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Classroom and Furniture design, Student performance andHealth issues K Laxminarayana Rao.

Former CEO, TECSOK, Bangalore, Rtd. Scientist, CFTRI, Mysore, Management Consultant, Bangalore

About the Article

Education administrators often base furniture-purchasing decisions solely on which arethe cheapest, overlooking the multitude of other important factors. The impact ofpoorly designed furniture and the classroom layout on student performance and healthrisks are also always overlooked by the education administrators. Teachers aregenerally not involved in furniture selection.

When planning lessons, teachers also plan about the layout of the classroom for theday or particular lesson. Teachers therefore need to change furniture layout in aclassroom frequently. While planning a lesson teacher will ask the following questionsto him/herself: Can I see the faces of every single student and can they see me? Caneveryone see the board (if he/she is planning on using it)? Can the students see one

another? Can I move around the room so that I can monitor effectively? And comfortsof the students in the classroom.

This article discusses the various classroom layouts and its use, parameters to beconsidered while designing/purchasing furniture for students comfort, furniture utility,student performance, health risks of poorly designed furniture and need for frequentchange in classroom layout, standards for classroom furniture and availability ofproperly designed furniture in India

Preamble: The physical surroundings of a class can encourage or inhibit thekind of interaction, and hence learning, which the teacher want. Making distinct

efforts to arrange the furniture of a classroom to promote a particular kind ofinteraction also sends strong messages to students who are used toconventional layouts that this class is something different. It may be a hassle(particularly when there are instructions to "leave the room as you found it")but it is worth it. The ability to "make eye-contact" (look someone in the eye,however fleetingly) is the key to establishing communication in a group, and itis particularly important for the teacher. Classroom layout and classroomfurniture (e.g. classroom desks, classroom tables, etc.) are important to helpmotivate and stimulate the students.In the beginning of the year teacher mayprefer to organize the classroom seating arrangements (classroom desks) ingroups. Eventually the students have to socialize and work with all types of

people later on in life, so why not start now. At the beginning of the year (2ndor 3rd day), one can arrange the classroom desks in groups, either 4, 5, or 6people in each group. After 6 to 8 weeks it is time for them to move and theychose who they sat with. They couldn't sit beside, across from or diagonallyacross from a person in their last group. While the students may be allowed tohave their own seating plan and where each group would be sitting in theroom, teacher will have of course the final say of changing someone around ifhe/she felt there might be some issues(e.g. too friendly with each other, or

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the real world, you are rarely forced to work continuously one-on-one withsomeone who makes you feel uncomfortable or inferior. Putting students in thisstressful one-on-one situation may not be as kind as it seems.

Desks in Groups: Groups of three or four, however, work wonders. Adding

more students to the mix alleviate the tension that pairing creates. Itcreates both an atmosphere for teacher-centered and student-centeredactivities. Students can be expected to be silent for a short period, butrealize that they will naturally want to interact with the students in theirsmall groups. Teacher can also encourage competition between groupsby having them name their group and post group progress on specificactivities.

Tables as Desks:Tables indicate large group activity. If the teacher expects asilent classroom, do not sit students at tables. Tables are for interactive,project-based classrooms where students spend much of the time

discussing, planning, and creating. You dont need actual tables, either;putting groups of desks together gives the same effect. Remember thatchoosing a desk arrangement is never set in stone. Rethink arrangementwhen your students need to refocus or when their learning styles on awhole favor a different environment.

Traditional Classroom Layout: The traditional classroom layout, in rows,allows the teacher to make eye-contact with all the students (although it isimportant to keep looking around to move beyond a narrow arc of vision, if youwant everyone to feel included).

Traditional Classroom layout (Rows ofstudents facing the teacher and theChalkboard) facilitates traditional teacher-student delivery and questioning, or"teacher-centred" teaching. The studentscan also readily see a screen or board atthe front. But in order to talk to eachother, they need to turn in their seats oraddress the back of a fellow-student'sneck.

U Shaped Layout: For whole-group discussion, the U-shape layout is moreeffective. The students can make eye-contact with each other (although theystill have to twist to talk to a person along the same side of the table).

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However, apart from those along theback, they also have to turn to seewhatever the teacher is presenting. Ifthe group is too large to get around aU-shaped layout or a board-room table,

with concentric circles of students,maximises the possibilities ofdiscussion. Clearly this works wellwithout tables, and it is useful to makeefforts to ensure that over severalsessions, everyone has their turn in the"inner circle".

Students in Groups: For sessions involving small group working, it is useful toarrange tables at which four or five students can sit, to promote the easyformation of the small groups from the start of the session. It encourages talk

within the small groups, and exchanges with the teacher, but communicationbetween the groups can be awkward, and people still end up talking to others'backs.

Small group also avoids the disruptioncaused by people moving about half-waythrough. Small groups will also address theneeds of sensory impairments of somestudents in the class and the extent towhich, needs of such students can beconsidered, while making seating

arrangements. Teacher can move aroundgroups and help them.

The arrangements of the class room have large effect on the students and thelesson. Sometimes the teacher wants the focus of the students on him/her,while at other times he/she wants them to work in groups or pairs. Teacherwants to be in a position to move around the room easily and monitor thewhole class, and sometimes the students will have to walk around to getmaterials or talk to other students. While the class strength is generally 40

during the examination only 24 students are permitted in each room. Thuswhile creating a class room plan following steps need to be taken:

1. Ensure materials like art supplies, books or audiovisual equipment areaccessible no matter how you arrange the desks. The doors should also beeasy to get to.

2. Use a horseshoe arrangement of desks for the most versatile set-up.Sometimes two horseshoe shapes with a smaller horseshoe inside a larger

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one will be necessary for larger classes. This arrangement allows studentsto collaborate easily in pairs or small groups without shifting desks around,and it gives the teacher a larger space to move around in, or to set up largeaudio and visual aids. Or use two seater desks.

3. Seat students around a conference desk if the class is very small. This

arrangement is particularly effective for encouraging asking questions andfostering discussion amongst students. It also gives students more space formaterials to read from or work on projects. This arrangement also helps topromote a sense of equality between teachers and students.

4. Put desks together in groups to make small tables for projects, learningstations or collaborative activities. Students can work together easily andspread out their materials, and the teacher can monitor groups comfortably.Avoid a lot of teacher-centered activities with this arrangement, as somestudents will have to crane their necks around to see you.

5. Use the traditional rows-and-columns arrangement of students' desks forteacher-centered or blackboard-centered activities because all of thestudents will be facing the front of the classroom. Leave enough spacebetween the columns so that you can pass easily to monitor individualstudents. This arrangement also works well for exams because you can seeall of the students, and it discourages interaction between them.

Thus ideally provide 24 two seater desksper classroom so that you dont have tomove desks from room to room duringexamination time and each class canaccommodate extra persons during

inspection, review or few guest teachersoccasionally in the class.

Rear side of the Classroom may beplanted with flower plants or a small treeand semicircular skylights can be providedto allow natural light in the class. Deskscan be rearranged in to any form of layoutas required by the teacher according tothe lesson plan.

2.0 Furniture designs and its effect on learning atmosphere andhealth of Children:

Children spend a large part of their times in the classroom. School age is a vitalperiod for child development. Regarding low back pain, sitting posture is themost troublesome situation. Some studies showed that design of school

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furniture is one of the contributing factors to back pain among pupils (1).Research has implicated that mismatch between school furniture and body sizemay be regarded as a causative factor for musculoskeletal disorders amongstpupils (2). For this reason, conducting a study to help develop appropriatedesign strategies for school furniture design may be necessary, if such data are

not available.

In order to reach an optimal fitness between school furniture and the pupils,the furniture should be designed according to psychophysical characteristics ofthe users as well as educational environment specifications discussed earlier.

2.1 Anthropometrical dimensions of the boys and girls and thefurniture design: School furniture must respond to the characteristics of thepopulation that uses it. The dimensions of school furniture must conform to theanthropometrical dimensions of the boys and girls and designers must haveinformation available to meet those requirements.

Schools in India generally have anthropometrical data of school children(height and weight), that can be used for the purpose of furniture design. Theheight and weight of children depends upon the age and nutritional status.

With more and more private schools established under the guise private ismore efficient, schools are becoming business enterprises where profit motto isthe main theme and the collection of anthropometrical data is consideredunproductive by many. Tables 1 and 2 provide a sample data for a privateschool where children mainly from low and middle income group families study.

Table -1: Mean age of School Children (Years)Grade Boys Girls5th Standard 10 yrs 4mo 10 yrs 8mo6th Standard 11 yrs5mo 11 yrs 8mo7th Standard 12 yrs 5 mo 12 yrs 8 mo8th Standard 13 yrs 5 mo 13 yrs 10 mo9th Standard 14 yrs 6 mo 14 yrs 8 mo10th Standard 15 yrs 6 mo 15 yrs 6 mo

Table 2: Descriptive Statistics of height in School Boys and Girls (Low and Middleincome Families)

Grade Boys Girls RemarksHeight Weight Height Weight

Heightand

weightareonly

indicativeand

actualheights

5th Standard 138-144 33-36 132-136 26-286th Standard 144-149 36-38 136-143 28-327th Standard 149-156 38-43 143-148 32-368th Standard 156-162 43-48 148-153 36-39

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9th Standard 162-165 48-52 153-156 39-4110th Standard

165-168 52-53 156-162 41-44

Height and weight of children depends upon the nutritional status, and age.Minakshi Agarwal in a study of nutritional status of rag pickers and slumdwellers in age group of 8-14 years has compared the data with that of variousother researchers and national data provided by institutions like ICMR andNNMB. The data is shown in table 3. The data provided by Vijayaraghavan and

Aggarwal and shown in column 2 and 5 in table 3 is for well to do and affluentclass children, whereas ICMR and NNMB data in column 3 and 4 in table 3 isfor rural children. Furniture selection (Table 4) can be made using such dataand furniture size as per ISO 5970 (ref Annexure for summary of dimensions asper ISO 5970). Furniture designers can also make use of such data in theabsence of custom data from schools.

Table 3: Descriptive Statistics of height in well to do and rural childrenAge Vijayaraghavan ICMR NNMB Agarwal Mean

10-11 yrs 138-144 132-136 129-133 135-140 126-13211-12 yrs 144-149 136-143 133-138 140-146 132-134

12-13 yrs 149-156 143-148 138-144 146-151 134-14513-14 yrs 156-162 148-153 144-148 151-158 134-133Source: Minakshi Agarwal, Solution exchange New Delhi

Table 4: Grouping of pupil according to ISO: 5970Mean height ISO Size of furniture required

5th Standard 120 2

6th Standard 125 2

7th Standard 135 3

8th Standard 140 3

9th Standard 150 4

10th Standard 160 5

2.2 Sitting posture and Furniture design: The sitting postures of childrenhave been cause for great concern, and of disciplinary crises in schools. Erectposture, or sitting pretty, with a flexion of 90 at the hip joints and preservedconcavity at the small of the back (lordosis), has always been consideredcorrect posture, despite there being no basis for it in science. It is reportedthat a forward inclination of the seat decreased the backward tilt of the pelvis

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and increased lumbar lordosis. The muscle activity of m. Erector Spinae alsodecreased. A desk with a 10 inclination required less trunk and neck flexion.

However, hardly anyone can sit this way and work simultaneously for morethan one or two minutes. The reason is simply that normal people cannot bend

more than about 60 at the hip joints. When sitting upright, one need to bendforward about 30 further in the lumbar region. When reading and writing, oneneeds to bend an additional 30 to 40 just to be able to read normal text. Thisresults in a hunched-over position that strains the muscles and tendons of theback and compresses the soft bones of the spine. This is the most likely causeof backache among schoolchildren, and it often leads to chronic backache laterin life (Around 1870, German orthopedic surgeons recognized the problem andattempted to construct a new style of school furniture that would enable pupilsto sit more upright, in such a way as to reduce tension and compression. In1900, local German governments adopted the socalled Rettig-bank as the idealfurniture for schoolchildren. The Rettig-bank was also adopted in many other

countries in the industrialized world).

The Rettig-banks were rather tall, of wooden construction, and with narrowhorizontal seats and sloping desktops. The seat and desktop were connected toform a unit. The seats also featured lumbar support, which was considered themost effective means of securing an upright sitting position. The feet could besupported at three different levels, reducing the problem of dangling feet.Normally the Rettig-banks were positioned in three to four long rows in theclassroom, and pupils were not allowed to move around with the heavyfurniture. Better posture could be achieved using furniture that is 15 to 20 cmhigher, with seats and desktops that sloped towards one another. This explains

why children typically find it far more comfortable to tilt forward on the frontlegs of their chairs. By sitting with a more open angle in the hip joint, lumbarlordosis is preserved, and pupils can sit in balance with a straight back similarto a horse rider. To eliminate the problem of dangling feet, transverse bars likethose on the Rettig-bank were installed.

Furniture has definite effects on student performance. Classroom furnituremust be both flexible and ergonomic. Flexibility of classrooms is oftenlimited. The classroom environment is usually focused on one objective andpurpose. Some will argue that the architectural plan needs to be focused onone objective so that students are not distracted and the teacher has all the

attention. Focus is achieved through the arrangement of architecturalelements, proper acoustics and lighting. Though teachers differ greatly as totheir preferred arrangements, almost all agree that the days of thirty desksaligned in neat rows in front the teacher's desk are long gone. Schools need toupgrade their furniture because today's children have outgrown the tables andchairs designed to meet the needs of 1960s pupils.

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activity to supply growing organs, muscles and brain with blood, oxygen andnutrients.

Today, people of all ages suffer from an ever increasing lack of exercise and asedentary lifestyle. Therefore these anthropological principles should no longer

be stymied by static-passive ergonomic standards but incorporated in ergo-dynamic solutions which encourage dynamic and productive sitting as well astemporary standing and active learning.

Grownups need height adjustable furniture. This is an absolutely basicrequirement. But productive workplace conditions also demand productive andphysiologically body behaviors. This is especially important for adolescents whodepend upon their need to move (changes in posture) because of theirdevelopmental physiological prerequisites.

Only a continual rhythmic change between passivity and activity, strain and

relief, tension and relaxation will lead to conditions which ensure a balancedphysical, emotional and mental state. The physiological load shift isautomatically executed even while lying down and sleeping. This shift issignificantly more important in a physiologically adverse position such assitting. Therefore active-dynamic sitting is an important part of an ergo-dynamic and healthy work station in school.

Active-dynamic sitting is enabled by a swivel chair featuring a mobileconstruction where the seat is flexible towards the back, the front and towardsthe side. The seat will follow any movement while encouraging a change inposture. This promotes the natural impulse to move continually and effectively.

The best sitting posture is always the next one

Active-dynamic sitting always includes active leg movement. Foot and legmovements are physiologically important for two reasons. Not only do theyactivate, they improve the blood circulation, but they also have a direct impacton the position of the pelvis. The activity is determined by the seats mobility,if, for example, the body teeters, rolls around or swivels on the chair. Considerthe problems passengers have in cramped seats on long flights or longdistance busses. Any intermittent movement of the legs has an effect on theposition and dynamics of the pelvis.

With the pelvis, the position of the sacrum and its base - on which the bottomdisk and therefore the entire spine rests - changes as well. This means thatevery change in the pelvic position results in a corresponding activity of thespinal column.

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As long as this active-dynamic balance exists, there is a natural strain andrelief on the muscles, sinews, ligaments, disks and vertebrae involved insitting. Moreover, a frequent load shift supports the demand for a musclecontrolled sitting (sitting up) because - in contrast to passive sitting in acomfortable chair - the muscular endurance improves. As the posture changes,

there is always one group of muscle fibers at work to maintain the posturewhile others can relax. The result is a symmetric muscle strain with acoordinated agonistic and antagonistic muscle balance. This continual muscleactivity not only builds the muscles of the spine, it also supports its economicalsupply.

Productive, dynamic sitting also supports diffusion in the disks because theyare no longer partially exposed to permanent pressure, but the pressure isdistributed over their entire surface.

Many of the sitting variations adopted by the students in active-dynamic

sitting, sitting astride on the chair, sitting back on the chair or slouching areimportant relief postures. These targeted measures temporarily relieve thespine. They are partly based upon the physical fact that the torsos center ofgravity does not have to keep up a posture if resting on a large supportingsurface. Any enlargement of this surface helps to relieve the body.

Movement doesnt only come from the head; movement also supportsthe head

The positive effects of active-dynamic sitting on neurophysiologic parametersshould not be underestimated. Static-passive sitting, however, has a long-term

negative effect on a students ability to concentrate. After all, it is not only themuscles of a child which cannot take constant physical strain; a childs mindcant either. For children between the age of seven and nine, time passes threetimes slower than for adults.

As we know there are a number of regulating systems in the human organismwhich are associated with posture and physical activity. The most importantone is the neural and neuromuscular system. Traditional static-passive sittingand a lack of physical activity during lessons leaves the neuromuscular systemunchallenged. This has a negative impact upon the entire organism and leadsto successive physical and mental degeneration. The necessary

neurophysiologic impulses are provided by a varied range of physical activitiesduring prolonged periods of sitting, because the control circuits control thereflexes and keep up motor activity.

A childs healthy brain will signal its need for a dynamic load shiftsunconsciously by rocking or fidgeting on conventional chairs. Neuro-scientificfindings confirm the hypotheses that physical activity and related

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psychological-emotional control processes are essential for cognitiveperformance. A common proverb says: The mind forms the body, but whatabout the body forming the mind? There have been studies confirming thatphysical activity alone and its sensory effects develop, maintain and strengthensynapses in the brain (Hollmann et al. 2005; Spitzer 2002).

An ergo-dynamic solution following the slogan As much static asnecessary, as much movement as possible is an important component ofan active school. This makes learning more varied and thus more interesting.Students eagerness to learn and their learning performance can be provablyincreased, and such basic conditions will also motivate and relieveteachers. When students are feeling good about going to school theywill perform better

2.3 The importance of Furniture layout and light weight furniture:When planning lessons teacher should also plan about the layout of the

classroom. Sometimes it may be impossible and impractical to move thefurniture around at all for reasons including the fact that in schools the tablesare bolted to the floor! However, even if the furniture is immobile, rememberthat your students aren't, so you can think about how you want to groupstudents and how you can use the space you have to your advantage. This mayinvolve using spaces at the front or down the side of the classrooms, lettingstudents stand up or to sit on the tables to do certain activities.Ideally the classroom furniture should be light and mobile so that theteacher could come in and quickly rearrange it to his/her liking as perthe lesson plan. Unfortunately, in the most schools furniture is often heavyand the rooms themselves are too small to make too many changes. Havingsaid that, it's worth thinking about the classroom layout and doing what youcan to make it as appropriate as possible to your lesson. Here are somequestions to consider:

Can I see the faces of every single student and can they see me?

Can everyone see the board (if you're planning on using it)?

Can the students see one another?

Can I move around the room so that I can monitor effectively?

The first question is really important. Teacher doesnt necessarily know all the

students' names so it's vital to be able to see them all. Although it can seemlike an extra effort and a waste of time, spending the first two minutes of aclass moving the furniture so that teacher can see every single face is time wellinvested. Teacher can get the students to help him/her and as long as he/shegives the instructions in English it's all good language practice!

The horseshoe:Tables in a horseshoe or three sided square shape. This isgreat if the teacher is doing board work and speaking activities. All the

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important piece of school furniture takes the size of the student intoconsideration.

Finally, you want to make sure that you have plenty of storage available, bothfor the students and for the teacher. This school furniture will help to keep

things out of the way and available at a moments notice in order to keep theclassroom flowing smoothly.

2.4 Traditional School furniture damages backs:

Since the days of Queen Victoria and Chancellor Bismarck, the sitting posturesof children have been cause for great concern, and of disciplinary crises inschools and in private homes. Erect posture, or sitting pretty, with a flexion of90 at the hip joints and preserved concavity at the small of the back (lordosis),has always been considered correct posture, despite there being no basis forit in science.

The truth is, hardly anyone can sit this way and work simultaneously for morethan one or two minutes. The reason is simply that normal people cannot bendmore than about 60 at the hip joints, which was demonstrated clearly byAkerblom, Keegan, and Schoberth in x-ray photos about 50 years ago. Whensitting upright, one need to bend forward about 30 further in the lumbarregion. When reading and writing, one needs to bend an additional 30 to 40just to be able to read normal text. This results in a hunched-over position thatstrains the muscles and tendons of the back and compresses the soft bones ofthe spine. This is the most likely cause of backache among schoolchildren, andit often leads to chronic backache later in life.

The Rettig-banks were rather tall, of wooden construction, and with narrowhorizontal seats and sloping desktops. The seat and desktop were connected toform a unit. The seats also featured lumbar support, which was considered themost effective means of securing an upright sitting position. The feet could besupported at three different levels, reducing the problem of dangling feet.Normally the Rettig-banks were positioned in three to four long rows in theclassroom, and pupils were not allowed to move around with the heavyfurniture.

The pronounced negative influences of the lower furniture on the postures of

pupils have, been ignored. No one has yet been able to demonstrate even oneclassroom in which pupils used acceptable sitting postures, or postures thatmeet conventional correctness, with right-angle flexion at the hip joints andpreserved lordosis at the small of the back. Several European scientific studiesfrom around 1990 documented that approximately 60 per cent of studentsaged 16 suffer backaches. Despite intensive posture training over a five-yearperiod in a school near Copenhagen, no visible effect on posture wasdemonstrable. During a four-hour examination, time-lapse photos made of the

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Correct height of furniture isimportant: Edge of desk atlevel with your buttocks andfront edge of chair 2 4 cmabove knee

Reading and writing position:Use front half of the seat,both feet on the floor, desktop sloping

Resting position: Movebackward on the seat. Usethe lumber support, Feet onfoot rest

Since 1991, a new European standard in school furniture has been indevelopment. It is highly influenced by the tall Scandinavian design, andcomments by the Danish Standardisation Committee about the furnitureincluded that its structural principles represented the state of the art inDenmark and accounted for more than 50 per cent of the Danish market. Thesame structural principles have been widely accepted in Sweden, Germany,France, and the Netherlands. In 1989 Stephen Pheasant wrote in his book,Body space, In recent years a new radical approach to seating has beenproposed: Mandal (1976, 1981) has argued (quite cogently in my view) thatseat surfaces should slope forwards, hence diminishing the need for lumbarflexion (particularly in such tasks as typing and writing) and encouraginglumbar lordosis.

In 2001, the structural principles in the tall Scandinavian school furniture wereformally adopted as the dominant part of the new European pre- Standard for

School Furniture (Ref figure 3). However, better awareness is still needed, as arange of options are included in the new standards.

ISO 5970 specifies basic functional sizes for seating and tables in educationalinstitutions and colour code to be followed (ref. Annexure). As per ISO 5970school furniture is required to be colour coded based on furniture sizes(Numbered) for easy identification of sizes so that user will easily identify whichsize furniture will go where in the school.

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3.0 Availability of right type of school furniture in India: In India wedont have standards for school (Classroom) furniture yet. However thefurniture manufacturers have come out, inspired by the European designs(Figure -4), with designs that matches the Indian requirement to some extent(Ref figure 4)

Frame size as per DIN ISO 5970. Framefeatures. Height adjustment in steps withhexagon key or hand-wheel. Table top ofmelamine-resin coated chipboard with plasticedges or seamless moulded-onpolyurethane. Safety edges. Top withrecessed or moulded-in storage tray andstop-edge equivalent to KU or PU. Featuresof top. Maintenance-free, working surfaceinclinable in steps (0; 5; 10; 16;

20).Accessories and options. Glides forhard and soft floors and briefcase (satchel)hooks. Plywood or grid bookshelf or chairsuspension for all VS school chairs

Frame size as per DIN ISO 5970 and CEN.Frame features. Height adjustment in stepswith hexagon key or hand-wheel. Table topof melamine-resin coated chipboard withplastic edges or seamless moulded-onpolyurethane safety edges. Top with recessedor moulded-in storage tray and stop-edgeequivalent to KU or PU. Features of top.Maintenance-free, working surface inclinablein steps (0; 5; 10; 16; 20) with horizontal

shelf. Accessories and options. Glides forhard and soft floors and briefcase (satchel)hooks. Plywood or grid bookshelf or chairsuspension for all VS school chairs

Figure 3: Sample of furniture available in EU as per ISO 5970

Figure 4: Adjustable School Furniture available in India (Curtsey: PAN OfficeSystems Pvt. Ltd.)

Adjustable height single and double desk with individual chairs offered by PAN OfficeSystems Private Limited. Single Desk and Chair. Both the Desk and Chair are Adjustable in

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Height Suitable for Any Class from 2nd Standard to 10th Standard since it is HeightAdjustable (Price: Rs. 1950 per set). Adjustable Double Desk with 2 Adjustable ChairsSuitable for Any Class from 2nd Standard to 10th Standard since it is Height Adjustable(Price: Rs. 3550 per set)

4.0 Classroom Lighting: One of a classrooms most critical physical

design characteristics is lighting. Even the thought of dull hum and theirpulsating flicker can produce a melancholy feeling or even a slight headachefor some students. Windowless classrooms do not promote success in students.From an architectural standpoint, windowless classrooms can be useful to saveresources such as material and building supplies. Windowless classrooms arealso designed to reduce distractions. However, the absence of windows inthe classroom has some serious overlooked side effects. A study(Ahrentzen et al., 1982; Karmel, 1965) showed that students' moods are morenegative in windowless classrooms. The study also showed that while a fewstudents improved without windows, most others showed a decrease inacademic performance in the windowless settings. Fielding (2006), found that

in natural lit classrooms math scores improved by 20 percent and verbal scoresby 22 percent. "Natural light is perhaps the single most importantelement in the learning environment." says Fielding. North and Southfacing class rooms with windows on east and west may require less artificialarrangement when compared with East and west facing classrooms withwindows on north and south. However teacher may need to rearrange theclassroom lay out to avoid glare from sunlight from east (morning) and west(Evening).

5.0 Classroom Size: The size of a classroom can have profound effectson students for many reasons. For example individuals from different

cultures vary in their preferred inter-personal distances during conversation.Every student has an invisible boundary around his or her body, oftenreferred to as personal space. If someone pierces this boundary, the studentwill feel uncomfortable and step back. Often, classrooms are overcrowdedwhich force invasions of personal space between students. Generally in IndianSchools classrooms are overcrowded with 40-70 students in a class.

6.0 Classroom Colour: Colour is an essential classroom feature, for it candrastically impact the learning process. Colour has the capability to influence astudent's attitude, behavior and learning process. The proper use ofcolour ina classroom environment can change the mood of students. Colour isintensely powerful it promotes ardent positive or negative emotions aboutones environment. Warmer colors, such as reds, oranges and yellows, wereshown to cause a slight rise in blood pressure by promoting a feeling ofwarmth, while the cooler colors, greens, blues, and purples caused a slightdecrease in blood pressure. Colors can also alter the appearance of roomsize; by making it seems more compact or more spacious than it is in actuality.

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It has also been shown that certain colors can increase students auditory-verbal memory skills. This would certainly be beneficial during the commonactivity of teachers lecturing to students, and through the use of audio books inthe classroom. Students who have a more positive attitude toward theirlearning environment due to the rooms color scheme will learn more

effectively, have better attendance and ultimately perform better.

Before you place order for classroom furniture

Collect Anthropometrical dimensions of the boys and girls discuss with teachers abouthow they would like to conduct the class, classroom activities proposed etc. Takemeasurement of the classroom and the number of children to be seated including seatfor supervisor / guests to be accommodated in the class occasionally. Number ofEast/west facing classrooms with windows on east and west. Assess the storagerequirement of students (Schoolbag, water bottle, lunch box, overcoat/blazer /sweater, Pencil box). Decide on type of furniture (single seated/ double desks, 4-5seated etc) based on furniture rearrangement requirements, since teacher needs to

take the help of students only for rearranging the layout and there will be a limitationof maximum weight of the furniture that can be handled by the students. Single /Double seated desks / tables with individual chairs are ideal for all age groups andfrom the point of view of quick rearrangement of layout.While adjustable height furniture may be ideal it also gives room for the children toplay with the furniture. In case of fixed height furniture decide on colour code for eachheight or follow ISO 5970 colour code. Furniture for labs and computer room may be offixed type and heavier than furniture for regular classroom and for classroomactivities, where teacher needs to rearrange the layout often, depending upon theactivity. List out the requirements and type and size of furniture before placing theorder

References:

Traditional school furniture damages backs, 2004 Author: Dr A C Mandal (pub:Talk book Oct 2004)

1. ATHERTON J S (2009) Learning and Teaching; Physical Layout [On-line]http://www.learningandteaching.info/index.htm

2. Aagaard-Hansen J, Saval P, Steino P, Storr-Paulsen A. Back health of students.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001; 85(2): 41-8.

3. Parcells C, Stommel M, Hubbard RP. Mismatch of classroom furniture and

student body dimensions.Journal of Adolescent Health

. 1999; 24(4): 265-73.4. Evans WA, Courtney AJ, Fok KF. The design of school furniture for Hong Kongschool children: an anthropometric case study design. Applied Ergonomics.1988; 19(2):122-34.

5. ISO 5970, Chairs and tables for educational institutions functional sizes.International Organization for Standardization, 1979.

6. Motamedzade M. PhD, Dept. of Ergonomics, School of Public Health and Centerfor Health Research, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. A Practical

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Method for School Furniture Design to Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders amongPupils,J Res Health Sci, Vol. 8, No.2, 2008, pp. 9-12

7. Evaluation of three types of school furniture according to prEN 1729, R.R.E.E.Motmansa, a Product Ergonomics Research Centre, Katholieke HogeschoolLimburg, Genk, Belgium

8. Aha learning resources Inc.: http://www.aceofflorida.org/helpdesk/index.html (Ronald D. Froman).

9. Practical Teaching Strategies, For Inexperienced and New Teachers,http://www.priceless-teaching-strategies.com/

10. Minakshi Agarwal, Solution Exchange ( a UN network of experts), NewDelhi

Annexure -1

School Furniture - Dimensions of Chairs (Seating) as per ISO - 5970

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1) For size 0, the identification colour and the height of seat only are standardized.2) h5 is measured to the highest Point of the front of the seating area on the centreline.3) t4 is measured on the centre line of the seat plane from the front edge to aperpendicular line from reference Point W.4) W is the maximum height of foremost Point of backrest.5) Room for free movement of the posterior in the writing Position should beensured.

6) h6 and h7 are measured on the centre line of the seat plane from the lowest partof the seating surface.7) The upper and lower edge of the backrest should be well rounded.8) r1 is the approximate radius of the top surface. The curve need not be an exactarc of a circle.9) r2 is the radius of the backrest in a horizontal plane.10) : the main part of the seating surface shall lie between the horizontaland a slope of 4o maximum. The seating surface may be flat or include dishing. Anydishing shall occur in the back two-thirds of the effective seat depth. The deepestpart of the dishing shall occur at the back part of the effective seat depth.11) is the angle between the horizontal and the plane of the backrestbetween h7 and Won the centre line of the seat. The Profile of the backrest between

h6 and W is not defined.

Annexure -2

School Furniture - Dimensions of Tables as per ISO 5970

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classroom design[1]

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