Classrooms of the Future

Classrooms of the Future

An Open Educational Resource by P&D for ETEC 522

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The future is near.

“Communication skills have become more crucial than ever in the workplace. The ability to convey ideas clearly, listen actively, and collaborate with colleagues is essential for individual success and the productivity and effectiveness of [any] organization.” (Raymond, 2024) Designing learning spaces that promote effective communication and collaboration will help make the tasks and activities we do within them more productive and satisfying.

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(Neste, 2016)

With this rationale, we welcome you to our Open Educational Resource on Classrooms of the Future.

The future is here.

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Section 2

Section 1

The Market

Table of Contents

The Team

Analyzing today's education market

Meet the brains behind this resource

Click the (+) icon to navigate to each respective section. The index tabs on the right-hand side can also be used to navigate this resource.

Section 3

Section 4

The Now

The Trends

A closer look at the trends through real examples

Identifying the trends of tomorrow's classrooms

Section 1: The Team

Who are we and how do we use ed tech?

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Patrick Blois

Didy Huang

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Section 1: The Team

Section 2: The Market

What ventures exist in the education market now?

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“The education building design market encompasses the planning, architecture, and construction of educational facilities such as schools, colleges, universities, and research institutions. These buildings are designed to create conducive learning environments that foster innovation, collaboration, and academic excellence. The market is influenced by population growth, urbanization, technological advancements, sustainability initiatives, and evolving pedagogical approaches” (Education Building Design Market 2025-2034 | Size, Share, Growth, n.d.).

(Education Buildings Market 2025 - Opportunities And Forecast, n.d.)

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Section 2: The Market

“The education buildings market size has grown steadily in recent years. It will grow from $727.49 billion in 2024 to $755 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to strong economic growth in emerging markets, an increase in the number of private colleges and universities, an increase in renovation activities, and a rise in construction activities. [...] The education buildings market size is expected to see steady growth in the next few years. It will grow to $884.43 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.0%” (Education Buildings Market 2025 - Opportunities And Forecast, n.d.).

Segmentation Details

Leading Companies

Major Market Players

Future Outlook

Market Insights

Market Opportunities

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Section 2: The Market

Task 1

Future Outlook

Market Insights

Market Opportunities

Review each of the topics discussed in this section of the OER.

Q1

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Q2

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Section 2: The Market

Section 3: The Trends

What will classrooms look like in the future?

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For investors and customers interested in the design of classrooms of the future, we have identified 7 emerging trends.

Blended Spaces Physical and Digital Learning

Digital Responsibility

Personalization AI

Sustainable SpacesImpact on the Environment

The Role of the Facilitator

Equitable andInclusive Access

Engagement Gamification, VR, and AR

"It’s important to try to keep up with not only the technical implementation of these systems, but also the implications they have on the future of our work, education and society at large.” (Fletcher, 2023)

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Section 3: The Trends

Have you ever stopped to think about how classrooms have changed over the course of history?

Before the implementation of technology in learning environments, lessons were first printed on wooden paddles. In the 1870s, lessons were taught through images on glass plates projected through a slide projector, which were then followed by the use of chalkboards.

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Section 3: The Trends

Cambridge’s online dictionary defines the classroom as “a room in a school or college where groups of students are taught” (Classroom, 2025).

COVID-19 changed this definition for the world – as learning in the traditional physical classroom became generally impossible for most of the world, the classroom transformed into an adhoc digital one seemingly overnight. The classroom has become blended, existing in both physical and digital spaces. The successful classrooms of the future will embrace this in their design – offering the benefits of social interaction, collaboration, personalized learning, and inclusivity. AI will also play an integral role in the design of these future classrooms, as its potential to personalize learning is already making waves in emerging ed tech markets.

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Section 3: The Trends

Classrooms are constantly evolving as we travel further into the digital age.

Breaking free of the cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all models of traditional classrooms, “schools are redefining learning spaces and finding innovative ways to connect students to their educators and each other. [The classrooms of the future] nurture communication and connection among students and break through the individual isolation that has been so common in classroom designs of the past” to meet the dynamic needs of personalized and sustainable learning in physical and digital learning spaces (2024 Classroom Design Trends, n.d.). Now, classrooms are starting to change in a number of ways.

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Section 3: The Trends

Click the number icon to learn more about each emerging trend.

Blended Spaces Physical and Digital Learning

Digital Responsibility

Personalization AI

Sustainable SpacesImpact on the Environment

The Role of the Facilitator

Equitable and Inclusive Access

Engagement Gamification, VR, and AR

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Section 3: The Trends

Task 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct answers.

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Section 3: The Trends

Section 4: The Now

How are the trends being played out in the world now?

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Blended Spaces

“In Yorkville Community School District 115 in Illinois, students often aren’t even learning in classrooms with four walls. [...] Yorkville’s Learning Stairs, a large, tiered common space with plenty of USB charging stations and outlets, is a quintessential example of a flexible learning space. The stairs can work as a classroom, meeting space or place for multimedia presentation. With flexibility in where and how they learn, students are able to cultivate skills needed for the workforce” (How Classroom Furniture Has Evolved in the Last Decade | EdTech Magazine, n.d.).

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Section 4: The Now

Blended Spaces

“The School of Continuing Studies programs [at York University in Toronto, Canada], previously dispersed across campus, are now together in a stand-alone adaptable building on a gateway site at York University’s Keele Campus. Students and faculty occupy bright modular learning environments and offices, rich interior and exterior gathering spaces to nurture collaboration and socialization, and amenities to support professional upskilling and reskilling in Canada for a diverse community of learners” (Hill, n.d.).

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Section 4: The Now

Sustainable Spaces

Perkins & Will are a successful company in the educational building design market, with sustainability in mind in their designs. They recently designed The School of Continuing Studies programs building at York University in Toronto, Canada. “At the core of the project are the goals of reducing embodied carbon and improving occupant health through intelligent use of resources. The low energy design anticipates a campus-wide switch to renewable energy generations, and targets LEED Gold certification. Strategies include a building envelope that is designed with a focus on airtightness and prefabrication, direct outdoor air ventilation, and active chilled beams throughout. The focus on high-efficiency design strategies combined with highly efficient HVAC and energy systems reduce energy loads greatly, minimizing the extent of the renewable energy production needed to aid the project achieving the Net-Zero Energy target” (Hill, n.d.).

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Section 4: The Now

The Role of the Facilitator

Dr. Catlin Tucker discusses the issues of student disengagement in K-12 education as well as the growing number of teachers leaving the profession. She suggests that student-led learning could be the answer to solve these problems, as it encourages students to take the more active roles in the classroom, resulting in students feeling more motivated, connected, and invested in their learning.

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Section 4: The Now

Equitable and Inclusive Access

“The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework developed by CAST to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. The goal of UDL is learner agency that is purposeful & reflective, resourceful & authentic, strategic & action-oriented. [These guidelines] support educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and more to apply the UDL framework to practice [and] offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities” (CAST, Inc., n.d.).

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Section 4: The Now

Digital Responsibility

Take the Digital Citizenship and Safety Course by Google for Education to better understand how to integrate digital citizenship and online safety into your educational setting. Click the image on the left to open the course in a new tab.

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Section 4: The Now

Engagement

With tools like the Vuzix Blade 2™ smart glasses and ODG glasses, “users can view digital information without stopping to consult other sources of information—for example, a surgeon could see a patient’s vital signs without pausing in an operation. [...] Using that technology, for example, engineers can explore virtually every technical aspect of a building that exists only as a concept, doing so in the context of the site where that structure will one day be constructed. [...] AR, VR, and MR can enhance teaching and learning by immersing users in recreated, remote, or even hypothetical environments as small as a molecule or as large as a universe, allowing learners to experience “reality” from multiple perspectives” (The EDUCAUSE, 2017).

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Section 4: The Now

Personalization

Khanmigo, Khan Academy’s AI tutor, aims to assist students in a step-by-step fashion across various subject fields with a lot of personalization. Instead of giving the answers right off the bat, Khanmigo uses hints and feedback to get students to think more critically and reach goals by themselves. This kind of personalized support can stimulate problem-solving and critical thinking skills and give students a sense of empowerment in their learning.

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Section 4: The Now

Padlet Discussion

We'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Note on AI

References

Segmentation Details

(Education Building Design Market 2025-2034 | Size,Share, Growth, n.d.)

Future Outlook

The education building design market is poised for continued growth and innovation driven by demographic shifts, technological advancements, sustainability imperatives, and evolving educational paradigms. Design firms, architects, contractors, and suppliers play a crucial role in shaing the future of education infrastructure, creating inspiring, inclusive, and sustainable learning environments that empower students, educators, and communities to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

(Education Building Design Market 2025-2034 | Size,Share, Growth, n.d.)

Market Opportunities

1. Renovation and Retrofitting: Opportunities exist for renovation and retrofitting projects to upgrade existing education buildings with modern amenities, technology infrastructure, and sustainable features to enhance functionality, efficiency, and appeal.
2. Public-Private Partnership: Collaborative ventures between public entities, private developers, and educational institutions offer opportunities to leverage resources, expertise, and funding for the design, construction, and management of education facilities.
3. Community Engagement: Engaging stakeholders, including students, parents, educators, and community members, in the design process fosters ownership, collaboration, and support for education building projects that reflect local needs, values, and aspirations.
4. Research and Innovation Hubs: The rise of research and innovation hubs within educational institutions creates opportunities for specialized building designs that accommodate laboratories, maker spaces, incubators, and interdisciplinary collaboration zones to support cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship.

(Education Building Design Market 2025-2034 | Size,Share, Growth, n.d.)

Climate change and sustainability are relevant issues related to the design of future classrooms.“We have already seen an increase in the use of non-toxic building and furniture materials [in 2024], and [...] expect to see schools intentionally seeking these out. Biophilic design, which focuses on reconnecting built-environment occupants with the benefits of nature, is also on the rise” (2024 Classroom Design Trends, n.d.).

Gamification, virtual reality, and augmented reality are creating “new social platforms that are transforming how we communicate, create, learn, and collaborate. Researchers, for example, have demonstrated the ability of immersive VR to promote empathy and facilitate alternative perspectives. In terms of equity, AR, VR, and MR have the potential to democratize learning by giving all learners access to immersive experiences that were once restricted to those with financial means or the right connections” (The EDUCAUSE, 2017).

Major Players

in the Global Education Buildings Market

• Skanska AB
• Hochtief AG
• Balfour Beatty plc
• DPR Construction
• AECOM Technology
• STO Building Group
• McCarthy Holdings Inc.
• HDR Inc.
• Gilbane Inc.
• Gensler

(Education Buildings Market 2025 - Opportunities And Forecast, n.d.)

References

• 2024 Classroom Design Trends: Shaping the Future of Learning Through Sustainability, Effective Classroom Seating Arrangements, and More. (n.d.). Retrieved July 4, 2025, from https://cdispaces.ca/insights/2024-classroom-design-trends-shaping-the-future-of-learning.
• Abent, E. (2016, November 11). Vuzix Blade 3000 Sunglasses Are Like A Smartwatch For Your Face. SlashGear. https://www.slashgear.com/vuzix-blade-3000-sunglasses-are-like-a-smartwatch-for-your-face-11463557/.
• AI is Reshaping Education, and Institutions Need a Plan. (2024). Microsoft. https://cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com/is/content/microsoftcorp/microsoft/final/en-us/microsoft-product-and-services/microsoft-education/downloadables/2024-Work-Trend-Index-Annual-Survey-Education-Insights.pdf.
• CAST, Inc. (n.d.). The UDL guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/?utm_source=castsite&lutm_medium=web&utm_campaign=none&utm_content=aboutudl.
• Classroom. (2025, July 2). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/classroom.
• Didau, D. (2023, November 25). Should we seek to balance teacher-led and student-led lesson activities? David Didau. https://learningspy.co.uk/featured/teacher-led-vs-student-led-lesson-activities/.
• Education Building Design Market 2025-2034 | Size,Share, Growth. (n.d.). Retrieved July 4, 2025, from https://markwideresearch.com/education-building-design-market/.
• Education Buildings Market 2025—Opportunities And Forecast. (n.d.). Retrieved July 10, 2025, from https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/education-buildings-global-market-report.
• Fletcher, T. (2023, May 24). From science fiction to classroom reality: How UBC instructors are using AI as a teaching tool. UBC News. https://news.ubc.ca/2023/05/24/from-science-fiction-to-classroom-reality-how-ubc-instructors-are-using-ai-as-a-teaching-tool/.
• Google for Education. (n.d.). Future of the Classroom: Emerging Trends in K-12 Education Global Edition. In Google. https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/future_of_the_classroom_emerging_trends_in_k12_education.pdf?utm_source=web&utm_campaign=FY19-Q2-global-demandgen-website-other-futureoftheclassroom.
• Gonzalez, J. (2022, February 15). 10 Ways Educators Can Take Action in Pursuit of Equity | Cult of Pedagogy. Cult of Pedagogy. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/10-equity/

• Hill, A. (n.d.). York University, School of Continuing Studies – Perkins&Will. Retrieved July 10, 2025, from https://perkinswill.com/project/york-university-school-of-continuing-studies/.
• Home—Yorkville Community Unit School District 115. (2025, July 14). https://www.y115.org/.
• How Classroom Furniture Has Evolved in the Last Decade | EdTech Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved July 4, 2025, from https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/08/how-classroom-furniture-has-evolved-last-decade.

• Mosley, S. (2024, February 12). Embracing the shift: Teachers as facilitators in the digital classroom. Medium. https://samosley01.medium.com/embracing-the-shift-teachers-as-facilitators-in-the-digital-classroom-217966d73258
• Neste (Director). (2016, September 26). THE PEOPLE VS. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzhXScBIt_Q.
• NEW! Khan Academy’s AI Tutor, Khanmigo—In Depth Demo. (n.d.). [Video recording]. Retrieved July 10, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnIgnS8Susg.
• Purdue University College of Education. (2024, January 1). The evolution of technology in the classroom. https://education.purdue.edu/2024/01/the-evolution-of-technology-in-the-classroom/.
• Raymond, D. (2024, October 22). Communication Skills Are More Important Than Ever in the Workplace. ProjectManagers.Net. https://projectmanagers.net/communication-skills-are-more-important-than-ever-in-the-workplace/.
• TEDx Talks. (2023, June 21). The Future of Education | Yılmaz Köylü | TEDxEDUHK [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuVuoJDK_E8.
• TEDx Talks. (2024, July 26). Education Reimagined: Student-Led Learning | Dr. Catlin Tucker | TEDxFolsom [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTHBdIeV-8o
• The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI). (2017). Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Mixed Reality.
• University at Buffalo Office of Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching Transformation. (n.d.). Equitable and Inclusive Teaching and Learning. University at Buffalo. https://www.buffalo.edu/catt/teach/develop/design/equitable-inclusive.html.
• Vuzix Corporation (Director). (2022, February 10). VUZIX CES 2022- BLADE [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvejO2E8-is.
• York University School of Continuing Studies. (2023, September 30). The School of Continuing Studies celebrates its twisted new building. School of Continuing Studies. https://continue.yorku.ca/york-university-celebrates-twisted-new-building-with-a-virtual-groundbreaking-site/.

Having the option of a personalized AI tutor means students can finish their assignments more quickly without getting stuck on a simple question, which also frees up time for the human instructors, so that they are able to help students with more challenging questions. There must be freedom to explore with AI, if it is to be a powerful tool for learners. “[S]tudents get to play around with AI so they can experience the traps and dangers with these systems, but also learn how to use it in a way that can help them” (Fletcher, 2023). The practical use of these technologies is demonstrated in a myriad of ways: “for example, a surgeon could see a patient’s vital signs without pausing in an operation [...or…] engineers [could] explore virtually every technical aspect of a building that exists only as a concept…” (The EDUCAUSE, 2017).

Leading Companies

in the Education Building Design Market

• Perkins and Will
• Gensler
• HDR, Inc.
• HOK (Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum)
• CannonDesign
• NBBJ
• Zaha Hadid Architects
• Foster + Partners
• Snøhetta
• DLR Group

(Education Building Design Market 2025-2034 | Size,Share, Growth, n.d.)

I grew up in a small town Nova Scotia. My childhood was exciting and full of the adventures and discoveries that come with living in a rural community, just outside the city of Halifax. After graduating from St. Francis Xavier University with my B.A., I completed a sixty hour TESOL course with Oxford seminars in Calgary, Alberta and moved to Beijing, China. In China, I discovered my interest in becoming a teacher. Then in 2011, I enrolled in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, determined to become a certified teacher, travelling and teaching internationally. My first three years of certified teaching were in Seoul, South Korea -- at a British Columbia Offshore school. The next five years of teaching had been spent at an American international school in Cairo, Egypt. Due to the onset of the pandemic in 2020, I have since returned to Canada to live and teach. I am now a public school teacher on Vancouver Island pursuing my Masters degree in Educational Technology from UBC.

As students begin using technology earlier and earlier, it is imperative that online safety, media literacy, digital literacy, and digital citizenship become strong components in school curriculums.

The more collaborative learning environments [will] also offer modular furniture solutions that can flex to support various learning styles and forms of teamwork. Most importantly, students will be able to reconfigure classroom furniture themselves with minimal, if any, assistance needed from their educators [adding] a sense of autonomy in the classrooms it touches” (2024 Classroom Design Trends, n.d.).

Whether retrofitted, traditional classrooms or newly constructed, open-spaces that support STEM learning and robotics – tomorrow’s classrooms need to be intentionally designed to prepare for the future. “Past classroom designs have anchored students in rows of static, forward-facing desk and chair sets that forced their attention toward the teacher” (2024 Classroom Design Trends, n.d.). And so, “[i]n the last few years, education experts have begun to explore how classroom design, as well as furniture [and educational technology], influence how students learn.” (How Classroom Furniture Has Evolved in the Last Decade | EdTech Magazine, n.d.). The space must support 21st century learning, while also facilitating social interaction and human connections. Moving forward, “Intelligent design solutions will consider noise concerns that arise when students are encouraged to be more conversational in class — incorporating elements that reduce acoustic distractions and create designated quiet zones in the classroom.

In an educational context, equity means supporting and meeting the unique needs of each student in the classroom. Equitable teaching aims “to provide needs-based support to ensure equitable learning opportunities” (University at Buffalo Office of Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching Transformation, n.d.). In inclusive teaching, students’ abilities, experiences, and backgrounds are valued, and classroom materials are diverse and also limit or eliminate any barriers that may block accessibility. Equitable and inclusive access in classrooms thus means “every student has equal access to learning, is treated equitably by the learning community, and feels valued and supported by their instructor and peers” (University at Buffalo Office of Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching Transformation, n.d.). Components like learning outcomes, instructional methods, assessment formats, and lesson activities must be inclusive and should reflect the diverse viewpoints and cultural perspectives of the learners.

Key Market Insights

1. Technology Integration: Educational building designs incorporate advanced technologies such as interactive displays, virtual reality labs, flexible furniture, and smart building systems to enhance teaching and learning experiences.
2. Sustainability Practices: There is a growing emphasis on sustainable design principles, including energy efficiency, natural lighting, green materials, and renewable energy sources, to minimize environmental impact and operating costs.
3. Safety and Security: Design considerations include safety features such as secure entry systems, emergency exits, fire suppression systems, and resilient building materials to ensure the well-being of students, faculty, and staff.
4. Inclusive Design: Education buildings are designed to be accessible and inclusive, accommodating students with disabilities and diverse learning needs through features such as ramps, elevators, sensory-friendly spaces, and universal design principles.

(Education Building Design Market 2025-2034 | Size,Share, Growth, n.d.)

AI Use in this OER

Various forms of AI were used to enhance and refine this open educational resource. ChatGPT-4.0 was used to help with creating summaries for the video examples, to generate review questions for Tasks 1 and 2, and to generate the prompt for the Padlet discussion. Gemini in Google’s Chrome web browser and Ecosia’s chatbot were used to gather information on topics discussed in this OER. Zotero and Scribbr were used in ensuring proper APA formatting for the references.

OpenAI. (2025, June-July). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

In order to promote learning that focuses more on the students and less on the teachers, we are moving away from traditional methods of instruction to methods that allow students to take the center stage, with teachers being facilitators in their learning journey. Educators now must lean away from leading the conversations themselves and instead create supportive and well-structured environments that encourage students to take the lead. They are no longer “the primary source of information but the architects of a learning process that harnesses technology’s power to deepen understanding” (Mosley, 2024). Especially with the rise in digital technologies and internet use, students can easily get access to vast amounts of information, which means that “educators [need] to adapt their teaching strategies to guide students in analyzing, synthesizing, and applying knowledge rather than simply delivering it” (Mosley, 2024).

I was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. I studied TESL at McGill University and graduated with my Bachelor of Education in 2016. Right after graduating, I moved to Akita, Japan to work as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in the JET Programme, teaching in various elementary, junior high, and senior high schools under the Akita City Board of Education. After five years as an ALT, I was promoted to JET Programme Coordinator, which involved balancing work as both an ALT and a coordinator that managed and supervised other ALTs in the city. After saying goodbye to the JET Programme, I worked at Seirei Women’s Junior College for two years, and then moved to Seirei Gakuen High School, where I am currently an English teacher and grade 11 co-homeroom teacher. Having been in Japan for almost a decade, I am fluent in Japanese, making me trilingual, with the other two languages I speak being English and French. My background in learning languages has definitely allowed me to be a better English teacher to my ESL students, as I can understand the struggles they face in learning a new language. In my work, I use a variety of educational technology tools. I am always looking for new platforms and technologies that can help my students understand better, engage in their learning more, and encourage motivation, collaboration, and participation. I am also a huge fan of GBL and gamification, and will often employ these principles in my instruction.