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Teaching and Learning in Three Dimensions: How to Bring Learning to Life

Writer's picture: Thomas RiddleThomas Riddle

Updated: 4 hours ago


As educators, we are constantly seeking ways to inspire creativity, foster imagination, and cultivate a love for learning in our students. Up to this point, we’ve explored the importance of adopting an imaginative and daring mindset to guide our approach to teaching. We’ve also discussed various strategies to enhance that mindset, such as embracing curiosity and encouraging innovative thinking. Now, it's time to delve deeper into the practical side of this approach by exploring how the principles of theme park design can transform the learning environment.


John Hench, a legendary Imagineer, once said, "We take a two-dimensional world and transform it into three dimensions." What does that mean in the context of education? Imagineers take the world of storytelling, traditionally confined to books and screens, and make it tangible by creating immersive, sensory-rich experiences that transport guests into the world they’ve only previously imagined. For us as educators, this is a call to move beyond the pages of textbooks and bring learning into the living and breathing world of our students. We must shift from teaching abstract concepts to creating real, hands-on experiences that engage learners on multiple levels.


The three dimensions of design we’ll focus on—experience, story, and place—are just as essential in the classroom as they are in a theme park. Each of these dimensions can dramatically influence how students engage with the content and the environment around them. Let’s take a closer look at each of these areas and how they can transform the learning experience.


1. Experience: Engaging All the Senses

In a theme park, the experience isn’t limited to just sight or sound. The Imagineers work meticulously to engage all the senses—touch, smell, sound, and sight—to create a fully immersive environment. Similarly, in the classroom, the experience we design should involve more than just reading from a textbook or listening to a lecture. We need to create dynamic, multi-sensory experiences that allow students to feel, touch, see, and even hear the concepts they’re learning about.


Imagine a history lesson that doesn’t just involve reading about the Civil War, but allows students to walk through a recreated battlefield, listen to the sounds of marching soldiers, and feel the weight of the uniforms they study. Or consider a science lesson where students can get hands-on with live experiments, observe chemical reactions up close, and engage with the scientific process through working on authentic, real-world challenges.

By creating an environment where students can touch, feel, and immerse themselves in their learning, we begin to bring abstract concepts to life in a way that transforms the way they understand and retain information.


2. Story: Making Learning Personal

At Disney, storytelling is at the heart of every experience. Every corner of the park tells a story, whether through the design of a ride, the architecture of the space, or the interactions with cast members. This powerful storytelling draws visitors into a narrative that they become a part of, creating an emotional connection to the experience.

As educators, we can adopt a similar approach. Storytelling isn’t just for English class—it’s a universal tool for engaging students. We can weave narratives into every subject, helping students connect emotionally with the material and see how it applies to their lives. When students understand the "why" behind what they’re learning, the material becomes more meaningful and memorable.


For instance, instead of simply teaching students about a historical event, we could frame it within a compelling narrative that invites them to explore the perspectives of the people who lived through it. This could be a story of survival, innovation, or triumph. Or in a math lesson, instead of abstract numbers, we could present real-world scenarios where math is the key to solving problems, like budgeting for a community project or analyzing trends in data.


When we create a story around the learning material, students not only understand the content but also develop a deeper emotional connection to it. This is the essence of making learning come to life.


3. Place: Crafting a Transformative Environment

The physical space we create in our classrooms or schools plays a huge role in shaping the learning experience. Just as Imagineers carefully design every inch of a theme park to guide visitors through different stories and experiences, we too must consider how the layout, design, and atmosphere of our learning spaces can influence students' behavior, mindset, and engagement.


Imagine walking into a classroom that feels like a laboratory for creativity, where the walls are filled with vibrant student artwork, the desks are arranged to encourage collaboration, and the room is designed to be flexible for different learning styles. The space itself would be inviting and energizing, making it a place where students feel excited to learn and explore.


Think about your ideal learning environment. What does it look like? More importantly, what does it feel like? Do the colors, furniture, and layout reflect the values of curiosity, respect, and creativity? Does the space encourage students to take risks and embrace new challenges? The physical design of your classroom can have a profound impact on how students feel when they enter it and how they engage with the learning process.


Shifting from Conceptual to Tangible Learning

To help bring learning to life, we must not only focus on the content we teach but also on how students experience that content. As we move from a traditional, two-dimensional approach to teaching to one that fully engages students in the three dimensions of experience, story, and place, we start to shift learning from something abstract to something tangible.


The Imagineers believe that guests should feel better after visiting a Disney park. This is a goal we should share for our students, as well. When students leave our classrooms, we want them to feel inspired, curious, and empowered—not just with academic knowledge, but with a sense of possibility and excitement for the world beyond the classroom.


The Power of a Dream

Before we close, take a moment to reflect on your own experiences in school. How did school make you feel? What did you walk away with—just the facts, or something deeper? Now, think about your students. What do you want them to feel when they leave your classroom? What do you want them to take with them into their futures?


The journey to creating these dynamic, three-dimensional learning spaces begins with the belief that our students deserve more than a passive, two-dimensional education. By thinking creatively, engaging all the senses, and designing spaces that inspire, we can transform the learning experience in powerful ways.


So, let’s continue to dream big, embrace creativity, and bring learning to life in three dimensions. Together, we can create classrooms and schools that make magic happen for our students, just like the Imagineers have done for theme park guests.


If you’re ready to take your classroom design and learning experiences to the next level, join me in exploring how to incorporate the principles of Imagineering into education. Let’s make your classroom a place where learning is not just taught, but truly experienced.

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