The effective design of learning spaces—whether a classroom, a laboratory, a library, or an informal space—can enhance learning. As educators have integrated communication, collaboration, and computing technologies, learning spaces have morphed. The design of learning spaces goes beyond the physical to include the virtual. Educators, technologists, and space planners are combining technology, pedagogy, learning science, and physical space. What types of activities lead to learning? How can innovative uses of space and technology enable these activities, leading to more effective learning?
Questions the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) explores include:
What kinds of spaces enhance student learning?
What are the learning space design principles for classrooms? For informal spaces? For online activities?
Do we first ask about the educational experience and learning activities and then consider space? Are educational issues kept at the center of space planning?
What assumptions should we challenge as we design learning spaces for the future?
Learning Spaces, An EDUCAUSE e-Book
Space, whether physical or virtual, can have a significant impact on learning. If you are interested in better understanding the relationship between space design and learning, Learning Spaces, an EDUCAUSE e-book, provides a great place to start. It focuses on how learner expectations influence the development and use of space, the principles and activities that facilitate learning, and the role of technology from the perspective of those who create learning environments: faculty, learning technologists, librarians, and administrators. It represents an ongoing exploration as we bring together space, technology, and pedagogy to ensure learner success.
In addition to the e-book's core chapters on learning space design principles (chapters 1–13), the Learning Spaces Web site also offers case studies illustrating those principles (chapters 15–43), including links to examples of innovative learning spaces.
Coalition for Networked Information and Dartmouth University, Collaborative Facilities Collaborative Facilities is a project designed to collect, organize, and disseminate information about model collaborative facilities in higher education. The project is sponsored by CNI and hosted by Dartmouth College. This Web site allows information professionals, administrators, faculty, and other interested visitors to tour collaborative facilities online and analyze documents related to their planning, design, administration, staffing, services, and funding.
Project Kaleidoscope, Focusing on Facilities Directory Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) focuses on building learning environments that attract and sustain undergraduate students to the study of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields and sustain them in their efforts. Its facilities directory contains a listing of relevant STEM building projects from around the country.
SCALE–UP Classrooms The Student-Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) Project at North Carolina State University focuses on establishing highly collaborative, hands-on, computer-rich, interactive learning environments for large-enrollment courses. This site provides pictures and diagrams of classrooms from institutions across the United States that were designed using the SCALE-UP model.
Stanford University, Wallenberg Hall Wallenberg Hall has been designed to provide learning spaces for university classes and state-of-the-art facilities for research in learning and education, both locally and in collaboration with international partners. These spaces can be used individually or in varying combinations to support a myriad of learning activities. The lightweight, mobile furnishings in the Wallenberg Hall classrooms provide support for a wide range of traditional and emerging modes of teaching. The rooms contain sophisticated collaborative computing environments, the ability to record activities for later use, large wall displays that can be used as recording whiteboards or for videoconferencing and presentation, and adjacent breakout spaces for group work.
University of Waterloo, Learning Spaces: Resources of Interest This site provides listings for a broad array of resources related to the design and development of learning spaces.
EDUCAUSE Learning Space Design Constituent Group Well-designed learning spaces are predicated on an understanding of the learning activities they will house, the type of interaction desired, the needs of the discipline, and the learning outcomes sought. The EDUCAUSE Learning Space Design constituent group provides a forum for the exchange and archiving of information and for discussions of key issues in the field. Topics range from what makes a physical space conducive to learning to the principles and processes of learning space design. This group meets at the EDUCAUSE annual conference and uses the electronic discussion list to exchange ideas throughout the year.
Project Kaleidoscope PKAL is a leading national advocate for building and sustaining strong undergraduate programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It focuses on building learning environments that attract undergraduate students to the study of STEM fields and motivate them to consider careers in related fields. PKAL programs and publications spotlight successful efforts on campuses across the country.
Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), Learning Space Design Resources This site provides access to a number of resources SCUP has developed or published on learning space design.
Teaching and Learning Spaces Working Group, Augsburg College The Center for Teaching and Learning at Augsburg College convened a working group to explore the design and development of campus "teaching and learning spaces," including both formal and informal spaces. The group's Web page provides access to publications, presentations, and images it used or developed to support its work.
TLT Group, Evaluating, Planning and Supporting Computer-Intensive Educational Facilities This site provides materials and tools to help institutions evaluate how their learning spaces are supporting or hindering teaching and learning, as well as how they might envision and develop spaces that support more effective learning.
TLT Group, Teaching/Learning Activities and Learning Spaces That Make Them Easier: A Table of Contents This site lists important, problematic teaching and learning activities, each of which is illustrated by examples of physical and virtual learning spaces that make those activities especially easy. These pages can be used for brainstorming, planning, and developing tools to evaluate spaces and their support services.
Tools
ELI Discovery Tools
The following ELI Discovery Tools are designed to help your faculty, staff, and students better understand the role of physical—and virtual—spaces in teaching and learning, as well as the roles technology plays in them. Visit the Discovery Tools page to learn more about these ELI resources. PLEASE NOTE: ELI Discovery Tools are open only to ELI members for the first 6 months they are available. If you aren't sure if your institution is an ELI member, please see our list of member organizations.
ELI Discovery Tool: Learning Space Workshop Guide A set of modifiable, modular activities that encourage critical thinking about characteristics and principles of learning space design, the pedagogical roles of technology, student perspectives, assessment, and related issues.
Student Input on Learning Spaces Tool A structured yet creative way to help faculty and staff see their campuses as their students do, and thus help them more effectively design institutional learning spaces.
Other Tools
Planning & Designing Technology-Rich Learning Spaces, JISC infoNet JISC infoNet is an advisory service for the United Kingdom's higher education technology professionals with resources to support technology planning and management. Planning & Designing Technology-Rich Learning Spaces is a toolkit to help individuals and institutions with the design and development of technology-enabled learning spaces. It includes case studies, pictures of model learning spaces, and a 'virtual tour' of an imaginary campus composed of exemplary spaces derived from multiple institutions.
Unless otherwise noted, EDUCAUSE holds the copyright on all materials published by the association, whether in print or electronic form. In certain cases the work remains the intellectual property of the individual author(s) (see Special Circumstances).
Unless otherwise noted, EDUCAUSE holds the copyright on all materials published by the association, whether in print or electronic form. In certain cases the work remains the intellectual property of the individual author(s) (see Special Circumstances).
