Blog Twenty-one - Types of Seating Arrangements (Seating Charts Part Two)
Thinking about seating arrangements in a classroom through the lens of where the focus is rather than on each individual student and who they sit next to opens a world of diverse options. Taking a step back and looking at the general layout of the classroom can actually be very telling for what type of environment the arrangement is best suited for. The focus of the classroom is essential for outlining classroom dynamics, as emphasized by the name. The focus ranges from the teacher/presenter to a student’s nearby peers. Some common seating arrangements include traditional rows, U-shaped layouts that encourage discussion, and circular configurations that foster group collaboration.
Rows and columns of students are still the core of one of the most popular classroom layouts today. To analyze the focus of this type of seating is fairly simple, as each student is facing the same direction, which is the presenter at the front of the classroom and likely a whiteboard as well. This makes it easy for students to have their full focus on the teacher and stay engaged with the lesson. And logistics-wise, rows allow teachers to move around the classroom freely and check on their students more often, leading to more teacher attention on each student. However, many say that this treats students as observers simply watching a lecture rather than active participants in their learning process. Treating students like passive recipients of the information and as a standardized, homogeneous mass may not encourage student-centered learning. Also, the seating arrangement makes collaboration difficult as students are distanced from their peers, treating each student like an individualized, isolated unit as opposed to a thriving learning community.
Another option is a U-shaped seating arrangement. This order arranges all of the desks facing inwards and forming a U-shape when put together, promoting discussion and collaboration within the classroom through the effect of physical presence on students. Nonetheless, this may not be as realistic as there is a lot of unused space in the middle, which many smaller classrooms cannot afford. One more concern is that it puts some students in the “spotlight” since they are in the center, making the classroom dynamics more awkward.
Pairs organized into rows are a combination of the collaboration in the U-shaped arrangement and the simplistic ease of rows. Keeping students in pairs allows for easy discussion between the two students in a pair, while still retaining the structure and function of an easy row layout. Plus, the pairs mean that if a student is unsure of the material or content or may have missed something during the lesson, they have the option to simply turn to their partner. The cons of this option come from the fact that, like rows, it isolates students, but this time, it isolates them in pairs. So if students do not mesh well with their pair-mate, or the dynamics of the pair are unproductive, it can negatively impact the learning experience for those students. Some argue that this is just preparing them for life, however, and that the ability to collaborate effectively with a diverse range of peers is an important skill for students to develop.
Circular seating arrangements, where students are positioned in a circle or semi-circle, place the focus on group collaboration and active participation. These, like the U-shaped model, encourage an environment of open discussion and shared learning, as students are able to easily make eye contact and engage with one another. It promotes class-wide discussion, which can help build a sense of community and a healthy class culture. One issue here, besides the unused space in the center like the U-shaped, is rooted in where the focus of the classroom is placed. Namely, the student’s focus is in the center. This is great for classroom collaboration but can make it challenging for the instructor to maintain control of the class or deliver content effectively.
The choice of seating arrangement heavily depends on what type of activities the course will engage in the most. If the course emphasizes direct instruction and lecture-based learning, this should be reflected in the seating arrangement, with layouts that are more suitable to keep focus on the teacher. If the course emphasizes group work, discussion, and collaborative learning, a seating arrangement may be more appropriate. The course teaching style goes hand in hand with where the focus of the classroom should be since the focus depends on the material of the course. This, in turn, influences the most beneficial and productive arrangement.
