Re-thinking Learning Spaces | Godrej Interio

RE-THINKING
LEARNING SPACES
Ensuring safe and engaging learning

RE-THINKING LEARNING SPACES 02
Introduction 03
Findings 04
Back to Class 09
TABLE OF CONTENTS

03
RE-THINKING LEARNING SPACES
COVID-19 has a wide range of implications across the world. Education is one of the many sectors
that have been severely affected by this virus.Typically, students used to witness a flurry of activity
around this time of the academic year. But now, learning institutes worldwide wear a deserted
look as they have had to close on-premise operations to protect students and prevent contagion.
Early this year, the Indian government ordered shutting down of learning institutes temporarily
as a measure to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. With no immediate solution to stop
the outbreak of COVID-19, school and university closures have got extended, resulting in a far
reaching impact on the continuity of learning for more than 285 million young learners in India.
WithCOVID-19,theeducationsectorhasfounditselfcompelledtochampionitsowntransformation.
To ensure that learning does not stop, several private institutes across India began taking classes
through online platforms. Online education is a very new concept in India for most of schools and
colleges. Needless to say, the pandemic has transformed the centuries-old, chalk–talk teaching
model to one driven by technology. The accelerating force of digitization has created a disruptive
online phenomenon across learning institutes around the world.
Covid-19 forced us into re-designing work spaces, incorporating social distancing norms and
measures to eliminate unnecessary touch. Thereafter, it was only rational to get an understanding
of whether learning institutes should also be put under that lens. While Online learning has gained
a lot of attention and importance, we were perplexed if it is the future of education.
Keeping in mind how learning will change and the extent of impact it will have on physical
schools, the Workspace and Ergonomic Research Cell at Godrej Interio conducted a nation-wide
study.
We set out to understand how online learning has been taken up by all the stakeholders & the way
it will shape up the future. We reached out to parents of over 350 school children aged between
3-15 years from across India. Additionally, we interacted with the teachers and principals to
understand their perspective on the future of learning spaces.
INTRODUCTION

SAFE & HAPPY @ HOME
Our study revealed that 78% of children enjoy online learning and are happy because they get
to be at home and learn. Parents too were relieved because considering the pandemic scare,
home is the safest place to be. With much negative news doing the rounds, parents are of the
opinion that the useless screen time which otherwise the children would have spent mostly on
playing games or watching videos has now become fruitful and engaging.
QUICK TO ADAPT
Children have the power to adapt and grasp
quickly. This new way of learning has given
them a free hand to learn digitization early
in life. An English teacher at a reputed school
in New Delhi said,
The visual way of learning concepts through
online medium is giving new roots to
imaginations and communication.
Parents too have been quick to set their routines such that they facilitate their children as they
study from home. Barring a few teething issues pertaining to the tech-platform or pattern of
class, most parents have by now adjusted to the new normal of learning. Teachers have also
been trained to design digital modules and use the platform to effectively conduct classes
online.
INCREASED TRANSPARENCY
Among the positive outcomes of going digital, is the increased communication between
parents and teachers. There is more transparency as parents can now accompany the child
“Considering that theirs is a generation
heavily dependent on gadgets, getting
them to use the devices is not an issue.
Getting them to use it judiciously and
in a manner that doesn’t drain them
completely, requires a lot of planning
and monitoring both by parents and
teachers.”
“
FINDINGS

05
throughout the session. They have access to what is being taught and how. Additionally, they
get a fair idea of what can be done better to make the child understand the concept clearly.
Shy students, who were often not able to communicate in the classroom, are now open to
chat-box communication. They use this medium to ask doubts and have become interactive.
75% of children have reported to be communicating more with teachers in an online class.
85% of children were able to
understand concepts well,
when they were being taught
online. A mother who was
surveyed said,
Another advantage of online learning as cited by parents was that the classes can be recorded
and listened to later, as often as needed, till the point the concept is clear to the student. This
was never possible in physical classrooms.
SAVED COMMUTE TIME
More than 65% of parents felt that online learning helps save commute time, which otherwise,
is just a waste of valuable time during the day. Children have also been saved from incremental
heat, pollution and traffic jams. Additionally, they now get more time to explore their extra-
curricular interests.
“So far the experience is very good as we are also
involved in the online study. We watch how the
teachers are teaching, and I see whether my son is
able to understand or not.”
“

DEVICES USED
During the survey, most parents said that their children use a device that’s already at home.
57.5% of children have their own dedicated device while 41% of them use a device that the
family shares (which can introduce pressures of its own). A small 15% of parents said their
children use a device that was purchased specifically for homeschooling purposes.
In certain cases, children are also forced to share devices with their siblings. This gadget
sharing poses significant challenges. It appears that the children use a mix of devices to take
the online classes.
Considering the current situation, online learning has helped educational institutes engage
with children and reduce the impact of a break in learning. However, there are some less
desirable fallouts of online learning as well.
1. DISTRACTION
Compared to school or college, the environment at home is informal. Distractions at home are
different from that of schools. As per our study, 50% of parents we interacted with mentioned
that their children get distracted at home by their siblings or other family members. They are
also affected by the incessant conversations and some other activities going on at home,
which appear more interesting to the child. These distractions sometimes result in the attention
span of children being low. Parents also mentioned that their children were found surfing other
websites during online classes.
One of the parents said,
Hence, the impact of learning is
uncertain and not always optimum.
“Sometimes my child plays games on the
smartphone while he says that he is studying.”
“
57.5%
have dedicated devices
41%
shares with family
15%
purchased for homeschooling
Laptop Computers Desktop Computers
56.7% 11%
Tablets
41%
Smartphones
48%

07
2. INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS IMPACTING HEALTH
Unstable internet connection, poor connectivity, poor voice quality during the class and power
cuts are some of the reasons parents cited that hampered online learning. These obstacles do
not exist in a physical class.
62% of the children in our survey complained about technical glitches faced in an online lecture.
The glitches hinder the line of thought and concentration of the learner, often resulting in them
losing interest in the class. We also found that 22% of the students took online classes while
seated on a bed, while about 14% sat on the floor.
These figures show that many houses are not equipped with the necessary table-desk
arrangement to enable the student to adopt the right posture as they learn from home. This
lack of infrastructure, along with awkward postures adopted while studying impose health
risks on children at a very early age. Additionally, we learnt that 53% of the children felt tired
at the end of the day due to online classes.
3. INCREASED SCREEN TIME
Constant usage of electronic gadgets like desktops and laptops often result in health issues
for office goers. But unfortunately, due to the current circumstances, children are also facing
these issues. We learned that as a part of the online learning programs organized by schools,
children sit in front of gadgets for 4-6 hours a day on an average, increasing the risk of physical
health issues. On average, this online time is at least 2-3 hours more than what they were
doing before the lock-down started.
52% of the children have daily online classes while 36% have classes 4 times in a week. As a
result, 41% of children complain of eye strain issues.
22%
online classes while sitting on a bed
14%
online classes while sitting on floor
52%
have daily online classes
36%
have classes 4 times a week
41%
complain of eye strain issues

4. SOCIAL ISOLATION
Humans are wired for social connections, so it’s understandable that children would long to
meet their friends and teachers. 82% of parents mentioned that their children expressed a need
to meet friends and connect with both friends and teachers, as they missed going to school.
Online learning is characterized by a lack of physical interaction and remoteness, which
results in students experiencing social isolation. Due to the lack of face-to-face communication
between peers, students and teachers in an online setting, the students might find that they
are unable to work effectively in a team setting.
Teachers also face issues connecting with children online as compared to a classroom. Online
sessions result in a gap between teachers’ understanding of students’ perspective and also
students’ understanding of concepts. Feeling lonely or aloof while studying at home through
online classes is not a new thing these days.
STRIKING A BALANCE
The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted the academic year, as well as cancelled classes and
examinations across the country. It will take time for our lives to get back to normal.
To ensure that students do not miss out on their studies, online learning is an excellent substitute
for classroom learning. Hence, learning institutes across the country took necessary measures
to move classes online. It’s true that online learning may not be as effective as classroom
learning. It also has its limitations with respect to interaction and collaboration amongst
teachers and students. However, to avoid the lag in our lives in terms of education and to
save time, virtual learning is the only solution. It will help students get back on track once the
pandemic is over.
In our opinion, classroom teaching will always be preferred over virtual classes, as
juniors or young adolescents learn much more in that setup. Daily interactions with
teachers and peers improve their skills and teach how to live in society. Education is
not limited to a syllabus; it also includes discipline, manners, morals and interaction
with other students and teachers. These traits are difficult to imbibe through online
teaching. Hence, there is a need to balance physical learning along with online learning.

09
Currently, educational institutions of every size and kind are finding it valuable to shift classes
to virtual platforms. Learning institutes, however, cannot always operate in the emergency
mode and provide classes online with no contact. Also, only a handful of government and
private institutes have been able to adopt online teaching methods. Low-income private and
government school counterparts, on the other hand, have almost completely come to a halt
as a result of limited access to e-learning solutions.
Clearly, there is a need to return to brick and mortar classrooms. However, the anxiety level
among parents post the COVID-19 Lockdown might remain high until a vaccine is found.
Is it safe to re-open schools, or is there a risk of reigniting infections? What are the effects
on children’s mental health and the social development of young children? It is therefore
imperative for learning institutes to incorporate necessary changes in their campus. They also
need to innovate structures which provide an assurance of safety & re-build the trust of parents.
BACK TO CLASS!
As per our study, a huge majority of Indian parents are not willing to send their wards
to school immediately upon re-opening. In fact 33% were of the opinion that they
would not want to send their child to school till the country records a decisive zero
cases of COVID-19.
“Online learning definitely serves the purpose and is the only solution currently, but
it cannot be the only mode of learning for tomorrow. Accepting the virtual method
doesn’t mean rejecting the traditional classroom pedagogy. The novel system of
online learning cannot replace the experimental learning of human values and
character development as classroom learning focuses on life skills more than the
content. There are a lot of emotions, connections being developed in a classroom as
teachers play a pivotal role in moulding young minds as we deal with real people not
robots,” said one of the principals we interacted with.
“

10
STAGE 1: PRE-OPENING
1. SPLIT SCHEDULING & BLENDED LEARNING:
Alternating days of the week or times of the day may offer schools a way of limiting the number
of students physically present in the building at any time. Students who do not come on a
particular day can join their classmates virtually. Conducting double shifts to ensure that all
students don’t have to come at the same time could be another way to reduce the headcount
in the institute.
2. SMALLER CLASS SIZE:
One of the most important measures institutes can take is to reduce class sizes. Class sizes of
25 or more students in a small classroom pose obvious risks to student health and safety.
3. MODIFY CLASSROOM LAYOUTS:
Seating arrangements will have to be modified to ensure only one child sits at every desk in
the classroom and wherever possible, a distance of 6 feet has to be maintained. Educators can
create flexible, multi-use spaces by using moveable furniture on wheels and modular pieces
that easily can be arranged into different configurations. Flexible furniture can help easy
configuration of the classroom layout with desks further apart and facing the same direction.
Individual desks should be given preference, and two seater desks should seat only one student
to ensure physical distancing. Desks should be turned to face in the same direction (rather
than facing each other), or have students sit on only one side of the table, spaced apart.
The Research team at Godrej Interio spoke to academicians and parents as well as architects,
to arrive at a multi-pronged, staged approach to opening learning institutes and creating an
engaging and safe learning environment.

11
4. RE-PURPOSE SPACES:
Existing underutilized space could be retooled to create supplemental learning and working
environments to provide for safe distancing or be designated as quarantine areas. Library,
sports rooms, computer labs and even the community halls can be converted into classrooms
to ensure distancing. Another example is of traditional dining halls which are used for about
20% of the school day. Instead they can be conceived as a social and learning space
5. DESK ENCLOSURES AND REMOVABLE CHAIR COVERS:
Desks in common areas like the computer room and library can be provided with desk
enclosures to cordon off the user from others in the room. Enclosure material should be easy to
clean and sanitize daily. Options of clear acrylic or corrugated PP sheets should be considered.
Additionally, chairs in these areas should be covered with removable covers of fabric which
can be sanitized and replaced daily.
6. PLAN FOR ISOLATION SPACE:
Isolation rooms and doctors on call along with hospital tie ups need to be considered in the
event of any student or staff member being detected with symptoms. Guidelines and SOPs
will have to be put in place if screening staff encounter these situations. Procedures should be
shared with staff, parents and students. All unwell students and staff should be instructed to
remain home.
7. VENTILATION:
It is imperative to ensure that ventilation systems operate effectively and increase the
circulation of outdoor air as much as possible. One way to do this is by opening windows and
doors. However, windows and doors should not be opened if doing so poses a risk to safety
or health (e.g., risk of falling, triggering asthma symptoms in children using the facility). As
per ISHRAE, an indoor air quality of 2.5 PM, 20-24-degree room temperature and an optimum
humidity level between 40-70RH will also reduce the chances of human transmission and help
deactivate surface-based contamination.

12
8. CAFETERIA AND CANTEEN SEATING
ARRANGEMENTS:
Amindfulcaféandcanteenseatingiscrucialbecause
while eating and drinking, one cannot have his/her
mask on. Hence, it is recommended to maintain
social distancing in the seating provided. Guards
or screens should be erected between two diners
to ensure their safety in case they sneeze or cough
while eating or drinking. Shield partitions could be
of a clear material like acrylic to allow people to
see each other while they dine. This should also be
done to ensure easy cleaning and sanitization.
9. REDUCED SEATING IN LIBRARY, COMPUTER AND
COUNSELLING ROOMS:
Reduction of chairs will help maintain a physical
distance. It would be ideal if the reading, computer
training or the meeting could be taken on a virtual
platform. Then these rooms could also be used as
classrooms in case of desk shortages. Movable
partition screens can also be used to safely separate
users from each other.
10. PARTITION IN STAFF ROOM & ADMIN ROOM:
Increased height of existing screens, or introducing
an add-on to the existing low height of the privacy
screen between two teachers in the staff room can
help reduce the risk of infection. The use of 6 feet
high screens placed on the floor could alternatively
be used in between two staff members seated in
close proximity.

13
11. DISINFECT THE CAMPUS:
Classrooms, hallways, school buses, and other areas will need to undergo regular deep
cleaning to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Prior to opening, campus-wide sanitation can
help prevent transmission of the virus and also offer the much needed assurance to parents as
well as staff. Cleaning staff must be equipped with basic PPE kits (boots, gloves, and masks)
and trained for safe toilet disinfection practices.
STAGE 2: OPENING
1. STAGED OPENINGS WITH PRIORITY FOR CRITICAL GRADES:
It is necessary to identify which segment of students should restart first, to avoid crowding.
Prioritizing critical grades will help take care of their academics and help the institute manage
physical distancing better.
2. TEMPERATURE CHECK:
Every morning, temperature checks should be done, preferably with no-touch thermometers,
of everyone entering the campus, including students. The same can be done during breaks.
Any member displaying high temperature (> 99F) must be isolated immediately until they leave
the school premises.
3. STAGGERED ARRIVALS & BREAK:
Institutes must stagger arrival and departure times to avoid crowding. If feasible, separate
entry and exit routes can be planned for. Students should be encouraged to bring and have
their own meal boxes and avoid gatherings in the canteen. Restroom breaks should also be
managed to avoid overcrowding.
4. TOUCHLESS ATTENDANCE:
Biometric attendance systems which require users to touch the surface should be replaced with
touchless systems. Options for facial recognition devices or other devices which are connected
to the personal mobile phone should be explored.

14
5. MANDATORY MASKS:
It shall be essential to reinforce the use of cloth face coverings for students as well as staff
members. Face coverings should be worn as feasible and are most essential in times when
physical distancing is difficult. Students should be frequently reminded not to touch the face
covering. They should also be encouraged to wash their hands frequently.
6. AVOID GATHERINGS:
Institutes must restrict assembly sessions, seminars, playground activities and eating in
canteens to avoid mingling of students. Shared spaces such as dining halls and playgrounds
with shared playground equipment, should be temporarily closed, if possible. If not, use should
be staggered and surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected between instances of use.
7. HAND-WASHING / SANITIZING STATIONS:
Institutes should set up hand washing/ sanitizing stations at the entry to school buildings. Hand
washing recesses can be integrated into the schedule throughout the day for all students and
staff. Turnstiles with automatic sanitizer dispensers must be installed at the entrances of each
class to ensure all students sanitize their hands before entering class.

15
8. SCHEDULED DAILY SANITIZATION:
Frequent disinfection of surfaces and objects touched by multiple students or staff members
is important. Typically, this means the daily sanitizing of surfaces such as desks, countertops,
doorknobs, computer keyboards, hands-on learning items, faucet handles and toys. Enhanced
cleaning of surfaces after the academic day is a vital element of promoting hygiene. Classrooms
and frequently touched surfaces will have to be sanitized before children come in, once during
the day and again after they leave.
9. INFORMATION SIGNAGES:
Signages will help as a reminder about the practices to be followed by students and may
also assist in behavioral changes. Such signages need to be placed at entrances, exits and
all strategic/important locations like hand wash and hygiene stations. They also need to be
placed in any communal and transit areas. Signages should be used to cover social distancing
norms, sickness reporting process, hand hygiene, etc. Providing visual, physical guides, such
as tape on floors or sidewalks and signs on walls, will ensure that staff and students remain at
least 6 feet apart.

16
STAGE 3: POST-OPENING
1. CLOSE MONITORING OF ABSENTEEISM:
School absenteeism monitoring systems should be implemented to track the attendance of
students and staff, and compare the data against usual absenteeism patterns at the school. It
is important to raise the flag at the right moment – keeping everyone’s safety in mind.
2. PLAN FOR CONTINUITY:
In case of absenteeism, sick leave or temporary school closures, institutes must increase
investments in remote learning to avoid any disruptions. Draw a structured plan for teachers
to conduct remote daily or weekly follow up with students will go a long way in facilitating
academics.
3. CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TEACHERS, STAFF & PARENTS:
Consultation and communication amongst parents, teachers and students at large is necessary
to understand concerns and address them. This ensures the confidence and support to school
re-opening and its functioning, which is a prerequisite.

17
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Led by the largest in-house design team in the country in the furniture category and awarded
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ABOUT GODREJ INTERIO

18
This paper represents the opinions of the authors and is the product of professional research.
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that the information contained in this document is true to its best. However, Godrej and Boyce
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responsible for any reliance made on this paper or for any errors / omissions in information
obtained from the source while preparing this paper.
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Re-thinking Learning Spaces | Godrej Interio

Re-thinking Learning Spaces | Godrej Interio

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