PERSONALIZING COLLABORATIVE LEARNING SPACES THROUGH FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT, TEMPERATURE, AND LIGHTING

As educational learning environments evolve, institutions of higher learning have started to include more collaborative activities and spaces to facilitate these activities. The goal of this research was to identify prevalent trends and activities that occur within these spaces, and to understand how students personalize and customize collaborative learning environments. The research team was especially interested in understanding how students manipulate furniture arrangements, temperature, and lighting. Qualitative research methods were adopted, including observations of existing collaborative spaces, photo studies, and personal interviews. Quantitative research included the developing of a short survey as a research instrument, in addition to a larger scale Movement Mapping study. The survey instrument was designed to understand how collaborative spaces are currently utilized, and how they could be improved if personalization and customization opportunities are offered in these environments. This research team collected data about informal learning environments including the University Library, campus study rooms, studio spaces, and home environments. The survey and Movement Mapping study provided data about furniture movement throughout the duration of collaboration/team project. Information was also gathered about temperature and lighting levels of the observed spaces, as well as user preferences for these factors. Conclusions showed that most students were not concerned with temperature and lighting, and were willing to simply adapt to the given environment instead of searching for a way to customize the space to meet their needs. However, furniture movement does play a large role in creating a successful and conducive collaborative environment.