Learning Spaces

There are many different types of learning spaces, but some are more catered to developing student engagement than others. An open flexible floor plan allows students to taper the classroom to their learning needs and find spaces that fit their individual learning style. Below is a video that show cases a flexible learning environment.

There are so many more avenues that can be followed when exploring different learning spaces. One such school has pushed innovative learning to the extreme and modeled their entire school around a design that whole heartily has the students in mind.



Out of both of these rather intimidating approaches there was a third one that seems like a wonderful place for schools to start.

     We should ignore the different ways we traditionally segregated kids and truly focus on creating a completely integrated system. If we challenge the norm and fight for this integrated learning system the future of education will drastically change. Incorporating a digital library and building a hub for digital learning are also steps in the right direction. We need to move away from the factory model of learning and develop unique learning spaces for students. High Tech High is a great example of this ideology in action, please feel free to check out the video linked linked above. A very public kind of education based on a more open floor plan helps give more accountability to both teachers and students. Its this transparency of learning that leads to an excitement to learn. The innovative design of architecture that moves away from the standard class room model is what we need to strive for. In this video this school takes that innovative architecture to the extreme and it certainly payed off.

     The University of Akron is really taking a step forward in trying to develope informal learning spaces and I can see many elements on campus that reflect the points brought up in this article. One of the things I have noticed but never seen utulized is a secluded outdoor theatre of sorts where the grass is carved out into steps with a place for the professor to stand at the bottom of the hill. Its in a beautiful spot and I always invisioned it as a great place for a socratic seminar but I have never seen it used. The University of Akron seems stuck half way between an innovative learning space, and a the traditional factory modeled class room. I can take a class that is very personalized and tapered to my learning needs, but there are still classes available that I can take that have any where from 300 to 500 kids in them. I mean really? How many of those kids in that class room can actually succeed, and how many of those kids does the instructor actually remember their name! 

     So what will you do to make your learning enviroment unique? You might think back to the way a favorite teacher taught, or a room you really enjoyed working in, or even the way you sit to study and work. Some inspirational photos for ideas for learning spaces can be found here. Have fun out there and don't be afraid to get creative.