Active Learning Classroom Design and Student Engagement: An Exploratory Study

Three student engagement measures were collected for a class taught by an experienced instructor in two active learning classrooms with dissimilar seating arrangements. Student perception of engagement was similar between the learning spaces. However, instructor perception and researcher observation indicated greater engagement in the classroom with mobile tables compared to the classroom with mobile desks. STROBE classroom observations indicated qualitatively different student-to-student (8% greater), student-to- instructor (3% greater), and student self- (6.5% less) engagement in the mobile table classroom over the mobile desks classroom. Instructor and student perceptions may interact to affect student engagement with various designs of active learning classrooms.