Flexible spaces:open minds
For today’s students a classroom is much more than four walls, as a learning space it can be a valuable tool in enhancing learning and teaching.
The nature of today’s information and technology-rich world demands that we challenge some of our long-held beliefs about schooling to better meet the needs of today’s students.
The key to the success of any learning space is to first think about how teaching is going to take place before making any decision regarding the physical or resourced environment (Department of Education and Training QLD, 2010). And together, any changes in the way teachers teach or the learning space in which they teach, must deliver improved learning outcomes for all students.
In years past, perhaps when you were attending school, re-designing classrooms would have been a relatively simple task – space for desks facing the front of the room, probably in rows, a chalkboard and not much else. It is hardly surprising then, that when faced with classrooms without chalkboards, modular furniture, removable walls and a wealth of technology, today’s parents and grandparents are amazed, and often confronted by the difference.
The way today’s students learn and teachers teach, is significantly different to our experience of schooling even a decade ago. As Sir Ken Robinson, the creativity expert says, the needs of today’s learners require us to re-think schooling, shifting away from the industrial model (which supported the ‘mass production’ of students with identical skills and knowledge) to a contemporary version that builds connections in virtual and real time and embraces the diversity of every learner. The spaces and tools required for this type of learning must be considered in the design or re-design of schools.
Transforming our learning spaces requires us to understand how today’s students learn. From the work of Bransford and others (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999) we know that learning builds on what learners already know from their social and cultural experiences (NSW Institute of Teachers, 2005).
We know that learning is a lifelong process of making connections and that it requires metacognition - the process of self-monitoring and reflecting on what and how we learn (Bransford et al, 1999). This refers not only to student learning but to teacher learning also. Teaching improves when teachers work in teams to improve their practice through ongoing critical reflection and professional learning. How we teach and our learning environments need to support this understanding.
A contemporary model of schooling must speak to our understanding of society and culture. In the Diocese of Parramatta, our understanding is explained in our Catholic Education Framework, Reach – which has at its centre the importance of student learning and teacher learning to improve the learning outcomes of each student. Reach documentation is available here
According to a study by John Hattie (2003) teachers account for the greatest difference on student achievement when compared with other factors (e.g. class size, etc). Hattie found that most teachers can have a positive impact on student learning simply by being in the classroom. He believes that we need to aim higher, to teach in a way that has an outstanding effect on our students (Hattie, 2003). Teaching for the 21st century must embrace the diversity of learners, requiring teachers to be aware of what each student knows and then determining what they need to know.
If teachers have such a profound effect on student learning outcomes, some may ask, does it matter where they teach? Does the classroom really make a difference? If schools are to move away from teaching institutions towards becoming centres for learning, where teachers and students are co-learners, then school architecture is crucial in enabling this (Newton & Fisher, 2009).
In the same way that learning and teaching in the 21st century is collaborative, learning space design should also be a collaborative effort. A process of consultation and collaboration should involve leadership teams, teachers, students, architects, educational space experts and the parent community (Newton & Fisher, 2009). There is no standard blueprint for the ideal learning space; each space should meet the needs of the learning community. Flexibility is the key design principle, allowing teachers to group students in a variety of ways, enabling teamwork and maximising every student’s access to resources including technology.
Recognising that each student is an individual learner with their own learning style has implications for the learning space. Personalising learning means more than providing tailored content in the curriculum, it demands that students are given choices about where they work, with whom and using what media (Rudd, Gifford, Morrison, & Facer, 2006). For example:
- Quiet reading areas equipped with comfortable chairs or cushions
- Discussion areas for small or large group work
- Wet areas for hands-on activities such as art or science experiments
- Integrated technology with access to a vast array of tools and devices, e.g. wireless internet, laptops, mobile devices such as iPads, digital video and still cameras, etc
- Furniture that is portable and flexible (e.g. work benches, staging for performance and presentation, lounges, etc
- Discrete spaces (e.g. filming studio, music room, etc) for specific learning activities.
Flexible learning spaces can effectively accommodate collaborative teaching. A group of teachers with different expertise can work together to offer inter-disciplinary (e.g. English and History) learning, sharing with students the sum of their wealth of experience and knowledge, while at the same time, learning from each other. An example of a space which could accommodate collaborative teaching would be one with theatre style seating or a seminar space for direct instruction, and also has space in which students can pursue projects of all types, and which is available to them all day (Nair & Gehling, 2008).
Informal spaces also impact on learning. Learning can, and does, take place in any location, yet most school designs are based on the theory that learning takes place only in the classroom during class time (Rudd et al, 2006). Think of the learning that could take place in outdoor spaces or hubs where students of all ages and backgrounds could come together by choice to work on common problems and share ideas.
In thinking about learning spaces it is important to take into consideration both the physical environment - the architectural, outdoor and natural environment that the student experiences and the resourced environment – which includes the technology, provided within the student's learning space. Schools should consider what tools will best enhance student learning – the digital tools that students are familiar with, and make sense to them.
Furniture is an integral element and while it may seem a trivial matter, contemporary learning spaces need furniture that can support various tasks and activities (Newton & Fisher, 2009). What use is a flexible learning space with furniture that is difficult to move? How does a quiet reading area inspire students to read if it offers hard, unaccommodating chairs? Acoustics must also be a major consideration of learning space design. Smaller screened off areas with sound-proofing could be made available for reflective and creative activities in addition to open spaces for interactive, group activities (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2008).
Schooling is a lasting experience - a connection to our past that we refer to when we try to make sense of a rapidly changing world. As educators we have a responsibility to deliver relevant and meaningful schooling for our students and this requires contemporary teaching supported by contemporary learning environments.
Removing walls and opening up learning spaces does not, in and of itself, provide a relevant 21st century education. A contemporary understanding of how learners learn and how teachers teach is fundamental to any discussion on school design. The purpose of any learning environment should be to support and enrich learning and teaching for today’s world.
Works Cited
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (1999). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School. Washington: National Academy Press.
Catholic Education Office, Parramatta. (2010, January). Reach: The Parramatta Catholic Education Framework.
City, E., Elmore, R., Fiarman, S. and Teitel, L. (2009) Instructional Rounds in Education. Cambridge: Harvard Education Press.
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2008). Victorian School Design. Melbourne: Victorian Office for Resources and Infrastructure.
Department of Education and Training QLD. (2010). Designing the Space. Retrieved July 16, 2010, from The Learning Place: https://learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=45624
Hattie, J. (2003). Teachers Make a Difference: what is the research evidence? Auckland: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research .
Nair, P., & Gehling, A. (2008). Professional Voice .
Newton, C., & Fisher, K. (2009). Take 8 Learning Spaces. Manuka: Australian Institute of Architects.
NSW Institute of Teachers. (2005). Professional Teaching Standards. Sydney.
Robinson, K. (2010, February). Sir Ken Robinson Bring on the Revolution. Retrieved July 12, 2010, from TED Ideas Worth Spreading: www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html
Robinson, V. (2008). The Impact of Leadership on Student Outcomes. Educational Administration Quarterly .
Rudd, T., Gifford, C., Morrison, J., & Facer, K. (2006). What If...Re-Imagining Learning Spaces. Bristol: Futurelab.
Author: Greg Whitby
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