LEARNING IS SITTING: STUDENT AND STAFF PERSPECTIVES ON SITTING LESS AT MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY

Roy H J Erkens^1,2*HQ Chim^3,4Nikita L Poole^5,6Stella Wasenitz⁷Hans HCM Savelberg^3,4

• ¹System Earth Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Venlo, Netherlands
• ²Maastricht Science Programme, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
• ³Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, School of Health Professions Education (SHE), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
• ⁴Institute for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
• ⁵Department of Health Promotion, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
• ⁶Health Funds for a Smoke-free Netherlands, Utrecht, Netherlands
• ⁷EDLAB, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands

University students are often sedentary due to classroom designs that limit opportunities for movement. However, more activity can improve students' mental-health and academic results. This study investigates the needs of students and teachers in terms of 'less sitting' at Maastricht University (The Netherlands). Furthermore, it explores whether standing desks are feasible and acceptable interventions for 'less sitting' in the context of Problem-Based Learning. Two focus groups of five students and eight interviews were used to investigate the needs of students and staff, and 108 students from three different study modules filled out a questionnaire to address the feasibility and acceptability of standing desks. Students and staff of six faculties and eleven study programmes were included in the research. We find that students and staff at Maastricht University expressed the need for more active education. They flag the lack of appropriate educational spaces at Maastricht University for more active education and the necessity for socio-cultural norms change as largest limitations. Students and staff are furthermore mainly neutral in terms of the acceptability and feasibility of implementing standing desks at Maastricht University in a Problem-Based Learning setting.They report the same opinions in terms of dynamics, learning, health, and frequency of activity in the classroom as in more traditional university programmes. However, the participants in this study state that more attention for posture is needed during standing tutorials. They also comment that module design should make standing desks a logical element of the class dynamics. Our findings at Maastricht University indicate that an ambition for a more active classroom should go hand in hand with proper classroom and educational design to make the most out of it.