For Immediate Release August 24, 2005

For More Information Contact: Rich Schneider, 317-278-4564 rcschnei@iupui.edu

Classroom Transformations Continue

"The new furniture makes this class much more welcoming. I feel closer to my group and it makes it easier to have a group study or discussion."

INDIANAPOLIS - Five additional classrooms at IUPUI have been transformed with new furniture that does far more than add color and comfort.

The hard tablet arm chairs that had been in these rooms are gone. They have been replaced with cushioned swivel chairs, wrap-around style chairs, small tables, marker boards, and overhead projectors and video screens.

The furniture transformation was accomplished using the campus's $100,000 classroom furniture replacement allocation, with $10,000 earmarked for adaptive education services to purchase furniture to accommodate larger-sized people, said Nancy Chism, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs.

In addition, benches were purchased for students to sit on in the Science and Technology Building.

Campus Facility Services dug into its own budget to spruce up the rooms and technology in the rooms was upgraded by University Information Technology Services (UITS).

The redesigned classrooms are a continuation of a pilot project to customize classrooms that was launched a year ago with three classrooms to rave reviews from faculty and students.

Among the comments from faculty who taught in one of the redesigned classrooms last year:

"This has made a world of difference in the 'feel' of the class. I usually begin to experience a drop in attendance at this time in the semester, but that hasn't happened yet. I know I can't attribute this positive effect to just one variable, but I'm sure the new furniture has played a role in it," wrote Drew Appleby, director of undergraduate studies in IUPUI's psychology department.

Students were no less pleased with the change. Among student comments:

"The new furniture makes this class much more welcoming. I feel closer to my group and it makes it easier to have a group study or discussion.

"I love the new furniture. We have way more room, whereas before I was spending all my time complaining and not as much time learning. I think it has helped us to be able to be closer to our group.

"The new furniture has had a positive effect on my attitude toward this class. The furniture relaxes the environment and encourages discussion. I feel all classrooms (except science labs) should have this furniture.

"In my opinion the new furniture sets up an inviting feel in the classroom."

Classrooms that were redecorated last year were Cavanaugh 224, Cavanaugh 231 and Science and Technology 061. This year, the classrooms that have been redesigned are Nursing 305, Cavanaugh 411, Cavanaugh 237, Cavanaugh 201 and Education.

Classrooms selected for the redesign project are ones in which sections of the same class are taught throughout the week or in which several faculty members collaborated to design a classroom that suited their joint purposes.

Providing comfortable furniture wasn't the chief objective of the pilot project, but comfort has become an issue with a growing percentage of students who for reasons such as back problems, size, or disabilities find hard tablet chairs difficult to use, Chism noted.

More importantly, Chism said, the change in furniture spurs changes in attitudes of students and faculty.

The traditional classroom, with tablet arm chairs lined in rows, facing the instructor, sends the wrong message, Chism said. "It says you be silent and listen to me; you will be passive and listen to me."

"When you have tablet arm chairs, it also says to students that you haven't changed status since the second grade," she continued. "In fact, many of our students are coming from school systems that have more progressive furniture than IUPUI."

In addition to being uncomfortable, these classrooms fall flat when it comes to getting people to measure up to the task at hand, she added. "It has an impact on students and teachers as well."

"I am more apt to lecture at people if that is the easiest course of action, given the furniture in the room," she said.

Chism said a faculty committee has been convened to study what features and furniture works best in the pilot classrooms so that the campus will be prepared to move forward with redesigning large numbers of classrooms should additional funding for redesigning classrooms become available.

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