Is class room the proverbial box?

There is a very interesting article in New York Times about the link between mind and body, and how what we do can effect how creative we can be. In one of the examples the researchers tell how thinking literally inside a box (made big enough for a person to fit in) reduces ones ability to come up with creative answers to a problem. In their experiment participants were randomly divided into groups, some sat inside this box and some outside the box (next to it). The participants were asked to solve the same problem. Results showed how people sitting outside the box were able to also think outside the box, i.e. come up with more creative solutions.

Extending the finding to class room teaching, is the class room the box? Does the class room prevent creative thinking? What would a class room that simulated "outside the box" look like?