The Effects of Physical Design on Users’ Behavior and Perception in University Classrooms: A Pilot Study

Users’ behavior and perception were evaluated in two university classrooms—one had a rigid layout with fixed furniture, and the other had a flexible layout with movable and adjustable furniture. One instructor taught the same course to the same group of students for about seven weeks in each classroom. In each classroom, users’ behaviors related to academic and non-academic activities were recorded during class sessions, and a questionnaire survey on users’ perception of classroom experience was conducted. Data show improvements for users’ behavior and perception in the classroom with flexible layout and movable and adjustable furniture. Limitations of the study and strategies to overcome these limitations are discussed