Where would you choose to sit in the classroom? (Waiting for answer from members of CSMT D23s) Where students sit in class can have a major impact on their experience, grades and ultimately the value of their education, according to numerous academic studies as well as anecdotal evidence from professors and students. 1. Front-row seats Appraising classroom rows based on academic success, some professors have observed that the front row remains prime real estate typically held by outgoing scholarly students. “I notice the more prepared and personable students sit in front rows,” said Dr. Chris Hammons, interim dean of the College of Arts and Humanities and chair of the department of government. “Students in the front almost always score higher on exams.” 2. Stuck in the middle Still, some students prefer the middle rows. Junior LeQunna Bell said she does not feel too close and does not feel too far from the professor whenever she sits in the middle of the classroom. “I don’t get distracted easily because the professor focuses his attention on everyone in the class,” she said. “And I like to participate quite a bit in class.” This location in the classroom can make paying attention difficult depending on the student. In fact, Dr. Robert Wallace, a member of the National Education Association, considers choosing to sit in the middle of the classroom one of the worst decisions a student can make. “In a classroom setting, a speaker’s eyes tend to go to the front of the room and the back,” he wrote in an article for Creators. “They don’t look at the center of a room as often or with the same amount of attention.” 3. Back-row blues If neither the front nor middle is suitable for a student, there can only be one other solution: the back. For the broker on the value of classroom seating, the back row would have the lowest value. This fringe vicinity of the physical classroom often plays host to the biggest distractions, with texting, chatting and sleeping setting in like squatters at a foreclosed home. Senior Chelsea Belcher said many distractions occur at the back of the classroom. “I notice a lot of students shopping online, playing video games or even on their Facebooks during class,” she said. “I like to see everything that happens from the back of the room.”
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 13:10:41 +0000
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