What type of seating arrangements would you choose for a training course that involved small group case discussions?

The traditional lecture setup typically consists of rows of fixed seating. Students face the instructor with their backs to one another. This classroom seating arrangement is historically common in colleges and universities, minimizing student-student communication and largely supporting a “sage on the stage” learning environment. The highest communication interactions between professors and students typically occurs with students in the first row or along the middle of the classroom. Students in back rows are more likely to be less engaged.

Roundtable

Many seminar-course room arrangements may consist of an instructor and students sitting around a single large table. This seating arrangement can also be formed using individual desks. Students and instructors all face one another in this setup, which can support whole-class as well as partner dialogue.

Horseshoe or Semicircle

The horseshoe or semi-circle offers a modified roundtable setup, where all participants face each other while the instructor can move about the room. The horseshoe encourages discussion between students and with the instructor, although this setup tends to encourage more engagement between the instructor and students directly opposite, with slightly lesser amounts for students immediately adjacent to the instructor. A horseshoe setup can be particularly effective when the instructor wishes to project and discuss course-related material in the front of the class.

Double Horseshoe

This seating arrangement involves an inner and outer horseshoe, and similar to the conventional horseshoe, invites greater discussion than the traditional format. It is more limited by the backs of students within the inner circle facing students in the outer circle. However, students may also more easily interact with those nearest to them or turn around and face students behind them for group work.

Pods (Groups, Pairs)

The pod or pair arrangement can be designed with rectangular, circular or trapezoidal tables, or individual desks. With regards to stations, instructors can place several tables together to form student groups (e.g. 3 - 4 students), or pairs. This arrangement can be especially advantageous when students will work in groups or pairs with their classmates for a large portion of class time. More generally, this arrangement communicates a learning community where students are expected to work with one another.

Recommendations

Book a Classroom

Instructors can consider booking spaces at Yale where the furniture setup closely aligns with course goals. Specific features and pictures of Yale classrooms can be found at classrooms.yale.edu.

Align Arrangement with Activity

Instructors are encouraged to map the classroom seating arrangement to the goals of instruction. For instance, classes involving group work might utilize group pods, while whole class discussion might benefit from a horseshoe. Instructors can also strategically change arrangements during class to suit shifting learning goals.

Bolster Arrangement With Engagement

When dynamic change to seating arrangements proves difficult, instructors can bolster the physical space through intentional engagement. For example, in a typical horseshoe arrangement where students along the sides may experience less attention, an instructor may be more deliberate in their interactions with those particular learners. In a traditional classroom setup where the instructor cannot change the seating arrangements, they can maximize student engagement by implementing Think-Pair-Share or other active learning activities conducive to students working with a neighbor. They can also encourage student groups to work in other spaces of the classroom as needed (e.g. on the steps, front of the room, etc.).

Set Up Early

To the extent possible, an instructor can designate time for setting up the classroom and/or can ask students to help. If there is no class immediately before, this can be done prior to class, or alternatively during the first few minutes. Similar consideration should be given to resetting the room after class ends.

Virtual, Synchronous Learning Spaces

Students are engaged in synchronous online learning when effective interaction occurs among students and between the students and instructor (Watts 2016). There are a variety of Zoom features that can enhance student engagement when aligned with the instructor’s learning outcomes:

• Gallery View: With the ability to display up to 49 squares on one screen, this view is optimal when an instructor wants to facilitate a synchronous discussion with all or most of the students.

• Break-out Rooms: Instructors who want their students to work in small groups on a task, set of discussion questions, problem set, or lab may find break-out rooms particularly effective. Students may be added to breakout rooms manually, automatically from pre-assignment, or by self-selection. 

• Share Screen: This feature is frequently used for a mini-lecture during a synchronous learning session, so that the instructor or a student presenting may share slides while talking through the disciplinary content. Instructors and students might also share and possibly collaborate on documents, programs or visuals, as well as interactive Zoom features, such as the whiteboard. 

• Spotlighting: When an instructor has invited a guest speaker or a group of panelists, the spotlight feature in Zoom enables an instructor to feature up to nine people for students at the top of the gallery view. This feature also works well for student presentations.

• Display names: Instructor and students can change their display name in Zoom to reflect the name they want to be called as well as their use of pronouns–enabling everyone in the learning space to personalize the experience. To change your display name in a live meeting, right click your video and click “Rename.” To change your name in all of your Zoom meetings, edit the name provided in your Zoom profile.

Given that many people experience Zoom fatigue, instructors might consider  designating specific times for cameras to be on or off during synchronous learning. Some students may need to opt out of camera use altogether for issues related to internet reliability and privacy in relation to the personal space from which they are participating.

References

Brooks, D. Christopher (2012). Space and Consequences: The Impact of Different Formal Learning Spaces on Instructor and Student Behavior. Journal of Learning Spaces, 1(2).

Fernandez, AC, Huang, J, and Rinaldo, V. (2011). Does Where a Student Sits Really Matter?–The Impact on Seating Locations on Student Classroom Learning. International Journal of Applied Educational Studies, 10(1).

Francescucci, A and Laila Rohani, L. Exclusively Synchronous Online (VIRI) Learning: The Impact on Student Performance and Engagement Outcomes. Journal of Marketing Education 2019, Vol. 41(1) 60–69.

Harvey EJ, Kenyon MC. (2013). Classroom Seating Considerations for 21st Century Students and Faculty. Journal of Learning Spaces, 2(1).

McCorskey JC and McVetta RW. (1978). Classroom Seating Arrangements: Instructional Communication Theory Versus Student Preferences. Communication Education, 27, 99-111.

Rands ML and Gansemer-Topf AN. (2017). The Room Itself is Active: How Classroom Design Impacts Student Engagement. Journal of Learning Spaces, 6(1).

Watts, L. (2016) Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication in Distance Learning: A Review of the Literature. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 17(1), 23-32.

Every lesson is different. There are many teaching methods for your lesson topics, so why not change your classroom interior based on your lesson? Sometimes, students have to work in groups, sometimes you give a presentation, sometimes you do some corner work. Every strategy needs an effective classroom arrangement.

In this post, I’ll show you 19 possible classroom seating arrangements. I’ll also meantion the teaching methods that go with the arranged bench seating and at the end of this post, I added an interactive whiteboard with which you can create your own classroom seating chart.

19 types of seating arrangements for classrooms

1. Pairs

Let’s start with one of the most used bench seating arrangements: Pairs. Pair up students and let them work individual or together. It’s more fun with two but still gives you a nice overview. In this way, students can get their heads together when needed. If they have to work individually, let’s say they have a test, you can place a binding folder between the students. Here, you can also easily divide your classroom into three columns of pairs. Ask, for example, the first column to answer question A, the second column to answer question B and the last column to answer question C. Go over the answers when they’ve finished. That way, you can speed up the classical work.

2. Grid

This seating arrangement is especially handy when testing your students or when you want them to work individually. They can’t talk to each other or let their eyes wander on someone else’s paper. I wouldn’t recommend this seating arrangement in your classroom all the time. Students could get demotivated as they have no-one to “whisper” to.

3. Presentation

Get your students seated next to each other on one line. Repeat this a few times if you have enough classroom space. The purpose is to let students listen to the one in front of the classroom. This can be the teacher, or a student giving a presentation or demonstration. Seating your students this way is a good idea when you want them to focus on the front of the classroom. All students should be able to see something and it’s easier for the one in the front to divide its attention and eye contact.

4. Groups of Four

Use small groups of four when you want your students to put their heads together. You can let them work on an assignment. You can also let them think about a question individually and ask them to deliberate with the other students in the group. Of course, just individual work is also possible. This seating arrangement just makes it a bit more social. When working with “groups of four” students get to sit with others all the time. They get to know each other better and make friends. This seating arrangement is a good idea to start the year.

5. Corner Work

When you’re working on a big project or teaching a comprehensive topic with different aspects or themes, this seating arrangement will do just fine. Assign different tasks to each corner. For example, a (digital) crossword riddle, a quiz, a video with questions, a whiteboard exercise, … All the assignments complete each other. Let your students shuffle so they’ve been to every corner and did every assignment. You can also use it to split up students with the same learning level. One corner where students get more instructions, the other has expansion exercises, one corner has noise-canceling headphones so students can concentrate, etc.

6. U-shape

The U-shape or the horseshoe. This classroom arrangement encourages discussion and makes it easy for the teacher to observe students and give one-on-one help. Don’t use this desk arrangement for group work. This will be almost impossible.

7. Double U-shape

When you have more students or a smaller classroom, you can choose for the double U-shape arrangement. This allows you to put more students next to each other. It’s very cozy but has some disadvantages as well. For example, it’s harder for the teacher to go around in the classroom. One-on-one support is more or less off the table here. Students in the back might feel a bit left out as well. It’s best to use this arrangement when giving a presentation or when teaching in front of the classroom.

8. U-shape Large Classroom

You can see where I’m going here. Let’s say you have a large classroom and a lot of students, then you can definitely use this student desk arrangement. In contrast to the double u-shape arrangement, this u-shape for in a large classroom doesn’t really cast students out. There’s no separate “U” in the front, which makes it more open to the students in the back.

9. Conference Small Classroom

Are you teaching a small group of students? In that case, the conference classroom arrangement is a possibility. The “conference classroom” gives your students an “equal voice” and a snapshot of a business meeting room. Use the conference seating arrangement when making classroom rules, planning an event, for an intervention, a class discussion, etc. You can also practice speech (foreign language) by letting the students facing each other talk to each other. Let them switch places and move on to the next student in line and talk about another topic.

10. Conference Large Classroom

Don’t worry though, there’s a conference classroom layout for many students and a large classroom as well. Use this just like mentioned above. The only thing that’s not possible is letting students face each other and talk directly to them. Don’t use it for group work either.

11. Herringbone

This interesting student desk arrangement serves two purposes. It is rows of two, three or four, but slightly turned so they face the center of the classroom. This way, students give full attention to the teacher or students at the front of the classroom, and they can join in on a classroom discussion easily. You can also let your students work together with the ones on their row.

12. Rows

This is used most of the time in higher education when students have to listen to the teacher in the front. Here, the teacher can’t give any one-on-one feedback as it’s hard to reach students in the middle. It’s a seating arrangement to get as many students in one classroom.

13. Computer Combination

Any of the other classroom seating arrangements work with portable devices like laptops, chromebooks or tablets. When you’re in a classroom with student desks and computers, you can use this classroom layout. It gives you an overview of your students’ computers.

14. Butterfly

This one is probably new to you. Let your students work individually, yet they sit together. This middle of the butterfly serves as a place where students go for extra instructions or a new assignment. Everything will be spread out on those desks in the middle. The teacher will be available to give more guidance when needed as well.

15. Eye

Use eye-formation when you’re setting up a debate or discussion. Select a group of students that will debate in the middle of the eye. The rest will be the audience.

16. Circle

The circle is a classic seating formation in which you encourage your students to join a classroom talk or discussion. It’s more or less the same as the conference classroom seating.

17. Large Groups

Split your classroom into two large groups. Let the groups work on bigger projects like organizing an event, putting together a play, setting up their own “company”, keep a political meeting with different representatives,etc. Keep in mind that it might get loud in your classroom.

18. Horseshoes

Use this classroom desk arrangement to encourage discussion in smaller groups. Introduce some bold statements or “problems” about your teaching topic and let your students discuss them in their groups (in a foreign language you’re teaching languages). Encourage your students to come to a consensus or a solution to the problem.

19. Banquet

Use this classroom seating layout for two things:

• Let students talk to the one facing them (discussion, practice a foreign language, get to know each other, etc.).
• Divide your classroom into two groups. Let them work together on bigger projects like in number 17. Let them organize an event, put together a play, set up their own “company”, etc.

Create your own classroom seating arrangement

I guess these are more or less all the possible classroom seating arrangments. Of course, you can make combinations of different classroom layouts and adapt them to your own classroom and available space. Use this basic lesson plan template with a whiteboard below. Use the stickers I created to set up your own classroom layout for your teaching purpose. It’s not a classroom seating arrangement app, but it comes close. It gives you much more freedom as you can draw your own classroom layout.

Wrap up

Every classroom is different. The most important thing is that students feel confident and trust the classroom environment. Make sure to move around your student desks from time to time so you have the perfect classroom seating arrangement for your lesson.

Share this post with other teachers to inspire them! Check out the suggested posts below as I think they will help you with your teaching.