Transcript Slide 1
Learning Space Design: The
Centre for Active Learning’s
experiment
Carolyn Roberts
Centre for Active Learning
University of Gloucestershire
Christchurch, New Zealand,
January 2008
What’s CeAL about?
“Tell me and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember.
Involve me, and I will understand”
Confucius 450BC
The Centre for Active Learning is an
international centre of excellence reviewing,
developing, promoting and embedding
inclusive and exemplary active learning for
students in geography, environment and
related disciplines such as landscape
architecture, community development and
heritage management
The Gloucestershire
approach to active learning
The distinctive feature of
the University of
Gloucestershire definition
of active learning is that it
centres on the mastery of
theory within a ‘learning
by doing’ approach
involving working in real
places with actual people
and live projects
The Gloucestershire
Approach to Active Learning
• Linking the thinking, doing and reflecting
• Innovative ways of linking the theory and
practice
• Innovative methods for developing blended
learning
• Active involvement of external agencies
• Creative ways of assessing active learning
• Underpinning practices by pedagogic research
• Involvement nationally and internationally
• Maintaining inclusivity
• Making learning enjoyable for everyone
Four Key Questions
• What is appropriate space for active
learning? How do we know? Can we
design space to facilitate the change to
learner-centred pedagogy?
• Who makes the decisions? Whose views
are consulted? Whose views are
considered?
• Can we facilitate community engagement
strategies?
• How do we evaluate success?
(Al-Mahmood et al, 2006)
What is appropriate space for active
learning? How do we know? Can
we design space to facilitate the
change to learner-centred
pedagogy?
‘Space is neither innocent nor neutral: it
is an instrument of the political; it has a
performative aspect for whoever inhabits
it; it works on its occupants. At the micro
level, space prohibits, decides what may
occur, lays down the law, implies a
certain order, commands and locates
bodies’
Pouler, 1994
‘The built environment may be seen as
the ability to “suggest” a new or different
behaviour’
Zeigler, 1986
Francis
Close
Hall
Campus
Early development of the
idea
• Discussions with the architect about the
external elevation
• Key visits to other locations
• Limited accessible guidance about HE
building design in 2004
– Informed by ‘Information Commons’
(Mountifield, 2004)
– JISC ‘Designing Spaces for Effective
Learning’ - came later
UoG Buildings and Estates
• Include a historic zoo and botanical
garden with lake, plus ‘listed’ sites
• New buildings are designed to conform
with BREEAM standards of excellence,
with high standards of energy utilisation,
sustainable materials, sustainable
drainage, building management
systems/intelligence, low water use
• Some are being used as pilots nationally
(e.g. photovoltaic roof on one major
building)
Sustainable Development
‘underpins each of the University’s
strategic priorities and informs all
elements of University life. The
University promotes sustainable
development, locally and globally,
through teaching, research,
knowledge transfer and the general
conduct of its business.’
Building Design Constraints
•
•
•
•
Limited time to develop the bid
Historic ‘Grade 2 listed’ campus
Small size
Footprint, height and external shape
of new building also determined by
existing premises, and constrained
Who makes the decisions? Whose
views are consulted? Whose views
are considered?
Liaison with University
Management
• Represented by the Vice
Chancellor, who selected the site
• Some separate discussions
between University Senior
Management and architects
• Strong interest in environmental
sustainability, ISO14001/BREEAM
CETL bid team
• Limited experience of developing
premises and furnishing
• Clear pedagogic ideas developed
through experience, research and visits
• Assistance available from Learning and
Information Service staff, especially on
ICT
• ‘Strong’ brief developed, with scenarios
and vignettes of future use in T&L
University academic and
support staff
• Needed space to experiment, to move
away from traditional conceptions
• Symbolic of CeAL aspirations
• Initially conservative in relation to
premises potentially supporting active
learning
• Some practical issues e.g. cleanability
• Interested in ‘quality’, furnishings, ICT
novelty
Consulting and involving
students
Meeting the needs of students is almost
impossible without an informed
understanding of their approaches to
learning
(McInnis, 2003)
• Student representatives, used to being involved,
and keen to contribute
• Diverse students eg. young and mature
students, disabled students, distance learners
• Lack of understanding of the full range of issues,
but with clear ideas on generic matters
‘A really cool place’
•
•
•
•
•
24/7 access
Food and drink on hand
A place to hang out, social purpose
Comfortable and stylish
Like Starbucks?
Awesome…Wicked… Sweet…
Attractive…?
Architects
• Feilden Clegg Bradley
• Long association with the University
(but contract potentially subject to
tender/OJ etc)
• Interested in a striking building
Quote from Peter Clegg
• ‘.. A strong aspirational brief from you and from
the University….a very strong brief in terms of
how you wanted the spaces to work, and they
were radical, multi-use spaces… recognising
the fact that learning was not confined to
laboratories or lecture theatres or seminar
rooms or the conventional kinds of formats,…
but it was relaxed, and that people learned by
actually chatting to each other…that was quite a
radically new brief for us to have - the
architectural interior design aspects - to create a
really attractive space.’
Local community
• Visual appearance important
• Environmentally-sustainable
building
• A regeneration instrument?
• Interest groups e.g. local
residents, Cheltenham
Civic Society
• Business conference
aspirations
Can we facilitate community
engagement strategies?
‘The building will provide a variety of
spaces designed to support the
development of capable and
enthusiastic active learners’
• Collaborative, innovative and social
learning
• Flexible environment for students and staff
• Student owned space
• Self supporting in layout and management
• Accessible for diverse student groups
• Exhibition and celebration space
Purpose signified through
the interior design
• Lived and learning space (Al-Mahmood
et al)
• Detail thought through from the start
• Stimulating but not ‘cluttered’ feel
• University colours for background
• Indicative (highlight) colours by floor signifying
busyness through to reflection, informal through to
formal
• Para-natural materials -wood, glass, steel
• Thought-provoking e.g. signpainted quotations
CeAL Building Floor Themes
Externally facing
Reflective
Structured
Targeted
First
floor
Interactive
Ground
floor
Connected
Buzzy
Crisp
Relaxed
Lively
(more) Formal
Professional
Shared
Focussed
Dynamic
Food & drink
Flexibility
Second
floor
Staffing and support
• Designed to be self-supporting
–Screens
–Information Management System
• Staff Support
–Learning skills and technical
support
»Learning Mentors
»CeAL staff
–Roaming
–No fixed service point
During construction
• Repeated drift away from mission,
towards assumptions about traditional
layout and furnishing styles (ie ‘lecture
theatre’, ‘seminar room’, ‘laboratory’, staff
offices)
• Need to keep reminding everyone about
the pedagogic purpose, in straightforward
language, without ambiguity
• Some lack of clarity on appropriate
communication lines, responsibility,
autonomy and authority
• Very time consuming
• How do we evaluate success?
Evaluation of the building
as a learning space
• Approaches used
– Observation
• Photographic records
• Recording of use – use and numbers
• Learning mentors blog
– ‘student perspective’
– Module evaluations
– Learning Space Questionnaire
• All users
Level of activity, Year 1
• Slow start to academic year
• Daily pattern – 11am-4.00pm focus –
social factor
CE002 Usage
18.0
16.0
14.0
Average No
12.0
October
10.0
November
8.0
December
6.0
4.0
2.0
M
1.
30
P
M
2.
30
P
M
3.
30
P
M
4.
30
P
M
5.
30
P
M
6.
30
P
M
7.
30
P
M
8.
30
P
M
12
.3
0P
11
.3
0A
M
0.0
Time
• Drop-in use concentrated in open access
room
Observations on student use
• Early use by individuals
– Taking advantage of ‘quiet’ space
• One girl was using CE002 all the time I was here,
and so I asked her why she was using this
building, and she replied because it is quiet...sure
is! (October, 2006)
• Increasing group activity
– Group activities
– Social space
• Said they much preferred working here over the
Learning Centre because of the kit, the desks, the
fact they can talk, etc. (November, 2006)
Q 3. What do you usually do
here?
250
200
150
100
50
0
Social
Study-related
Individual
relaxation
Individual
study
Other
Other
Social
activity
Individual
work for
independent
study
Individual
work for a
specific
lecture
Groupwork
for
independent
study
Groupwork
related to a
specific
lecture
Q4. What are you doing here
today?
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
In
s
tru
c
ns
co
p
Fu
an
d
ur
e
rn
itu
re
ad
vi
ce
st
ru
ct
e
yi
ng
ho
ur
s
dr
in
k
Am
bi
en
c
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ild
in
g
tio
Bu
Ph
o
g
an
d
ni
n
od
Op
e
Fo
Number of responses
Q6. What could be improved?
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Students say…
‘Just want to use it more’
‘All in all a really lovely building. The facilities here
are excellent’
‘More sofas – they are amazing!’
‘More of the same!’
‘This space is most like a good work environment –
a lot of the others including the learning centre
are more like a call centre’
‘Facilities are fantastic’
‘I like the relaxed atmosphere of this building, and
how it is quiet but not silent’
‘I am very impressed. All the facilities are available
and utilised well’
‘It’s great’
Students say…
‘The aesthetic appearance of the building is
off-putting’
‘ <need>More quiet space, bookable rooms’
The lighting quality is poor – the
atmosphere it creates is cold and
impersonal. Temperature is often too high
or too low’
‘I don’t like the lavatory facilities – no
urinals’
‘A chocolate machine would be a bonus’
‘This building already feels under-used,
unloved, scruffy and depressing’
Students say…
‘Laminate flooring so the chairs with
wheels could really get a speed on
them…’
‘An on- site hot tub and sauna…’
‘Squash court and lap dancing club..’
Learning mentors blog,
Year 1
• Used as means of communication
between learning mentors and CeAL staff
• Proved a valuable source of information
– Mentors observation on level and nature of
activity – ‘student observations and
reflections’
There were no lectures on, so I feel that most
people therefore use this building (at the
moment) to eat, socialise, check work and to
meet before lectures in the building.
(November, 2006)
Observations on the learning
environment, Year 1
• Students welcome the informal nature of the
environment
– comfortable, relaxed atmosphere
– encourages discussion
• Good presentation space for students
• Has created opportunity for ‘change’
(Kember & Kwan, 2002)
• Staff more likely to want ‘fixed’ environment
• Intimidating building
– Reluctance to use ‘office space’ and enter teaching
rooms (elsewhere on campus these are locked)
Issues
• Provision of mixed teaching/learning space
– Interpretation by students as ‘off-limits’
– Learning space versus teaching space with
rows of chairs
– Compete with ‘bums on seats’ view
• Time needed for staff and students to explore
how the space might be used
• Support expectations from academic staff
– Expect a conference facility
• Overcoming ‘building management systems’
– Lighting, heating, security
Visitors say…
‘Keep inviting me back! I like it here…’ (USA)
‘Very inspiring environment…’ (Netherlands)
‘Fabulous building and wonderful facilities’ (UK)
‘What a great example of how to use the technology
and space to engage and inspire students and
their teachers!’ (Australia)
‘I am very envious of these superb facilities – this
bodes well both for student learning and for the
business of staff development…’ (New Zealand)
‘This is a wonderful building with impressive facilities.
I liked the contrast between classical buildings on
campus and this super modern one’ (Japan)
‘Oxford has no buildings like this’ (UK)
More…
‘An interesting and impressive contribution to
the debate about learning spaces and how
space interrelates with pedagogy. This building
is a contribution to that debate and very
welcome it is…and welcoming’ (UK)
‘My short visit has been eye-opening, in terms
of…how creatively space can be used’ (South
Africa)
‘It was wonderful to see the building but very
reassuring to witness the library with which it is
being used’ (UK)
‘Open spaces for opening minds!’ (USA)
‘We shape our buildings and
afterwards our buildings
shape us’
Jamieson et al, 2003
Kotter’s Eight Stages of
Change
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Establishing a sense of urgency
Creating a guiding coalition
Developing a vision and strategy
Communicating the change vision
Empowering broad-based action
Generating short term wins
Consolidating gains and producing
more change
8. Anchoring new approaches in the
culture
Kotter, 1995
The Ladder of Divine
Ascent metaphor
St. John Climacus’s text
explains the ‘journey to
Heaven’ as involving many
challenging steps. The icon
shows monks on the ladder,
demons trying to pull them off,
the mouth of Hades
swallowing up those who have
fallen off, the angels lamenting
over those who have fallen,
and people on the earth
praying for those on the
ladder. Christ is depicted at
the top of the ladder, waiting
for the successful ones to
enter His holy Kingdom.
Contact Details
CeAL Co-Director
Carolyn Roberts
[email protected]
tel: 01242 714559
CeAL Website
http://www.glos.ac.uk/ceal/index.cfm