肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 19, 2018

Kinesthetic classroom steps up student engagement

Some students are doing double-takes when they get their first look at a new classroom in 肉肉传媒鈥檚 Convocation Center.

Rather than the typical class setting, the room is equipped with chairs that wobble and desks that have pedals for striding, stepping or stationary biking.

鈥淚 was worried I wasn鈥檛 in the right place when I first walked in and I saw the equipment,鈥� Kayci St. Clair, a junior majoring in digital animation, said with a laugh. 鈥淏ut I really like it.鈥�

It is 肉肉传媒 State鈥檚 first kinesthetic classroom, where students engage in motion activities during class. The idea, supported by an increasing amount of research, is that keeping the body active helps stimulate the mind and enhance learning.

鈥淪tudies have shown that a healthy student needs to move at least every 20 minutes to stay engaged in the material,鈥� said Mia Oberlton, a lecturer of health promotion and physical education and teacher of the Honors Foundations for Healthy Living course. 鈥淗aving a classroom that is fully outfitted to keep the students moving is a great idea because you鈥檙e constantly getting the benefit. It keeps them motivated and connected.鈥�

The kinesthetic classroom was initiated and funded by KSU鈥檚 . After hosting its first classes during the fall 2017 semester, the classroom is being utilized this semester by 10 instructors teaching courses including Disease Prevention and Management; Youth Fitness Development and Assessment; Functional Anatomy and Physiology in Physical Education; and Curriculum, Methods and Materials for Health Education.

鈥淚 think I鈥檓 a lot more focused in class (in the kinesthetic classroom),鈥� said Grayson Saylor, a sophomore music major who was among the first students to use it. 鈥淚 find myself participating in class more and listening more. I鈥檓 definitely more engaged.鈥�

Oberlton and Kandice Porter, chair of the (HPE), have been interested in kinesthetic learning for some time. Their efforts led the WellStar College to approve funding and select the company to outfit KSU鈥檚 kinesthetic classroom. KidsFit works primarily with K-12 school systems, but branched out to equip 肉肉传媒 State with the company鈥檚 first fully kinesthetic classroom on a college campus in the U.S.

While the classroom so far has been utilized for Health Promotion and Physical Education courses, it is available to any interested professors on campus. Also, research will be a key element of the kinesthetic classroom. Porter, Oberlton and others will compile data to analyze the benefits students gain from having classes there.

鈥淲e want the HPE Department to be pioneers in this line of research,鈥� Porter said. 鈥淲e hope that our research, as well as others in the field, will change how we outfit college classrooms. Of course, we are interested in seeing how academic performance improves.鈥�

鈥� Paul Floeckher

Photos by David Caselli

Video by Rob Witzel

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 肉肉传媒 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. 肉肉传媒 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 肉肉传媒 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.