Abstract:

Much of the literature which focuses on learning space design (specifically the physical spaces) in higher education (HE) is directed towards the development of spaces which will enable flexibility and creativity in the HE classroom (Designing Spaces for Effective Learning, 2006; Temple, 2007; UCISA, 2016). As HE changes gathered a pace in the early 2000’s so did arguments that learning spaces should go beyond the formal environment and very inspiring cases were made for flexible campuses, not just flexible classrooms (Jamieson, 2005). Much of the HE estate however, remains as lecture rooms and classrooms, but the traditional format is being transformed to incorporate the virtual arena and multiple learning modes (Spaces for Learning, 2006). However, despite these changes and 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 and the student appreciation of these spaces.

Research carried out through during 2016/17 indicated a great disconnect between student perceptions of effective learning spaces and observations of sessions taking place in those spaces. For example students (67 % of those that commented on the campus) thought lecture theatres were most effective despite observations indicating they offered largely passive experiences. Student views of “effective” aligned more closely to physical comfort, using words such as ‘light’, ‘spacious’ and ‘warm’ to describe the spaces they found beneficial. Only a small minority commented on what happens in the space during a face-to-face session. Only students from the School of Education recognised the limitations of the lecture theatre as a learning space. It is therefore postulated that the majority of students may not recognise effective learning experiences or spaces as a participant. This has concerning implications for HE in the United Kingdom which is heavily evaluated through student satisfaction. As we move into utilising more active learning methods, believed by the sector to offer better learning experiences, will HE students recognise their value?

A more recent study, designed to further understand the student perspective and whether this can be influenced by shifting perspective, has allowed us to employ HE students to act as participant-researchers. Through asking them to design learning spaces before and after observing learning spaces during leaning and teaching sessions we have been able to determine if this has altered perceptions, enhanced understanding and led to innovative design. This presentation will focus on how this project was performed, the preliminary outcomes and the future focus.

References:
[1] Designing spaces for effective learning: a guide to 21st century learning space design, (2006) [online]. Bristol: JISC Development Group: JISC, 2006.
[2] Jamieson, P. (2005), 17 – 23. Moving beyond the classroom: Accommodating the changing pedagogy of higher education. Refereed Proceedings of 2005 Forum of the Australasian Association for Institutional Research.
[3] UCISA. (2016). The UK Higher Education Space Toolkit [online]. Accessed 11th July 2017, available at https://www.ucisa.ac.uk/learningspace
[4] Temple, P. (2007) Learning spaces for the 21st century. A review of the literature, The Higher Education Academy.

Keywords:

Learning Spaces, Student Researchers.