Revolution.Ed – MFA Thesis Project

THE DESIRE
The purpose of this thesis project is to redesign the public middle school classroom environment that would create a more conducive learning environment for the students. Working with already existing structures and space, reorganizing and reinterpreting the space, will hopefully aid teachers lead a more engaging class, and help students learn better.

THE FOCUS
The primary focus will be on the California middle schools (6-8 grades). I will study the way students behave on a cognitive level as well as social level, and observe and interview teachers on teaching styles and their specific needs in a classroom.

With the aid of my Cognitive Science background from UC Berkeley, I will do a comprehensive research on the psychology behind 6-8 grade student learning. In addition to scientific research, I will observe classroom behavior on-site in multiple classrooms. Teachers will also be interviewed to get a sense of what they feel are lacking in classrooms, and to discover their specific needs in order to provide a more productive learning environment for the students. I will also seek out their suggestions and advice as to how they have produced a successful environment for learning — furniture arrangement, organizational structure, and overall interior design structure of the classroom.

Through all of the research, I hope to gather all the findings and put it into a comprehensve guide that can be easily accessible and read. It will come in book form and website form, which allows for new material, research, suggestions, and tips for teachers to implement in their classrooms. The website form will also be a location where teachers can share with one another tried-and-true tips that others can benefit from in their own classrooms. Case studies will also appear to show first-hand the classroom setting, how the suggested tips can be applied, and resulting outcomes.

THE DELIVERABLES
- Book with research findings, infographics and in-class images, geared towards teachers
- Website detailing information in book, and online community/discussion forum where teachers can discuss and share ideas, opinions, and tips
- Printed collateral to advertise book and updated news in the form of postcard mailing and newsletters
- Example posters and wall art for one school subject (i.e. math, science, history, etc.) as a case study

MFA Graphic Design Thesis Project
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA