Formative Evaluation of Environmentally Sustainable Hybrid Classroom Model: Stakeholder Perspectives


Baran B., Yacı Ş. N., Güney L. Ö., Tokuç A.

ICITS 2024 17. ULUSLARARASI BİLGİSAYAR VE ÖĞRETİM TEKNOLOJİLERİ SEMPOZYUMU, Kastamonu, Türkiye, 3 - 05 Ekim 2024

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Kastamonu
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The physical design of learning spaces plays an integral role in student comfort and learning effectiveness. Involving users in the co-design of learning environments facilitates reflection on their pedagogical approaches, thereby increasing the relevance and effectiveness of the spaces developed. This participatory methodology not only empowers users but also ensures that the spaces are specifically tailored to the authentic needs and preferences of both students and educators, potentially leading to enhanced educational outcomes, enhanced learner satisfaction, and increased engagement. Many studies underscore the necessity of incorporating students' and instructors' opinions when designing and implementing classroom models to optimize educational outcomes. This study aims to identify and evaluate the opinions of students and faculty members (stakeholders) regarding the blueprint Sustainable Hybrid Classroom Model developed within the project’s scope titled "Sustainable Meta-Classroom Model in Effective Educational Processes." The classroom model in the study has been designed as a hybrid and flexible learning space that integratesenvironmental sustainability and emerging technologies. “Opinion survey for evaluating the sustainable meta class model” was used as the data collection tool. Participants were reached through online Zoom meetings. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA qualitative data analysis software and reported using the content analysis method. The study involved 50 students and 66 faculty members from over 20 faculties and departments at a state university in Turkiye. 61.2% (n=71) of the participants were female, and 38.8% (n=45) of them were male. The results revealed that participants viewed sustainable learning environments not only as ecological environments but also as spaces that should be comfortable, digitally equipped, and innovative. Most participants stated that the proposed blueprint classroom model would positively affect learning outcomes. Moreover, they expressed positive views regarding its applicability, potential as a model for future studies, and innovative features. However, concerns were raised about classroom size, cost, and the model's suitability across different disciplines. Participants emphasized their educational units' qualitative and quantitative needs, including class size, space, technical infrastructure, and budget.

In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of incorporating stakeholders' perspectives in the design process of a classroom model. The proposed classroom model was designed as a flexible solution to accommodate the diverse needs of various educational units. The study suggests that designing learning spaces with an emphasis on comfort issues, seamless digital technology integration, and innovation, in addition to sustainability considerations, can enhance learning outcomes and provide a relevant framework for future educational settings. Finally, it can be proposed that future research may focus on refining the various classroom model designs to address participants' concerns, particularly in class size, cost efficiency, and cross-disciplinary applicability. Additionally, further studies could investigate the long-term impact of such models on student engagement, satisfaction, and learning effectiveness, as well as their scalability in different educational environments.