Thought Leadership

Students and their families are struggling to justify the cost and value of a college education. The public and employers are demanding greater accountability, while the government has instituted performance based funding incentives. There is fierce competition between institutions for students and pressure from less costly alternative education programs.

Research is growing and it is showing the positive impact architecture, planning and design has on learning environments and the associated outcomes.

When comparing the traditional classroom to an active learning classroom, studies show that active learning and technology enhanced classrooms support the following:

• Students achieve better grades
• Teachers are more likely to move around the classroom interacting with individuals and groups, and less likely to lecture
• There is more class discussion and an increased willingness to participate
• Students have an increased sense of responsibility and desire to work collaboratively
• An increased emphasis on the importance of informal learning spaces, places for students to study, interact, collaborate and be social

This matters to a variety of stakeholders in colleges and universities charged with advancing their institution’s mission – including administrators, board of directors, faculty, recruiters, institutional and facility planners, as well as the students.

Progressive AE’s design approach comes from a strong belief that learning environments are strategic drivers to the institution’s performance and can measurably improve the student’s learning experience.

To that end, we have developed a 5-step process that strategically engages our clients to achieve business goals and objectives.

• Frame: Identify current conditions.
• Aspire: Imagine future success.
• Create: Discover conceptual direction.
• Integrate: Advance client aspirations.
• Validate: Measure performance.

This is the way we work. Your success matters to us and we measure that success through performance.