Notes
Measuring the Impact of Activity-Based Classrooms on Student Performance
Nicholas Watkins, PhD Gensler
Gary Pavlechko Ball State University
Nathan Cool Gensler
A quasi-experimental study by Gensler and Ball State measured the impact of activity-based classrooms on student engagement. Using the theoretical lens of self-determination theory, the researchers measured student autonomy, competence, and relatedness in classroom settings with a self-report questionnaire developed for the study. Specifically, students were surveyed for how well a given classroom supported a diversity of tasks and choice (autonomy), adaptability and personalization (competence), and connectivity with others (relatedness). Surveys were completed relative a student's last classroom experience in one campus building. Students were compared between traditional classroom settings and activitybased classrooms consisting of smart technology, digital media, and flexible furnishings that accommodate small group work and individual work. Traditional and activity-based classrooms were matched by instructor and course. A convenience sample of 127 students completed the self-report questionnaire. Students differed statistically by time of day of their class, gender, and ethnicity, with a bias toward white women. Factor analyses, T-tests, stepwise OLS regressions,and structural equation modeling were used to measure the self-report questionnaire's validity and reliability, reveal latent constructs from the survey, compare the classrooms, and find any mediating and moderating relationships between classroom design and various outcomes. A measure of student-environment fit was used to identify deficits between students' learning expectations and how well the classroom conditions met these expectations. Deficits in classroom design were found for the ability to learn something new, mastery of material, and curiosity. Relatedness or connectivity with others predicted higher performance in all three of these domains, thereby indicating it was a key variable to explore further. Latent constructs that emerged included the room's impression, flexibility of the room for sharing information, and seat adjustment and movement. The activitybased classrooms performed better than the traditional classrooms on all measures of relatedness, the latent constructs, and experiences with various design features. However, surprisingly, the activity-based classrooms were perceived as more crowded in large part because of the mobile seating, lack of work surfaces, lack of storage, and an impression of clutter. Perceived and physical control over design features strongly mediated a positive impact between classroom type and flexibility of the classroom for sharing information (a latent construct akin to relatedness) with the activity-based classrooms affording more control. Results from the study were used to inform a new activity-based classroom environment more conducive to a diversity of activities and informal learning. This new activity-based classroom setting is currently under assessment.