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 since 2010.
Our singular goal is, and always has been, positive change in education and enhanced learning environments inclusive of all students.
As more furniture designers and manufacturers offer educational furniture for 21st century learning, how do educators identify the best furniture to help them meet their learning objectives?
Fit for purpose
At NorvaNivel, all our furniture is designed with specific function in mind.
From its inception, it is created to fulfill particular requirements and to facilitate positive student behaviour. Take, for example, our CLOUDIE™ Table, with its cheery and whimsical design. It was designed to discourage the set up of rows of desks, characteristic of a traditional learning environments.
Instead, it encourages a more collaborative learning space. The cloud shape also helps students feel at ease by providing options for more or less personal space, depending which section they choose to work from.
Over time, with student use and feedback from our customers, our designs have evolved, maximizing the purposefulness of our furniture.
Sensorial
Our designs are mindful of the impact of sensorial stimulation. From our range of textured fabrics for tactile students and an extensive array of colours available in our soft furnishings, to our no noise CRASHPOD™ cushions, we have considered the role of nearly all the senses in our furniture.
Flexible
Years spent observing students engaging with our furniture, along with the movement towards student-centered learning, has shown us how essential it is for children to feel a sense of ownership over their space. This means that the much of the furniture must be lightweight enough for them to easily move and that pieces need to be multi-functional, giving students in contemporary learning spaces freedom to choose how they work. One such is example is our AMPHI™ series, which can also function as work surfaces.
Additionally, most of our collections can be easily reconfigured with other collections, as they are not static. This helps educators maximise both space and budget. And, we don’t encourage teachers to fill their classrooms to the brim with furniture, but rather to select enough pieces to help students feel they have a nurturing, comfortable, and bright space.
Variability
We know how important it is for students to feel comfortable in their learning environments so as not to be distracted by discomfort, but perhaps more important is offering a range of seating to cater for different needs.
By allowing students to select from an array of seating, they can choose furniture best suited to specific tasks. In addition, being able to choose from high desks, floor seating, or a ROCKER OTT™ designed for movement, means students can move throughout the day, helping them to refocus as well as receiving the physical benefits of not being sedentary for long periods.
So the next time you see pictures of classrooms rooms filled with colourful ottomans and strangely shaped desks – remember that not all school furniture is created equal! Unless the student and educator have been carefully considered in the design, the benefits to the learning space and the student’s experience won’t be seen.
Share
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...
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 and experience we know...
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, and all are...
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 an...
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 is most...
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 for the benefit of the students. No longer are...
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 foldable table like our...
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 thinking required...
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 breaks on an hourly basis....
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 followed...
