Innovative classrooms provide numerous opportunities for making the process of learning more effective. Their primary benefits are the focus on a learner and the fact that the environment motivates them to become involved in the process thus improving their performance and achievement. In the innovative classroom, the emphasis is made on attracting the learner’s attention to the subject under consideration. This goal can be achieved by a variety of ways. For example, using interactive whiteboards and document cameras can be beneficial for making the learning process more attractive from the perspective of a learner.
The main reason for making this statement is the fact that they invoke interest because of offering visualization (Horn & Staker, 2015). Because the key facts are shown on the whiteboard, learners remember more information. In addition to it, the possibility of representing the facts by demonstrating related pictures stimulates positive emotions (Schwartz, 2013). It makes the innovative learning process even more appealing because learners are willing to attend classes and motivated to consume more knowledge (Center for Educational Research and Innovation, 2010).
Another significant advantage of the innovative classroom is that they offer motivation. The emphasis is made on achieving better results of learning. This objective can be reached by implementing learning management systems, which offer different functions from administering the learning process to delivering materials and assessment (Kats, 2013). The foundation of motivation is invoking participation in the process of learning and transparency of the systems since all results and performance are visible to everyone in the classroom. It stimulates self-motivation and the desire to leave others behind.
Finally, the most significant advantage of the innovative classrooms is the fact that they enhance learners’ digital expertise. For example, if every student is provided with a tablet and wireless connection in the classroom as well as the access to online chat, it would be beneficial for strengthening the ties between learners and teachers (Hampson, Patton, & Shanks, n.d.).
Supporting this initiative is crucial because it improves learning outcomes since every time learners need instructor’s help, they are free to use the online chat and get the answer right away. The same can be said about implementing cloud services and providing access to learning materials without regard to being present at school. This step is vital for the integration of learning process and making it more productive and attractive because learners do not miss important information (Covili & Provenzano, 2015).
Designing innovative classroom and implementing the model is impossible without applying the principles of the systems thinking. In the systems thinking, nodes and links are of the highest priority. It means that interactions are valuable. In the case of designing the proposed innovative classroom, the learning environment and the classroom itself were seen as the system.
The primary nodes were the learners, a teacher, and innovations. The idea behind the design is to demonstrate the interaction between a teacher and a learner, which is achieved with the use of newest technologies and various tools deployed for visualizing learning materials. That said, it was shown that a teacher reaches a learner by means of visualizing equipment and every time he/she makes another decision regarding the visualized facts or actively used equipment, the learning outcomes change as well as the environment. It means that the system is responsive and can be altered by withdrawing or introducing new tools and different decisions.
References
Center for Educational Research and Innovation. (2010). The nature of learning: Using research to inspire practice. Web.
Covili, N., & Provenzano, J. (2015). Classroom in the cloud: Innovative ideas for higher level learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Hampson, M., Patton, A., & Shanks, L. (n.d.). 10 ideas for 21st century education.
Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2015). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kats, Y. (2013). Learning management system and instructional design: Best practices in online education. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Schwartz, K. (2013). 7 essential principles of innovative learning. Web.