Reducing Student Distraction Through Fuzzy Logic Based Seating Arrangements
Garrett Olges, Kelly Cohen
TL;DR
This paper tackles the challenge of designing efficient classroom seating with reduced planning time and minimized distraction. It introduces CUB, a fuzzy logic–based software package that combines a fuzzy inference system with fuzzy c-means clustering, a classification step, and a seat-assignment algorithm to produce ready-to-use, cluster-based seating plans. Validation against prior classroom arrangements shows that CUB can reproduce many of the best-available ("Good") configurations, supporting its practical applicability and potential for iterative arrangement generation. The work suggests that fuzzy-logic methods can generalize to other seating styles and offer a feasible tool for teachers to systematize classroom management with data-informed seating decisions.
Abstract
A crucial skill for primary school teachers is maintaining efficient classroom management. Teachers use classroom seating arrangements to help maintain this efficiency. However, developing classroom seating arrangements is both time-consuming and often non-optimal for distraction mitigation. Fuzzy logic-based approaches for the development of classroom seating arrangements can reduce development time and minimize classroom distraction. In this study, an original fuzzy logic-based software package named "CUB" is introduced and applied to a modern classroom using "cluster" seating arrangements. The combination of fuzzy inference systems, fuzzy c-means clustering, sequential, and iterative processes produce ready-to-use seating arrangements for the classroom in this study. The seating arrangements are compared with an existing set of seating arrangements to validate the results. The author's findings show that CUB is successful in generating applicable seating arrangements with a small liklihood of replicating arrangements. The findings also suggest that fuzz logic-based approaches may be successful in other styles of classroom arrangement.