Ideas Sparked by ThingLink! How to Support Diverse Learners
✨ ThingLink Idea Spark: Classroom Transitions
Starting a new class or moving into a different learning space can feel exciting or overwhelming. This quick immersive experience helps students explore classroom layouts, test different seating options, and reflect on how their environment affects their comfort and focus.
By making space for choice and conversation, teachers can support inclusion, wellbeing, and neuroempathy, creating classrooms where every learner feels they belong.
- Experience Title: Classroom Transitions: Supporting Diverse Learners
- Theme or Subject: Pastoral, Wellbeing, Inclusion, Transition
- Age or Stage: Through School (5-18)
- Experience Length: Medium (20–40 mins)
Experience Flow Entry Point
The scene begins at a classroom doorway, looking into the room. All available seats are in view and hotspots indicate options for viewing from those locations. Additionally, hotspots indicate the overhead lights and scene transitions must be used to show learners what the room looks like with the lights on and off (during the day with daylight available).
Consider audio in the opening scene, using the teacher’s actual voice, inviting the student to explore their new classroom and select different seats to try out. For younger learners, if used with the educator or parent/guardian present, verbal explanations and encouragement can be given.The opening scene presents a classroom from the doorway, showcasing all available seating. Hotspots will allow users to explore different views from these seats. Additional hotspots will demonstrate the room’s appearance with the overhead lights on and off, specifically during daylight hours.
Audio in this initial scene should feature the teacher’s voice, inviting students to explore their new classroom and choose various seats to try. For younger learners, or when an educator or parent/guardian is present, verbal explanations and encouragement can be provided.
Exploration (Icon or Hotspot Placements)
Around the Classroom
- Overhead lighting hotspot – switch between scenes with lights on and off.
- Desk hotspots – explore options in the middle of the room, by the window, near the door, and next to the teacher’s desk.
Challenge / Deepening
- Sink hotspot – play audio of running water. Highlight how seating near a sink may be distracting or busy with footfall.
- Pencil sharpener hotspot – play audio of sharpening. Let learners notice the noise level and consider its impact.
- Discussion prompts – invite learners to share their feelings at each stage. Encourage breaks from the headset to talk through emotions and choices.
Reflection / Exit Point
Place a hotspot question mark by the classroom board/panel for consideration at the end of the activity. Pose the questions in text and audio, “Where would be best for you in this classroom? Why is that? How does this place make you feel?”
The articulation of thoughts and thinking processes (metacognitive conversations) of the learner aloud, or to themselves, helps develop an awareness of the learner’s environments and potential triggers.
Support & Flexibility
Resources Needed Images of the classroom from the doorway and a variety of seating around the room. Two images must be taken of each location to offer experiences with full lighting on and off. Audio taken of any classroom facilities which make noises, such as taps, sharpeners, heaters/air conditioning etc. Also, ensure there is a means of recording learners’ experiences and thoughts, so as to validate their responses and ensure the choices can be used in other learning environments the student is likely to use.
Differentiation
Support: a trusted adult can verbally explain scenes and support choices. Ideally consider the average height of students for the selected classrooms and capture images from an appropriate height to simulate eye-level when viewed on a screen or VR headset.
Extension: consider a means by which the learner’s preferences for learning can be shared with other educators or peers. If appropriate try to include the young person in the discussions so their needs are not considered taboo or different to the norm. Staff can share these together with the young person present, or the young person might prefer a card/leaflet being shared. They can assist in the design of the material.
Experience Extensions
- Cross-curricular consistency of inclusive learning environments
- Student voice in promoting neuroempathy and inclusive practice
- Improved communication around student welfare and needs
Outcomes
Communication – young people become more articulate and expressive regarding their needs. Educators listen better and empathise with their students’ challenges and needs.
Collaboration – young people and educators working together to promote a more neurodiverse-friendly learning environment. Peer empathy also fostered and boundaries broken down.
ICT for Learning – use of technology as a tool to support learning and wellbeing in schools.
Knowledge Construction – information ascertained here can be transferred to other environments and key concepts can be built on to develop better self-awareness and identification of triggering situations.
Self-Regulation – pacing oneself is important and knowing when wellbeing breaks are required can help to avoid episodes of dysregulation.
Real-World Problem-Solving and Innovation – learners can draw from this experience and perhaps help to innovate other solutions to ensuring learning environments are more inclusive and neurodiverse-friendly. Students might be able to create their own scenes to help peers, based on their own experiences.
Experience Outcome
Students are encouraged to discuss neurodiverse interpretations of their learning environments and make informed decisions with the support of trusted adults. Schools are better aware of individuals’ needs and factors which might affect the learning of an array of students. Neurodiverse-friendly learning environments and school grounds support all learners and the encouragement of a neuroempathy focus is important to young people’s (and teachers’) development.
Acknowledgements
With our thanks and hat-tip to Simon Luxford-Moore of LuxfordEdu!
