Our Blog
The latest insights into the positive impact of furniture and space design on students and learning communities.
Collective to Individual
'Independent learning is defined as that learning in which the learner, in conjunction with relevant others, can make the decisions necessary to meet the learner's own learning needs' (Kesten, 1987). [...]
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Stimuli in the Classroom
Stimulus are everywhere – including classrooms. If this is what we process in our favorite coffee shop,imagine what students process throughout their learning day. [...]
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Research Based Approach
One common pitfall of the educational furnishings industry, is that designs are influenced by adults outside of the education system with primarily aesthetic influence. [...]
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What it Means to be a Differentiated Classroom
“Everybody’s a genius. But if you judge a fish based on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its entire life thinking it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein Considering everything that has happened in our world over the [...]
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10 Ways to Stretch your Budget to Create Meaningful Change
As summer strolls in, and the campus gets waxed, painted, and washed, this is the leadership team’s time to buckle down and work on budget and how to spend. With the support of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security [...]
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learners need more than a safe place.
A learner’s well-being doesn’t stop at physical distancing. They desperately need developmentally, socially and emotionally safe spaces as well. [...]
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Home Hacks for Creating Learning Spaces
Before you scour the stores attempting to simulate the traditional classroom, you may want to explore what’s really going on in progressive schools, and most workplaces. [...]
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The Story Behind the RockerOttTM. The Original Rockstar.
The award-winning NorvaNivel ROCKEROTT is the first of its kind. Lightweight, flexible, and truly versatile. The original RockerOtt was and still is a seating solution that can support learners through all their natural body movements and learning needs, as well [...]
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How COVID can make us better
COVID-19 has definitely impacted global education. How do we sustain distance (albeit temporarily) in learning environments while ensuring it doesn’t become the overriding principle in space design? [...]
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The Power of Color in a Learning Environment
Bright yellow combined with vibrant greens and soft blues to create a calming space for the young readers of the Connetquot Public Library. Why is the psychology of color important to the learning environment? Understanding the role that different colors [...]
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Choosing Height-Adjustable or Varied Height Tables
At NorvaNivel, all the learning spaces we create are designed to empower learners. We recognize that spaces are not one-size-fits-all, but need to cater to learners’ profiles. Having surfaces at varied heights with options to sit or stand ensures learners [...]
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To Cast or Not to Cast: Using Casters with Purpose
Casters are great when they are purposefully integrated into the balanced learning environment; however, it is a common misconception that, in a future-ready learning environment, all furniture needs to be on casters. Casters are important to ensure an ease of [...]
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Seats Without Backs? The Facts on Going Backless
Sitting on the edge of your seat is a sure sign of engagement! At NorvaNivel, we design and manufacture seats, but not chairs. For those transitioning to our flexible learning spaces, questions can arise around seats without backs. From research [...]
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The Story behind…. the GRASSYOTT™ Ottoman
Two students on a medium GRASSYOTT ottoman in a library space THE GRASSYOTT ottoman is just what nature ordered! The GRASSYOTT ottoman provides learners with a natural feeling and comforting material. These dome shaped seats come in three different sizes, [...]
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A SPACE FOR EVERY CHILD; NOT A SEAT AND DESK.
Learning environments are a question of equity. What works for one learner doesn’t necessarily work for the other. Effective learning spaces need to meet the diverse needs of ALL learners. Educators who embrace this understand that the learning environment plays [...]
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How to overcome challenges of creating a new kind of learning environment
Creating an active learning environment is about less- not more! Five Tips to Help You Make Space in Your Learning Environments! As the journey to creating your new space begins, it’s important to consider resources, budget, and limitations. However, it [...]
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The Incredible Multipurpose GENGA™ Blocks
Gone are the days of wooden desks neatly aligned in a row in a classroom. It has been a slow change in education with most classrooms looking the same for the last few centuries. Finally, needed changes are taking place [...]
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How to Take Care of Your Whiteboard Tables
Our writable surface options are one of our most requested items to date and for good reason! They allow for learners to compose their notes and share them in a collaborative environment with peers and educators. When combined with a [...]
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The changing face of learning spaces
Contemporary education is more dynamic, engaging and student-centered. New generations require new ways of teaching and learning and adaptability is key. At NorvaNivel, we’re passionate about the education environment, which is why we’ve been designing furniture for contemporary learning spaces [...]
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How classroom furniture can overcome the hurdles to learning engagement
As the workforce demands more agile, innovative employees, the skills required from future job seekers are not the same as they once were. Passive learning and industrial education systems are outmoded – they simply won’t facilitate the same level of [...]
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The story behind… ROCKER OTT™
At NorvaNivel, we recognize that students learn in a variety of ways. In an agile learning space, the notion that students need to sit still for long periods of time is a largely antiquated perspective. Schools in Finland embrace 15-minute [...]
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The Story Behind… CLOUDIE™ Table
Gone are the days of rows and rows of desks, with all students facing the front of the classroom towards the teacher. The industry has shifted away from industrial learning with student desks to student-centered pedagogies, and learning spaces have [...]
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Customer Story: Quakers Hill Public School
Quakers Hill Public School is situated in a fast growing suburb. The elementary school has grown to house nearly a thousand students. However, as the school has evolved, so too has its curriculum and approach to learning environments, with a [...]
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