For hundreds of years, the classroom set up has remained untouched. Rows of chairs with wrap-around desks remain the standard for classrooms from kindergarten through college. Movement Science Professor John Kilbourne, an advocate for “activity permissible” classrooms, hopes that this standard can change with the new Steelcase Node Chair design. Grand Valley State University is one of three schools in Michigan pioneering the new design.

“When one considers the current research on the importance of movement to learning, it was an easy move for me to try out these new activity permissible designs,” said Kilbourne.

The Steelcase Node Chair is a new type of classroom seating that is free standing with rolling wheels so that professors can configure classrooms with flexibility. Each chair has a seat that swivels and rocks slightly, in addition to a desk that swings out. Under each seat there is room for storage and the arm rest also serves as a holder for a coat or jacket.

The Steelcase Node website boasts, “The node chair is mobile and flexible. It’s designed for quick, easy transitions between one mode to the next. With node, a classroom can flex from a lecture-based mode to a team-based mode, and back again, without interruption. “

Kilbourne, who was first approached for the testing of the new chairs due to his research on using Exercise Balls and stand-up desks as seating in his classrooms, was immediately intrigued by the new design and eager to give it a try.

“The new desk/chair is ideal for cooperative, group work as each desk fits nicely with other desks,” Kilbourne said. “It also allows me more opportunities for movement as the students can easily roll their desks to wherever I am in the classroom.”

The Steelcase Node Chair has the option to be purchased with or without a work surface. The chair also comes in a variety of color options.

Kilbourne said that thus far, students’ reaction is very positive. In his classroom, Kilbourne said, students now have the opportunity to sit in a Node Chair, an exercise balls, or stand-up desk if they choose.

“In my more than twenty years of teaching lecture/theory classes this semester is clearly the most exciting,” Kilbourne said.

Movement Science department chair Brian Hatzel said other faculty members have also responded positively to the new seating and the department may consider making the seating options available for other classes.

“Several of our faculty and instructors have expressed interest in using the same type of set-up,” he said.

Hatzel added the department hopes to use some of Kilbourne’s qualitative testing data to learn more about the relationship between “activity permissible” seating and in-classroom retention rates.

“I think it’s pretty cutting-edge research,” he said. “…The initial data has shown some really positive things.”