Zoom In

The following “play” exercise consist of pictures taken of a Michigan State University classroom used to teach multiple course. 13 random pictures of the classroom were taken and after accessing the pictures, broken down into 4 categories. The first category consist of 3 pictures of varies Mac computers; the second category consist of four angels of the classroom’s white easer board and LCD projector; the third category consist of physical environment (desk, walls, chairs and floor) and the final category is of the storage space. In addition, I have added 2 pictures of an additional classroom space to compare the two spaces.

My Discovery

The first thing I observed while “playing” is that on one hand, the classroom is designed to be meet the demands of a 21^st century education, but on the other hand the physical environment is not conducive to meet the demands.

The colors of the walls are bland, the desk appeared to be comfortable, and in one picture, it appears there is not enough space for the multiple chairs that are at the desk.

The project screen and the white board also seem to be out of place. In a more modern academic environment, classrooms are equipped with a smart-board, which serves both as a station for a professor to write on and give the professor the option to display the Internet.

The final challenge appears to be the storage space. The extra computers and the support devises are cluttered and to some extent a distraction to the study environment.

Transformation

In addition to replacing the white board and the out-modeled project with a smart board, adding color to the walls, switching out the classroom furniture to furniture more comfortable and conducive to learning, replacing the carpet and thinking of an alternative for space for storage of the technical equipment. These transformations represent a few of the adjustments to consider initially.