Simple Yet Optimal Learning Environments

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the importance of an optimal learning environment cannot be overstated. It’s not just about what children are learning, but also about how they are learning. In recent years, it has become evident the benefits of adopting a “less-is-better” approach in the classroom environment. It emphasises simplicity, minimalism, and reduction of extraneous elements, leading to improved focus, culture (behaviour), and overall learning outcomes. In preparing classrooms (particularly over the summer period), or any environments where focus and attention is required for different elements and contexts, it has to be questioned whether the time and effort spent on designing and creating different displays and workstations are actually necessary for learning to happen. Let’s delve into the various aspects of why less is better in the environment for learning and how it positively impacts both pupils and teachers, while also recognising the value of effective working walls in capturing and displaying learning over time.

Reducing Extraneous Load:

Extraneous load refers to any cognitive load that doesn’t directly contribute to the learning process. A cluttered and visually overwhelming classroom environment can create unnecessary distractions, leading to increased cognitive load (the learner have to use precious working memory in deciphering what information is needed). By adopting a minimalist approach, teachers can remove these distractions and allow children to focus their cognitive resources on the core content. This reduction in extraneous load helps streamline the learning process, helps to promote intrinsic load, making learning more efficient and effective.

Improved Behaviour and Culture:

A clutter-free and organised classroom environment sets the tone for a positive learning culture. When students are surrounded by clean, purposeful, and intentional spaces, they are more likely to adopt better behaviour and a heightened sense of responsibility. Moreover, a simple environment fosters a sense of calm and tranquility, which can contribute to a more harmonious classroom atmosphere. For anyone struggling with processing or is more sensitive to stimuli, a simple environment reduces this constraint and supports them to feel more comfortable with their surroundings. Pupils are more likely to respect their surroundings and each other when the environment promotes a sense of order and purpose.

Enhanced Student Focus and Attention:

Visual clutter and excessive stimuli can overwhelm children’s senses and divert their attention away from the lesson at hand. By embracing a minimalist classroom design, teachers can create an environment that directs children’s focus towards the key instructional elements. This leads to increased engagement, improved concentration, and ultimately, better retention of information. This helps when instructing as you are able to guide them from afar to the clear knowledge displayed e.g. a worked example. A clean and uncluttered environment helps students stay on track and actively participate in the learning process.

Lightening the Teacher Workload:

Teachers often invest a significant amount of time and effort in creating elaborate displays, noticeboards and decorations. While these may seem appealing, they can also contribute to visual clutter that distracts students and consumes valuable teaching time. Embracing minimalism allows teachers to reduce the time spent on creating elaborate displays, freeing them up to focus on more impactful teaching strategies and individualised student support. Overtime, once children are familiar with their surroundings, they can take charge of some of the key notices and information if it is needed to be displayed e.g. visual timetables; reminders; declarative information.

Effective Use of Visualisers:

Visualisers are powerful tools that allow teachers to live-model, project images, work, and objects onto a screen for the entire class to see. However, the effectiveness of visualisers can be compromised if the classroom environment is visually overwhelming. By prioritising simplicity, teachers can ensure that the attention of both the students and the teacher remains on the content being presented, rather than being dispersed among various distractions – this can include you being the distraction too!

The Role of Working Walls:

While simplicity is crucial, it’s also important to recognise the value of working walls in capturing and displaying learning over time. Working walls, when thoughtfully organised and maintained, serve as dynamic visual representations of children’s progress and the ongoing learning journey. Instead of overwhelming the classroom with a multitude of displays, effective working walls provide a focused space where students can revisit, reflect upon, and build upon their learning. It is even more purposeful when they are created with the learners as they understand the narrative during its creation which aids retrieval.

Conclusion:

The “less-is-better” approach in the classroom environment, coupled with the strategic use of effective working walls, has proven to be a transformative paradigm shift in schools. However, clutter and pre-populated displays still exist in some schools today. By prioritizing simplicity, teachers can reduce extraneous load, improve classroom culture, enhance focus and attention, and lighten their own workload. At the same time, working walls play a crucial role in capturing and showcasing learning over time, creating a balanced and purposeful classroom environment. As we navigate the complex landscape of education, embracing minimalism and leveraging working walls paves the way for a more effective and impactful teaching and learning experience, allowing more time to focus on the some-what complex delivery of novel information.

Further reading

• John Sweller, Jeroen J. G. van Merrienboer, and Fred G. W. C. Paas https://www.researchgate.net/publication/200772805_Cognitive_Architecture_and_Instructional_Design
• Wong, Leahy, Marcus and Sweller https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959475212000369?via%3Dihub
• Baddeley & Hitch (1974) https://www.simplypsychology.org/working-memory.html
• Sweller https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211368115000935
• Carl Hendrick and Paul A. Kirschner: How Learning Happens
• D.Willingham: Why don’t student like school?