Learning environments encompass not only traditional classrooms but also extend to outdoor and community spaces, emphasizing the need to think expansively about redesigning these spaces to foster collaboration, creativity, and exploration, ensuring that students are provided with diverse settings that optimize learning opportunities and cater to individual needs and preferences.
Traditional classroom setups no longer suffice in meeting the diverse needs of learners and the evolving demands of education. FutureMakers can help you design dynamic learning environments, creating spaces that facilitate a range of learning activities, embrace community resources, and extend beyond physical boundaries to include virtual platforms. Let’s reimagine learning environments as dynamic spaces that inspire curiosity, promote collaboration, and empower learners to thrive in an interconnected world.
Some of the things FutureMakers believe are important to consider include:
1. Flexible Physical Spaces:
- Advocating for learning environments that cater to diverse learning activities, including group collaboration, independent study, and hands-on exploration.
- Emphasising the importance of flexible furniture arrangements, adaptable layouts, and multifunctional spaces to accommodate various teaching and learning styles.
- Highlighting the significance of incorporating technology seamlessly into the physical environment to enhance learning experiences and promote digital literacy.
2. Beyond Classroom Walls:
- Recognising the value of utilising spaces outside the traditional classroom, such as outdoor environments, libraries, museums, community centres, and cultural sites such as local marae.
- Exploring opportunities for community-based education, leveraging community locations, expertise and resources to enrich learning experiences, foster connections with the community, and provide real-world contexts for learning.
- Stressing the importance of creating partnerships with community organisations to expand access to diverse learning environments and opportunities.
3. Home Learning Spaces:
- Acknowledging the role of the home environment in supporting learning and the need to consider the opportunities learners may (or may not) have at home that are conducive to focused study, creativity, and collaboration.
- Providing guidance to students and parents on creating optimal home learning environments, including access to resources, technology, and a supportive atmosphere.
4. Virtual and Online Environments:
- Recognising the increasing importance of virtual and online environments in education, both within and outside school settings.
- Advocating for the integration of digital platforms and tools into the learning experience to enhance collaboration, communication, and access to resources.
- Highlighting the importance of digital citizenship and responsible use of online spaces, ensuring equitable access for all learners.
Background and research
- LeARN Learning Environments Applied Research – Leading research linked with industry and government to improve learning environments from the University of Melbourne. Their publications page has links to a number of current research findings.
- Work scoping study – ILEs and student experience – In 2021-22, LEaRN ran a unique, international, cross-industry scoping study asking ‘What innovative learning environment research should be the next priority?’ Their newsletters have plenty of key findings included.
- The OECD Handbook for Innovative Learning Environments – “If there has been one lesson learnt about innovating education, it is that teachers, schools and local administrators should not just be involved in the implementation of educational change but they should have a central role in its design.”
- What makes a learning environment modern? – blog post from the FutureMakers site
- Innovating to create 21st Century Learning Environments – blog post from the FutureMakers site
- Future focused innovative learning environments – NZCER research publication
Case studies and examples
- Modern Learning Environments – part of a series from ERO titled Improvement in Action Te Ahu Whakamua. They created this series to inspire schools with examples of success in action. (this one features a case study video from Stonefields Primary School)
- Play-based learning at Halswell PS – story of the adoption of play-based learning approaches in a school that was completely rebuilt after the CHCH earthquakes. (Pt. 2 here)
- Case studies, research and other sources – curated list from the NZ MoE
- Three NZ Case Studies – from the CORE website, written by Mark Osborne
Pedagogy, inclusion, agency
- Pedagogy and Space – Publication by Kenn Fisher from Australia. Great graphical representations of the design considerations to align the design of physical spaces with the pedagogical approaches taking place within them.
- Innovative Learning Environments – curated site of links, resources and case studies on TKI.
- Does a MLE suit all learners? – a blog post from the FutureMakers site
Planning for an ILE
- Innovative Learning Environment Matrix – tool to help leaders to design and implement innovative learning environments that best support ākonga – developed with Mark Osborne in 2013
- Planning Innovative Learning Environments – focus on links with pedagogy and inclusive practices
- UNESCO – reimagining learning space for uncertain times – plus series of links to articles about post-pandemic learning space design
