[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-detail-599673-en":59,"doc-seo-599673-105":81},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":60},{"doc_id":61,"user_id":62,"nickname":63,"user_avatar":64,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":66,"doc_content":67,"file_id":68,"file_url":69,"file_type":70,"file_size":71,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":72,"language":73,"language_code":74,"site_id":75,"html_lang":74,"table_of_contents":76,"faqs":77,"seo_title":78,"seo_description":66,"update_tm":79,"read_time":80},599673,3985747859343,"jayni","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","Labyrinths: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - Implications for Education","Educators explore how labyrinths—mysterious geometric patterns—can be applied in the instructional arena to support student behavior and classroom climate. Drawing on historical background and definitions, the work distinguishes labyrinths from mazes and explains their unicursal path to the center without decision-making stress. Research highlighted includes reported benefits for adults and children such as reduced blood pressure, calm feelings, improved focus, cognitive functioning, and body balance, alongside educational and reflective considerations.","| | Labyrinths: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow– Implications for Education |\n| --- | --- |\n\nBarbara Michels, Debra Maxwell, & Ching-Wen Chang, Missouri State University  \nBackground and Overview  \nEducators are continuously looking at innovative ways to teaching and working with students of all ages. The tools we use range from the simplest technologies such as chalk and pencils to the high tech tools involving computers and information systems. The best tools and strategies often invoke the use of the old and new or the old in a new way. In 2002 an interest in labyrinths (the old) led most naturally to an Internet search (the new) and resulted in the obvious question of how these mysterious, yet marvelous, patterns could be applied to the instructional arena. An extensive search of the traditional literature databases and the Internet at that time revealed only passing comments and anecdotal records and there were few of those. The existing literature did reveal that these mystifying geometric forms have a long history. Curiosity was piqued and enthusiasm ignited as questions centering on how these may relate to children in an educational setting came to the surface. Courses such as Classroom Management that, of course, include student behavior, became a consideration. What if a simple geometric tool, such as the labyrinth, could positively affect student behavior and the overall climate in the classroom? Schools create a community in which effective teaching and learning occur. As teachers, we should care about students‘ personal, emotional, and spiritual well being besides delivering knowledge. It is important that students are exposed to learning in a climate that nurtures their development in all ways. Could labyrinths help students look inside their minds and explore their potential? The students themselves have some of the answers. As one said, ―It gave me a chance to reflect on the things I‘ve done, said and felt.‖(LECT, 2003)  \nThis article will look at the historical background of the labyrinth as well as definitions. Then a modern view will be given with details on the various ways it is being used today including an overview of a school study. Finally, some questions for the future will be raised.  \nWhat is a Labyrinth?  \nFirst of all, let‘s point out what it isn’t! It is not a left-brain challenge, i.e., a puzzle to be solved. Labyrinths are often confused with Mazes which are winding patterns that are of a more complicated design used to tease or trick and often results in dead-end passageways (Griffith, 2002) (Figure 1a.) These can be fun, but may be stressful. A labyrinth is a unicursal (single) path to the center of the pattern. The person walking encounters no challenges and is not required to make any decisions.―Labyrinths come in varied shapes and can be as simple as a sand drawing or as elaborate as an inlaid tile floor‖ (Spilner, 1997, p. 144) . Unlike mazes (Figure 1a), which require constant decisions and can often lead to frustrating dead ends, labyrinths are one path to a center, turn around and take the same path out (Schlumpf, 2000) . Labyrinths are  \nthought to enhance right brain activity and doing one can also be fun, and de-stressing. (Figure 1b.)  \nFigure 1a. Maze. [Online image] Retrieved January 21, 2008 from  \n[http://news.thomasnet.com/I](http://news.thomasnet.com/I)[MT/archives/2006/03/light_](MT/archives/2006/03/light_f)[f](MT/archives/2006/03/light_f)[riday_na.html?t=archive](riday_na.html?t=archive)  \nFigure 1b. Cretan labyrinth.  \n[Online image] Retrieved January 21, 2008 from  \n[http://mythology.ourgardenpa](http://mythology.ourgardenpa)[th.com/2006/11/14/the-ever](th.com/2006/11/14/the-ever)revolving-cycle .  \nResearch for the past 10 years has noted benefits for adults and children after labyrinth walking. Health professionals (Carnes, 2001; Griffith, 202; Nicolson, 2002; Older, 1998) and the clergy (Schlumph, 2000) have long recognized benefits from walking a labyrinth and educators","cbCaivsnaquf8McW","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivsnaquf8McW","pdf",496185,14,"English","en",105,"# Background and Overview\n# What is a Labyrinth?\n# The Legend\n# Research Findings and Benefits\n# Implications for Education","[{\"question\":\"How do labyrinths differ from mazes?\",\"answer\":\"Labyrinths use a single unicursal path to the center and do not require making decisions, unlike mazes that involve winding designs, constant choices, and dead-end passages.\"},{\"question\":\"What benefits are associated with labyrinth walking?\",\"answer\":\"Past research cited notes benefits for adults and children, including lowered blood pressure, calm feelings, improved task functioning through focused walking, and better body balance.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the Theseus and Minotaur legend relate to labyrinths?\",\"answer\":\"The legend explains the Labyrinth’s purpose—containing the Minotaur—and describes how Theseus used a ball of thread from Ariadne to navigate back after entering.\"}]","Labyrinths: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - Implications for Education | PDF",1792089228,35,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"ok",{"site_id":75,"language":74,"slug":84,"title":65,"keywords":85,"description":66,"schema_data":86,"social_meta":139,"head_meta":141,"extra_data":143,"updated_unix":79},"labyrinths-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow-implications-for-education","",{"@graph":87,"@context":138},[88,102,121],{"@type":89,"itemListElement":90},"BreadcrumbList",[91,95,97,100],{"item":92,"name":93,"@type":94,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":96,"name":9,"@type":94,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":98,"name":35,"@type":94,"position":99},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":101,"name":65,"@type":94,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/labyrinths-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow-implications-for-education/599673/",{"url":101,"name":65,"@type":103,"image":104,"author":109,"headline":65,"publisher":111,"fileFormat":114,"inLanguage":74,"description":66,"dateModified":115,"datePublished":115,"encodingFormat":114,"isAccessibleForFree":116,"interactionStatistic":117},"DigitalDocument",{"url":105,"@type":106,"width":107,"height":108},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/labyrinths-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow-implications-for-education/599673.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":63,"@type":110},"Person",{"url":92,"name":112,"@type":113},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":118,"interactionType":119,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":120},"ViewAction",{"@type":122,"mainEntity":123},"FAQPage",[124,130,134],{"name":125,"@type":126,"acceptedAnswer":127},"How do labyrinths differ from mazes?","Question",{"text":128,"@type":129},"Labyrinths use a single unicursal path to the center and do not require making decisions, unlike mazes that involve winding designs, constant choices, and dead-end passages.","Answer",{"name":131,"@type":126,"acceptedAnswer":132},"What benefits are associated with labyrinth walking?",{"text":133,"@type":129},"Past research cited notes benefits for adults and children, including lowered blood pressure, calm feelings, improved task functioning through focused walking, and better body balance.",{"name":135,"@type":126,"acceptedAnswer":136},"How does the Theseus and Minotaur legend relate to labyrinths?",{"text":137,"@type":129},"The legend explains the Labyrinth’s purpose—containing the Minotaur—and describes how Theseus used a ball of thread from Ariadne to navigate back after entering.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":101,"og:type":140,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":112,"og:description":66},"article",{"robots":142,"canonical":101},"index,follow",{"doc_id":61,"site_id":75}]