Learning spaces have a variety of methods to provide students and teachers with learning opportunities. Hunter (2006 ), lists teaching spaces, open access spaces, social spaces and other learning spaces. A teaching space is used to lecture students and teaching activities. Open spaces are libraries and learning commons that provide open access to technology. Social spaces are internet or learning cafes and other learning spaces can include any venue where learning can occur, Starbucks comes to my mind. According to Hunter, there is an increasing demand for open access spaces for socializing and learning. I can see this, as when I attended University during my undergraduate degree, there would be a number of us studying together. We would share notes, ask potential test questions and share our responses openly. My learning definitely benefited from open social learning spaces. Even though the learning space where we generally studied was an empty lecture room.
The open social learning space I used was definitely a traditional learning space, but we as students used the space to collaborate and communicate. The furniture was fixed, comprised of tables that didn’t move and chairs that couldn’t be moved around the room quickly or easily. However, we would gather around the rooms and study, quiz each other, create a study plan and work together in the traditional learning space. The collaboration was done face to face. The university didn’t offer a learning management system such as D2L or Blackboard. The Professeur would provide a hard copy of the course syllabus and we could email if we had any questions.
No, 15 years later, I am able to complete a course online, without any face to face interactions. I have collaborated with fellow students using Google Hangout, Adobe Connect and the discussion forum within the course shell. I have created a Blog and I use Twitter for professional learning. I have viewed many TedTalks and uploaded my assignments without using a printer.
I can see how the advance in technology has supported the availability of education. I am taking Masters level courses from an Australian University while living in Canada. Not only do I live across the ocean, but I also live a rural remote location, I need to drive over 30 minutes to purchase groceries. I don’t need to relocate my family to pursue my higher education goals.
Many of the schools within the school board are old, however, I observe how educators use their teaching space to embed 21st-century learning competencies (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016). Technology is accessible in classrooms, students from Grade 3 – 8 each have their own Chromebook. Each classroom has an interactive whiteboard and Kindergarten to Grade 2 students share 10 tablets. Each school has a classroom set Beebots, Codeapillars, Dash and Dot, Lego WeDo 2.0 and Lego EV3 robotics kits. Each learning commons or library has a green screen for multimedia presentations with video editing software. So, although the physical space is olde and outdated, the activities occurring within the learning spaces foster new ways of teaching and learning (Kuuskorpi & Gonzilez, 2011).
I did find Thornburgs comments about how interactive whiteboards are not used to their full potential (Thornburg, 2014). Many teachers use the interactive whiteboard as an electronic whiteboard and their pedagogy hasn’t changed to use the technology that is available differently than the traditional chalkboard. I have also observed that when students have the opportunity to learn in a flexible learning environment they can determine what type of learner they are. For example, my daughter came home after her first week in the flexible classroom and told me she likes to work at the high top table against the wall. She said that was her preferred learning spaces as there were fewer distractions than working at a group table. I can also identify the campfire, watering hole and life spaces within the school learning commons, however, I have noticed the need for a cave. A few of the learning commons have constructed a teepee for quiet reflective learning, but many of the open learning spaces within the schools are lacking this key zone for learning.
The primary take away is that learning is about a positive attitude. It doesn’t matter how old or outdated the physical learning space is if the teachers and students value a collaborative social learning environment, then creativity and engaged learners will evolve.
References
Hunter, B. (2006) The eSpaces Study: Designing, developing and managing learning spaces for effective learning, New Review of Academic Librarianship, 12:2, 61-81. DOI: 10.1080/13614530701330398. Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13614530701330398
Kuuskorpi, M. & Cabellos González, N. (2011), The future of the physical learning environment: School facilities that support the user, CELE Exchange, Centre for Effective Learning Environments, 2011/11, OECD Publishing. Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5kg0lkz2d9f2-en
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2016) 21st Century Competencies: Foundation Document for Discussion. Toronto: Author. Retrieved from: http://www.edugains.ca/resources21CL/21stCenturyLearning/21CL_21stCenturyCompetencies.pdf
Thornburg, D. (2014). From the Campfire to the holodeck, how place matters in education. AACE Conference. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx1cAQREVls