Inside University of Northern Colorado's Study: Classrooms of the Future — GREELEY, CO

THE STUDY

Walk into a classroom at the University of Northern Colorado, and you may expect to see rows of desks facing a professor. Instead, you will see students standing at adjustable workstations, sitting on flexible seating, or pedaling while they work. This innovative classroom concept is also an active research study.  At UNC's Active Schools Institute, researchers are exploring a question that challenges one of the most familiar assumptions about education: What happens when students don't have to sit still to learn?

THE SET-UP

The university has transformed a classroom in Gunter Hall into an active learning environment where students have access to a variety of movement-based and flexible seating options while participating in regular university courses. The classroom includes standing desks, flexible seating, pedal stations and other movement options designed to give students greater choice in how they position themselves during class. Rather than assigning students to specific equipment, instructors have been able to determine how the classroom is arranged and how students interact with the available options. The result is a classroom that looks and functions very differently from the traditional college lecture hall. 

MATERIALS

To bring the active classroom concept to life, UNC partnered with Action Based Learning (ABL), an educational company dedicated to designing learning environments that support the way students move, think, and learn. The study utilized Minion Chairs, Boomerboards, Strider Desks, Pedal Desks, and Standing Foot Fidget Desks.  Each is designed around research-informed principles that recognize the connection between physical movement and learning.

ABL’s mission is to create the world’s most effective and engaging classrooms - environments intentionally designed to prepare the brain for learning and support student focus, participation, and academic success.

THE MULTI-METHOD APPROACH 

The project isn't simply about putting kinesthetic furniture into a classroom. Researchers are interested in understanding how the physical learning environment, movement, and student behavior intersect. The research team collected information across six university courses, ranging from 200-level undergraduate courses through 600-level graduate courses. The study included surveys from nearly 100 students, instructor reflection journals, and weekly classroom observations conducted by two observers.

That multi-method approach allows researchers to look beyond a simple question of whether students like active furniture. They're also examining how students actually use it, what prevents students from using it, and how instructors influence participation. Researchers are discovering new insights into how the physical arrangement of the room affects the learning experience. 

For UNC researchers, the larger question extends beyond furniture. The project is part of a broader conversation about how universities can create learning environments that better accommodate the ways students engage, move, and participate. Researchers are examining themes including self-regulation and cognitive engagement, while also documenting challenges such as social perceptions around using movement equipment.

RESULTS AND FINDINGS 

What comes next? The team is wrapping up the data analysis with plans to present its findings at the National Association of Kinesiology and Higher Education conference. The session will be presented January 7, 2027 at 11:15am. For more details, visit the conference event page here.

In the meantime, UNC is inviting people to step inside the classroom, see the research environment firsthand, and follow along as researchers explore a deceptively simple question: Could the classroom itself become part of the learning experience?

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RESEARCHERS BEHIND THE STUDY

Dr. Brian Dauenhauer is a Professor at the University of Northern Colorado and Director of the UNC Active Schools Institute. His work explores how movement can be intentionally built into learning environments to support health, engagement, and positive educational experiences. His recent research includes studying the use of movement and kinesthetic seating in college classrooms, alongside a broader body of scholarship focused on physical activity, physical education, and the preparation of physical activity leaders. A former K–12 physical education teacher, Dauenhauer brings a practical, people-centered perspective to his research and leadership. He has led numerous university, state, and national initiatives designed to translate research into strategies educators can realistically use to create more active, engaging places to learn.

Interested in seeing the classroom for yourself?

Media teams are invited to tour the space and speak with members of the research team about the project and why UNC is exploring new approaches to college learning environments.

Brian Dauenhauer, Ph.D.
Director, UNC Active Schools Institute
 970-351-1202 | brian.dauenhauer@unco.edu

Jennifer M. Krause, Ph.D.
Research Faculty, UNC Active Schools Institute
970-351-1755 | Jennifer.Krause@unco.edu

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