Question: What Is a Harkness Table?
Philanthropist Edward Harkness (1874-1940) was responsible for the Harkness Table. His idea was to place students and teacher round an oval table for maximum involvement and participation. That was in 1931. His experiment is alive and well, and, indeed, thrives at Exeter Academy where it was first proposed.
Answer: The Harkness Table originated in 1931 at Exeter Academy. It was the brainchild of philanthropist Edward Harkness (1874-1940). He came up with the idea in an effort to make learning more interactive. Rather than having students lectured at by a teacher positioned at the front of the classroom, the idea with the Harkness Table is to seat teacher and up to 12 students around an oval table. This seating arrangement encourages interactivity and discourages passivity in the learning process. It also is at the core of an educational philosophy which holds that "Civilized discourse must be at the core of all good education and all full lives."
Edward Harkness gave Exeter the staggering sum of $5,800,000 to implement his method of teaching. Two weeks after receiving the gift the Academy added twenty-five more teachers.
Former Exeter Principal Tyler C. Tingley describes the Harkness Table and its teaching benefits in Educating with the Harkness Table.
Harkness Tables are available through Furniture Options which is based in Exeter, New Hampshire. Phillips Exeter Academy owns the trademark to Harkness Tables.
