Abstract
This paper describes the Human Factors design basis of an innovative educational furnishings system developed for the “Head Start Classroom of the Future”. The Human Factors contributions centered on:
the ergonomics of pre-school children, including sizing, reach, visual access and ability to manipulate the furnishings elements, safety and hazards analyses for the construction of furnishings, materials and surface finishes selection, design for children-computer interactions through a new type of computer furniture, development of a ‘cognitive ergonomics’ for educational furnishings that assess how these support planned activities and opportunistic discovery play.
The furnishings system is analogous to office landscaping systems that are flexible, modular in nature and adaptable to different facility settings. It is called a “Learning Landscape”, and it helps the classroom become a true active partner in the learning process
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