing nature from around the school.
“Bringing back elements of nature to the school has been an overarching theme. The Virtual Nature Classroom also allows us to reap the benefits of nature while studying,” says Forsström.
In the lobbies and corridors, on the other hand, there are spaces dedicated to the four seasons, which have been designed for working in small groups and for giving student guidance and counselling.
“These small spaces that support interaction were designed together with teachers and students to reflect our favourite spots in nature during each season,” Ursin explains.
In the early stage of the project, student teachers, too, were given a chance to describe spaces that would be functional for their needs. Calmness, comfort, homeliness and good lighting were highlighted in the hopes, and all of these were taken into account in the group facilities.
The teaching and training facility PedaLab, on the other hand, is a room with very little furniture, designed to facilitate learning by doing, as well as embodied learning.
“There are several displays and the possibility to use virtual glasses, as well as furniture that allows a wide range of groupings. By the wall, there is also an area for working in small groups, which can be adjusted to different needs,” Ursin says.
In other words, students can immerse themselves in learning in a multi-sensory manner. This allows a versatile use of the brain’s learning mechanisms.
“At the same time, we are looking to gain experiences of how, when and in what context immersion can promote learning, thinking, understanding and motivation.”
Facilities support collaborative learning
The school has now revamped its physical environment. That, however, is not enough. The idea is to bring about a change in the operating culture – both for teachers and students. According to Ursin, the facilities force teachers to rethink their teaching.
“Teaching is no longer an individual job. The new curriculum for general upper secondary education highlights teamwork and collaborative teaching, and the new facilities support this. Sitting at a desk is not by any means the only way to learn and study, and the curriculum also includes social interaction, knowledge sharing, group work and learning by doing. The new facilities support all of this, and hopefully the opportunity offered by them is seized.”
The facilities also provide students with more choice. Forsström points out that today’s students will enter a world of work where multilocation is commonplace.
“Already now, it is acknowledged that an office space must have some added value for an employee to come in instead of working from home. We are coaching our students to consider, already during their studies, how a space affects their work and learning – and what kind of tools they have to influence it.”
The project has several research and business partners, and research related to the new learning environments is now being planned together with the School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education at the University of Eastern Finland. Next, the project aims to develop pedagogy as well as individual learning paths.
“Together with the university’s IT Services, we have also been developing the use of sensors in our facilities, and we have heart rate monitors that allow us to measure how students are feeling in class. This allows various kinds of data to be included as part of research projects.”
In general, the aim is to collaborate extensively with different partners also when it comes to the development of facilities and educational technology.
Supporting well-being
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about student burnout also in the context of general upper secondary education. The new facilities play a role in contributing to students’ recovery and well-being.
“The idea is also to expand research to lower secondary education pedagogy, since some of our facilities are also used by lower secondary school students,” says Forsström.
Modern learning environments are associated with adaptability and flexibility. Teaching is becoming increasingly diverse, and facilities will need to adapt accordingly.
“In the future, we hope that these facilities will also find after-school use.”
