ADDRESSING THE COMMUNICATION AND PRIVACY NEEDS OF THE MODERN DAY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

In today’s modern learning environment, the hierarchical importance of “private” work environments along with how the spaces are being utilized, directly impacts the efficiency of the tasks being preformed. Addressing the privacy needs within the informal learning environment acts as a catalyst for revealing how collaboration work areas along with more sensitive tasks, should be redesigned to promote optimal performance. Evaluating certain issues such as; analyzing the age gaps between certain students and how they interact, understanding the range of activities, and evaluating how new technologies can complement engaging activities. Research on these topics can provide a clear blueprint for producing appropriate design strategies that suit the needs of the modern day student.

To accurately understand the needs of these learning environments, these authors conducted field research including students interviews to understand their concerns, and observational research within classroom environments. This collected data was analyzed to understand the full spectrum of issues. In this paper the authors discuss the results and provide design solutions that address communication and privacy needs of the modern day learning environments.