Free Time (and Space) Should Be A Priority

Experts, teachers, and students agree: learning is not just about the input and output of information. More than ever before, research is recognizing the immense value of play, freedom, exploration, and discovery in education, and just how vital these elements are to the learning process. At every level of learning, from preschool to the college level, the inclusion of free time and space can have an incredibly positive impact on education.

How Free Time Connects to Innovation

The interrelation of creativity, innovation, and free time has been extensively explored at the highest echelons of corporate culture. This alone demonstrates the value of free time for productivity and the development of new ideas. It’s interesting to note that “the best places to work” are those that implement the most flexible and creativity-forward seating solutions, mirrored in the use of soft seating for schools.

Often the most intelligent students squirm and suffer distraction under traditional circumstances, while those for whom stimulating intellectual factors (free time, challenging and engaging exercises) and conducive physical factors (ergonomic furniture, freedom of movement) are more likely to excel.

Extending Free Time into Free Space

For students who feel mentally restricted by the rigor and inflexibility of traditional classrooms, restriction of space can be just as harmful. This principle applies to individual furniture pieces, as well as the overall layout of the classroom. Ergonomically correct furniture that supports a wide range of natural movement is key. For classroom activities that emphasize creative alone time as well as collaboration, educational soft seating can also help to create a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere in which optimal learning is prioritized.

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management April/May 2019 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

Dietmar Lang is the director of Marketing & Product for VS America. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Featured

  • K12 Tutoring Earns Every Student Succeeds Act Level II Validation

    Personalized online tutoring service K12 Tutoring recently announced that it has received Level II validation underneath the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), according to a news release. The independently validated study provides evidence of K12 Tutoring’s role in creating positive student outcomes through effective academic intervention and research-based solutions.

  • Addressing the Housing Affordability Crisis Through Creative Campus Development

    Many Southern California college and university campuses are living amidst surging housing costs, driving the need to house more of their populations on campus. Especially for community colleges, the need to support millions of unhoused and housing insecure students has become a prominent issue that lawmakers and institutions alike are trying to solve.

  • PNSI Global Alliance Launches New Quality Assurance Certification

    PNSI Global Alliance, a network of technology integrators and service providers, recently introduced a new Quality Assurance Certification (QAC) for AV service and support, according to a press release. The two-day, interactive workshop QAC course is designed for Certified Solution Providers (CSPs) to provide them with the most up-to-date and advanced quality assurance knowledge available.

  • UT-Austin Breaks Ground on 17-Story Business School

    The University of Texas at Austin recently broke ground on a new, 17-story facility that will serve as the new home for the school’s McCombs School of Business, according to university news. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on April 10 for Mulva Hall, which will include amenities like classrooms, academic department suites, research centers, faculty offices, the dean’s office, and gathering spaces.

Digital Edition