4. COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT **
The environment in which the sessions take place should support the learning process. Learning is only possible in an environment where a person feels good. In a situation or setting where a person feels stressed or otherwise uncomfortable, the brain blocks learning.
Therefore, the seminar should be held in a comfortable environment that facilitates learning. Do not try to create a living room atmosphere! The room should be large enough; it should be painted in friendly colors, it should be quiet and have large windows, et cetera. Of course, often it is not possible to modify the room to suit your needs, but it may be possible to make it better at least.
Some ways to improve the atmosphere in a classroom without renovating it could be the following: it is important that the room is tidied up, there should be only those things in the room that are relevant to the seminar. A wardrobe for the participants to put their jacket and bags is also a good idea. A very important aspect of the comfortable environment is TABLE ARRANGEMENT.
During the seminar, work results and other related information could be attached to the wall, thereby making the room a part of the seminar (DISPLAY RESULTS AND PROBLEMS) . Cork strips can be attached to the walls of the seminar room to facilitate this.
It is also a good idea to add shelves for related books and material. Do not use cupboards to lock the books away. Make them available to the participants.
You can also use flowers that give off a fragrance. In addition, for some kinds of seminars, it might be useful to install a CD player for the breaks.
If you are building a new classroom try to find a room with many and big windows, because daylight is better for work than artificial lighting. If you need lighting regularly, be sure not to use neon lamps because they create a very artificial kind of light. Use pleasant lighting. Consider placing some plants in the room. Do not make the room look like a hospital by using white walls, white tables, et cetera. Use wood or other friendly material, and add curtains to the windows. Also take care of the infrastructure. Make sure that there are enough power outlets, also for the students. The same is true for LAN plug sockets, if computers will be used. A good projection surface for the overhead projector or beamer is also important, it should be large enough that the contents can be read from the back of the room.
Some of Christopher Alexander's patterns in [CA] might also be worth a look, especially those from 159 onwards. They deal with the problem of making the inside of a building comfortable.