Modern teaching methods have impact on school buildings
Our modern world is witnessing rapid changes in the development of technologies that are widely available. This has major impact on the way we live, communicate, and also teach and learn. The old ways, when a teacher was the most important authority in the process of learning, are long gone. Children in primary schools, as well as students at universities use the internet and other technological advances in their everyday life and the use of these new tools influences their learning process. Teachers started to adapt to these new approaches of learning with new teaching methods which, in consequence, have impacted designing new spaces in schools to accommodate these changes.
Use of digital tools for learning
Available digital tools which enable a quick and reliable access to the internet have profoundly changed the learning experience. Teachers are no longer the only source of information, therefore, the main focus in the educational process has shifted from acquiring information to developing skills of recognizing the most important and useful segments of gathered knowledge. While knowledge in traditional sense is still important, more stress is put on the process of discovering answers to problems, as well as recognizing the impact one solution might have on other areas. Problem solving and critical thinking became the most important objectives in learning. These skills are taught using real world problems in local communities; while more abstract ideas and concepts are sometimes introduced with the help of video games.
New teaching methods
Because of easily available information, teachers are becoming more like managers of a learning process: they give out projects to students who have to solve problems and guide them in the process of discovering the answers. These problem solving situations are supposed to mimic real world situations where future employees will have to cooperate in work groups while working on different projects. Because school work itself is increasingly project based the old setup of a classroom are becoming obsolete. New classrooms need to accommodate cooperation of students in their group work as well as promote creativity and joy of discovering new knowledge.
New spaces in schools and kindergartens
Changes in learning process are reflected also in school buildings themselves. The need for more open spaces that accommodate project work as well as individual research was one of the original drives behind the implementation of modular spaces. However, modular building solutions have proved to have many other advantages: because modular units are prefabricated, the construction time on site is much shorter and can be completed during school holidays. Its short construction time ensures low costs without compromising the quality of such structures which often prove to ensure higher quality than traditionally built schools. Therefore, it is no surprise that there are increasing numbers of permanent modular school buildings as well as modular kindergartens. They are affordable even with limited school budgets, while their innate design easily accommodates all the specific needs of individual schools. What is more, with adjustable floor plans they ensure a pleasant environment for learning and promote new, advanced ways of teaching.
