Exploring the Impact of Classroom Space Design on Student Attitudes and Success: A Case Study of an Active Learning Organic Chemistry Course

Since 2015, the University of Kansas (KU) has built over a dozen collaborative learning classroom spaces. At the same time, multiple instructors in science and engineering have been working to implement active learning strategies into their introductory lecture courses. Prior research has demonstrated the positive impacts that active learning techniques have on student success in STEM classes, particularly for students from under-represented groups in those fields. The results of the course transformation efforts in the science and engineering classes at KU further support these findings. However, this existing research does not differentiate the impact that the classroom space design has on student success in conjunction with the active learning techniques.

A pilot study was conducted at KU in spring 2018 in a large enrollment, organic chemistry course. This course was selected for observation after a pattern of disproportionately higher female enrollment was noted for a section of the course that is taught in the collaborative learning space, as opposed to another section of the course that is taught in a traditional lecture auditorium. Both sections of the class are taught by the same instructor using the same active learning techniques. This initial research utilized the Colorado Learning Attitudes toward Science Survey (CLASS), as well as questions that address logistical factors that may have influenced student enrollment decisions. We found that students enrolled in the collaborative learning space had attitudes more in alignment with experts than the students enrolled in the lecture auditorium. In addition, the results of the clicker responses present supporting evidence that subgroups of students are self-selecting into the classroom spaces that are designed to facilitate collaborative learning.

This research presents preliminary results of a yearlong study that was conducted in the organic chemistry courses in fall 2018 and spring 2019. The purpose of this study was threefold: 1) to see if similar self-selection patterns emerged over a longer time frame, 2) to explore how previous experiences in collaborative learning spaces impacted their enrollment selections and success in the course, and 3) to qualitatively explore why subgroups of students are self-selecting into different classroom spaces.