In designing your school or organization’s computer lab or IT area, furniture is an incredibly important design choice. In fact, the only thing more important than the furniture of a computer lab is the actual network of computers itself. Once you’re figured your configuration, however, getting the right computer lab tables is a matter of budget and, of course, necessity. To help you get a clearer picture of what you may want in a computer lab, here are some basic features to look for online – through websites like Smart Desks – when it comes to computer lab tables:
Height Adjustment
One of the more novel yet incredibly helpful features in today’s computer tables is height adjustment. Although it’s more of a feature in personal desks, even computer labs can do with height adjustment to encourage standing straight while working, both for a better posture and healthier life.
Mobility
Computer lab tables don’t have to be rigid and linked. They can be individual, and mobile – or better yet, the usage of mobile chairs can let students easily glide through the room from one computer to another, to help each other out or show off a neat coding trick.
Lots of Auxiliary Space
Nothing is worse for efficiency than a completely crammed room. Offering sufficient auxiliary space for bags, notebooks and pens can help students take down physical notes while working on the computer or listening to the instructor.
Cable Organization
Nothing is more unsightly than bad cable organization. One must-have feature in modern computer lab tables is the presence of actual cable support, so you don’t have to rely entirely on duct tape and plastic cable ties. This is true of both computer labs and individual workstations.
Usage Modularity
Multi-use furniture isn’t just a passing fad; it’s the future of classroom interaction. And the same goes for its potential in computer labs. Instead of confining students to a set space within the classroom or lab, a modular multi-use table and chair set lets students couple or uncouple their tables, and work either individually or in groups on whatever project it is that they have to tackle.
Modular computer lab furniture also allows teachers to better assign group projects and get the class’ attention for central lessons without having to force students to switch places or even change tables. Innovative teachers that take charge of the classroom and excite their students with interesting assignments are extremely critical to keeping students engaged in school, according to Education Week. To innovate, teachers need the right tools.
Charging Areas
A useful addition in today’s computer lab layouts is readily available access to power outlets for general use. Since we all own numerous different gadgets – and laptops, tablets, and various other educational tools require charging – having them be charged right at your workstation within the computer lab can remove the hassle of worrying about battery issues over the course of the day. Tablets and the like are critical to a better education among schools that can afford to implement them – and up to 90 percent of students agree, according to PearsonEd.com
No matter what features you may be looking for, they’re bound to be out there in your ideal computer lab tables – all you have to do is go out and find it.