There is a seminar room in the "Sports Research and Training Centre" building where nobody has to sit still. This "moving classroom" can be booked by all departments for courses.
The most popular seats in classrooms and seminar rooms are traditionally at the very back. This is no different in the university's "Moving Classroom": "You can get the impression that some students are particularly punctual in order to get a seat in the last row," reports Prof Dr Jörg Schorer from the Institute of Sport Science. The reason for this, however, are five so-called deskbikes - bicycle ergometers with a small table top, which are located on the back wall of the bright seminar room in the university's "Sports Research and Training Centre". You can pedal on these machines downstairs while typing into your laptop or following a presentation upstairs. Without any noise pollution: even energetic leg activity only produces a quiet whirring sound.
The "Moving Classroom" is a teaching and learning lab that can be booked by all lecturers at the University of Oldenburg. "We still have a few time slots available and would be delighted if events from other departments could also take place here," emphasises Schorer. His "Sport and Exercise" department is the main user of the rooms and sports science laboratories in the Sport Research and Training Centre on the south-western edge of the Haarentor campus.
Why learning and exercise go well together
In addition to the Deskbikes, the room offers other ways to be active while learning, including two treadmills, a variety of colourful Pezzi balls and a yoga cushion. If you prefer, you can also simply sit on a chair. The tables are height-adjustable and have castors - they can also be used standing up, can be moved quickly and adapted to the needs of the respective group.
For Schorer, it is clear that concentrated learning and movement go well together. "Studies show, for example, that you remember vocabulary better if you are active on a cycle ergometer at the same time," he reports. This can also be explained physiologically: Exercise stimulates blood circulation, which means the brain is better supplied with oxygen. It also reduces stress levels and stimulates the growth of nerve connections. By the way: a desk bike is also available for teachers.
