What will the future of schools look like in a post-pandemic world?

From an amplified feeling of solitude to a new-found consciousness about the issues with the current education system, the future of schools will rely less on improving test performance and academic achievements and more on building a more humane environment that suits the needs of these young individuals. By redesigning classes and classrooms to adapt to changing Gen Z and Gen Alpha mindsets, the schools of the future will aim to support these young individuals through the repercussions of the last 18 months of uncertainty.

As the world moves away from the pandemic and schools reopen, there is a new challenge to face regarding the younger generation’s academic development. With nearly one in five students being diagnosed with some kind of mental disorder, the most common being anxiety. According to two studies conducted both in the U.S. and the U.K. before the pandemic, the latter highlighted a new range of problems for these kids to deal with.

Aiding The Alphas

According to psychologist specialised in family therapy by the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Maria Alzira Suzuki, one of the new challenges posed by the pandemic, is the consequence of an unprecedented feeling of abandonment Generation Alpha faced during lockdown. As parents were bound to their homes but working almost always, many were unable to attend to their children who were feeling the loss of their friends’ and teachers’ physical presence, resulting in a feeling of social isolation no other generation could relate to.

Born in the digital age, Generation Alpha is set to be heavily social, seeking the human connection that was missing in their early childhood and a renewed value for real life experiences. They view technology as a tool and are not satisfied with seeing their friends through screens as they were forced too early to go online too much. Tech-fatigued they do not have the same reference, as Gen Z does, of using technology mostly for fun and relaxation.

The consequences of this will be faced in the classroom — in order to keep this generation motivated and engaged schools will have to move towards making both the environment and the experience of learning more holistic. Expect changes in the disposition of classrooms to make them more friendly and encourage collaborative work. Along with the rise of an experience -based approach to teaching with immersive lessons, both in the real world or with the help of technology, but with less screens.

Alpha Spaces

Think immersive classrooms that resemble modern museum experiences with projections, movement, and sounds — such as the one created at the Carl-Bolle Elementary School in Berlin, Germany. A corridor that was once inaccessible was turned into an exploratory learning experience, where young students unintentionally got to explore concepts of physics; or dynamic classrooms, thought to act “as a third teacher” and “a stimulating, experienceable, dynamic, and ‘appropriable’ space”. With a tiny stage for performances and presentations, such as the one in the “Esperimetro School”, part of a program that aims to improve the quality of public educational facilities all over Italy, movement and playfulness will be progressively incorporated into the new classroom design.

Zoomer Progression

Older students who are part of Gen Z, will be less inclined to crave physical contact and be more partial towards the wonders of the virtual world….click here to continue reading