Next Education Sandbox

what: student work product
for: The Design School || InnovationSpace® with the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Next Education Workforce || Arizona State University

InnovationSpace®, a multidisciplinary Design School studio, works with various sponsors each year to research, ideate, and generate solutions for corporate and academic sponsors. The program focuses on product, service, and experience design with the help of faculty and students from an array of ASU schools such as design, engineering, business, sustainability, education, theater, biomimicry, and more.

The project below was completed in spring 2023 for the Next Education Workforce at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. The Next Education Workforce (NextEd) is a new method of incorporating team teaching with instructors of specialized topics and community members, all overseen by a single coordinating instructor. The charge for this project was to create a new teaching environment to aid in keeping students engaged while assisting teachers in their instruction.

Student solutions included a new room configuration where retractable walls can create quiet spaces and smaller classrooms in addition to a large single space capable of seating over 100 students. New desks and teaching stations were developed. Augmented reality opportunities came in the form of artwork with QR links to curated content covering multiple subjects related to each image. And a quiet space, complete with a built-in plant wall and hexagonal seating, was prototyped.

The project was presented to members of the NextEd team and representatives from furniture design companies with positive comments and experiences.