A Conversation Between Learning Design and Classroom Observations a Systematic Literature Review
The past decade has seen a boom in the construction of trendy buildings with visually appealing interiors in schools and universities. Proponents highlight the potential of these flexible and applied science-rich spaces, referred to as innovative learning environments (ILEs), to shape behaviours to raise pupil learning.
Economic and technological changes have caused a afterthought of the nature of pedagogy and learning. This narrative has been used to underpin the call to re-imagine school learning environments.
Critiques highlight the constrained, static design of conventional classrooms, which favours more than traditional teaching practices. Information technology is suggested this is not conducive to those learning experiences favoured in electric current policy.
However, this claimed relationship between space and instructor practice is flimsy. There is a lack of evidence to underpin it.
What evidence is there for this relationship?
Systematic investment in new learning environments is a matter of policy in many countries. In Australia lone, more A$16 billion funded the Rudd regime'due south Building the Education Revolution plan. Electric current state government initiatives will presently increment this public investment.
The need for innovative classroom spaces stems from questions nigh how efficient existing classrooms are. Analysis by the Innovative Learning Environments and Teacher Change (ILETC) project suggests conventional or traditional classrooms business relationship for about 75% of all spaces in Australian and New Zealand schools. It has been suggested virtually current classrooms are obsolete and unfit for today's learners.
A systematic review conducted for the project identified empirical studies that evaluated the relationship between educational spaces and academic achievement. Of the v,521 articles retrieved (since 1960), only 21 studies evaluated impacts of the concrete environs of primary and secondary schools on measures of educatee learning outcomes. In particular, the review highlighted how picayune is understood nigh the long-term impact of dissimilar learning spaces.
The review highlighted that the large and interconnected spaces of the open-plan motility from the 1960s to 1970s had questionable effects on academic outcomes.
Similar reviews highlighted the problems of top-down implementation, lack of teacher consultation and back up, poor acoustics and overt focus on design over apply that contributed to their varying impact. Radical spatial changes, like those in some Australian schools, were rarely evaluated and outpaced desired changes in teacher practices.
Primal studies in the field oft focused on the design and physical operation of buildings. A small number evaluated their use in teacher practice and effects on student learning experiences.
With few reliable and robust methods and metrics available, the electric current narrative for spatial change must be considered with caution.
What works
The review of literature suggests that, by themselves, new educational spaces are not a catalyst for direct improvement in learning. Typically, the behavior, practice and technical expertise of the teacher mediated positive furnishings on measures of student learning. School civilization and the contexts that affect learning influenced teachers' abilities to apply the elements of different classroom layouts, rather than these spaces dictating their exercise.
Stonefields School in Auckland, New Zealand, presents the archetype for the use of innovative classrooms to facilitate a collaborative learning civilization. Its success is built on the creation of a co-operative space for teachers to engage in continuous professional learning. Collective instructor capacity ensures the elements of the space are used to enhance instructor practice.
Evaluation at the Gateway School in New York City indicates innovative learning environments are neither open-plan nor a series of differentiated classrooms and breakout spaces. Rather, classrooms and breakout spaces must exist understood and designed as interconnected and defined activeness settings. These complementary spaces provide opportunities to reinvent the use of communal or shared spaces exterior the classroom.
The learning customs at Glömsta School in Huddinge, Sweden, reinforces this concept of placemaking. Despite the design, which followed a top-downwardly philosophy, the learning community identified a unique solution to a cluster of classrooms effectually a mutual space. Rather than the view of classrooms every bit primarily instructional spaces, they are used every bit a breakout setting to complement the activities that occur in the common areas.
Anglican Church building Grammer School (Churchie) in Brisbane, the Learning Environments Applied Research Network (LEaRN) and Brand and Slater Architects used evaluation as a fulcrum for strategic improvement. Longitudinal studies correlated unlike learning space designs to comeback in educatee perceptions and date that affected significant academic proceeds in English and mathematics.
The process identified removing the front teaching position past a combination of visual technologies (whiteboards and screen), which allowed greater instructor movement to actively engage with students and moderate their behaviour and focus. An unexpected outcome was the development of collective instructor chapters in the optimal use of traditional classrooms and innovative learning spaces to enhance learning experiences.
We need meliorate bear witness to inform classroom design
There is limited bear witness to support the idea that making physical changes to classrooms boosts learning outcomes. The reason for this is schools are complex places.
The instance studies emphasise the mediating influence of context and school culture. So, designs can't be imposed on the basis of electric current architectural trends or policy. Further evidence of how unlike physical layouts support all-time practise for teachers is required.
Source: https://theconversation.com/classroom-design-should-follow-evidence-not-architectural-fads-89861
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