Problem:

Rice has a rich tradition of excellence in teaching, but often, teaching facilities are less than ideal. Today, classes are assigned to rooms which have problems ranging from annoying to seriously degrading the learning experience. Some of the key problems are:

• LIGHTING
   Many classrooms do not provide flexible control systems or sufficient general, task and natural lighting.
   
• CLASSROOM LAYOUT
   The majority of Rice classrooms are in a basic lecture set-up which is not appropriate for many classes. Other factors such as acoustics and aesthetics are severely lacking within many classroom environments.
   
• STUDENT WORKSPACE
   Nearly every classroom at Rice fails to provide students with a work station which is comfortable and large enough to provide easy access to notes and other materials.
   
• CLASSROOM CAPACITY DISTRIBUTION
  At this point, Rice has a serious shortage of classrooms for 40 or fewer students as seen on the graph below.
   

Criteria:

The following criteria evaluates solutions with the goal of providing students with the best possible learning environment.

• SIZE
  Classes must be assigned to facilities which are sized appropriately for the number of students
  
• EQUIPMENT
  Each classroom must be outfitted with the basic tools needed for learning (i.e. lighting, chalkboards, desks) and more advanced equipment when required.
  
• LAYOUT
  Classes must be assigned to rooms which have a layout which is appropriate to the format of the class. Teaching space, student work space, proportions, acoustics, and even attractiveness should all be considered. These factors all contribute to an environment which is most conducive to learning.

Solutions:

Solutions to these problems fall into two main categories. One category looks at ways in which Rice can more effectively use its current classroom resources while the other area consists of methods to be used in remodeling and planning new classrooms.

• OPTIMIZING CURRENT RESOURCES
  These strategies are intended to allow classes to be put within current facilities which better fit their needs as well as allowing extremely poor rooms to be used less.
  
  • REALLOCATION OF CLASS TIMES
    Currently, the vast majority of classes occur within the peak hours of the school day as seen on the graph below.
    This significantly limits flexibility within the assignment system.
    Several strategies could be used to achieve a more even distribution of class load...
    1. Move required and Introductory courses to non peak hours.
    2. Develop a quota system for departments so that there is an even load within all areas across the school day.
    3. Develop a lottery or rotation system for all courses.
    
  • ENHANCED COMMUNICATION
    Initiating communication between faculty, students, and the Registrar's Office is key to improving the current situation. The following methods may be used...
    1. Educating students and faculty about what is causing the current problems.
    2. Providing feedback systems for faculty and students so that the registrar can become more aware of the needs of classes and the pros and cons of various classrooms. A good method of collecting this information may be adding a section to the class evaluation which is filled out by all students at the conclusion of each semester.
    
  • COMPUTER ASSIGNMENT
    The computer registration system which will be brought on line within the next few years has some interesting possibilities. It could be used for such tasks as spreading out required courses to maximize efficiency or simply adding a line of communication into the Registrar's Office.
• DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
  These solutions focus on improving current classrooms and improving the design of future classrooms to provide the best learning environment possible.
  
  • BASIC DESIGN FEATURES
    All classrooms should conform to the basic standards set out in the criteria section above. This involves not only designing classrooms with the necessary features common to all classroom but also designing classrooms which fall into the size and layout needs which exist at Rice at the time.
    
  • FOCUS ON CLASSROOMS
    As new buildings are built and as renovations are taking place, classroom should become a central part of each building. In practice, Rice's emphasis is on teaching, setting it apart from many other schools, yet when one enters many of the building on the campus, teaching appears to be something which is tucked away in the corners. Architecture has a strong voice, and currently that voice is not correctly conveying what Rice is.
     

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