Abstract:

Despite huge investments in new learning spaces across the HE sector very little is understood about the relationship between learning and the spaces designed for learning. Although many studies have been carried out with regard to how students feel about the learning spaces they use, research tools have not been developed (or satisfactorily combined) to enable the relationship between preferred spaces and enhanced learning outcomes to be fully understood (Cleveland, 2014). Students often feel they learn better in modern, well lit, air conditioned spaces, but this is not convincingly supported by data or observational evidence (Douglas, 2001; Scott Webber, 2004; Temple, 2007).

This mixed methodology study, which included a student survey, formal space audit and observational studies sought to discern how students explore and negotiate the formal and informal spaces the institution provides and how they ‘own’ or transform these to become learning environments. Understanding how students utilise space and learn within the spaces they inhabit, will enable the HE sector to actively harness and enhance those spaces for independent and co-learning opportunities and design better learning spaces in the future. This poster will reveal the initial findings and highlight the progress made towards unpicking the complicated relationship between space and learning.

References:
[1] Cleveland, B. (2014). The evaluation of physical learning environments: a critical review of the literature. Learning environments research. [online], 17(1), pp. 1-28 .
[2] Douglas, D. and G. (2001) Evaluation of the physical classroom by students and professors: a lens model approach. Educational research [online], 43(3), pp. 295-310.
[3] Jamieson, P. (2005). Moving beyond the classroom: Accommodating the changing pedagogy of higher education. Refereed Proceedings of 2005 Forum of the Australasian Association for Institutional Research, pp. 17 – 23.
[4] Scott-Weber, L. (2004). In sync: Environmental behaviour research and the design of learning spaces. Ann Arbor, MI; The Society for College and University Planning.
[5] Temple, P. (2007) Learning spaces for the 21st century. A review of the literature, The Higher Education Academy.

Keywords:

Learning Spaces, Higher Education.