The document discusses changes in higher education learning environments and spaces. It notes that students' study needs and teaching delivery have changed, technology is evolving rapidly, and employers want students to have transferable skills. As a result, universities need to design more flexible and adaptable learning spaces that can accommodate different activities, technologies, and unknown future needs. A strategic approach is needed to provide a diverse range of formal and informal learning spaces, with adjustable layouts, access to power/WiFi, and comfortable furnishings. This represents a cultural shift for universities in their approach to space design and use.

1. CITERS2013
Toni Kelly; Associate Director
Learning Environments
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2. New Learning Environments:
Changed Practices in Higher Education
Some thoughts about space:
•Universities have large and complex Estates
•Space is a scarce and expensive resource
•Learning Spaces represent a fraction of the Estate
•But….
•They are where the student experiences the
University
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3. New Learning Environments:
Changed Practices in Higher Education
What are some of the drivers for this change?
– student’s study needs have and are continuing to change
– the delivery of teaching has changed
– technology is changing at an exponential rate
– employers want students with key transferable skills
– learning spaces demonstrate an institution’s intent to its
students
– Student make choices on facilities as well as academic
achievements
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4. New Learning Environments:
Changed Practices in Higher Education
Students today:-
– digital natives or ”residents” or ”visitors”
– web-based browsing, social networking as learning
– prevalence of texting, blogging, tweeting and more…
– multi-taskers
– collaborative – face to face and via technology
– impatient
– relish discovery
– "likely have a career that doesn't exist now"
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5. New Learning Environments:
Changed Practices in Higher Education
The design of Learning Spaces needs to:
– accommodate a range of activity and learning
relationships
• Instructional/didactic, didactic & group, (un)supervised group and
/or independent
– accommodate a wide range of technologies
• Students immersed in the digital environment, are still occupying
physical space
– access to power and wireless networks
– be comfortable, good ventilation, lighting etc.
– avoid being too complicated 5

6. New Learning Environments:
Changed Practices in Higher Education
Taking a strategic approach to Learning Space Design
– there is no “one size fits all” design
– a wider and more diverse range of learning spaces for
existing, new and future methods of delivery of T&L
• informal, formal, traditional, collaborative, active learning
• multiple display screens, wireless, BYOD, clickers, etc.
• libraries, cafes, corridors, outside classrooms, outdoors
– we need spaces which are easy to change, adaptable/agile
• layout from class to class, does it have wheels?
• physically to accommodate new activities, perhaps unknown
today
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7. New Learning Environments:
Changed Practices in Higher Education
Taking a strategic approach to Learning Space Design
– we must think differently about the internal development
of spaces
• we have to work collaboratively with colleagues
• take lessons from the shopping mall perhaps
– change of use/user can happen very rapidly
– our spaces need to be just as agile
– this presents challenges
• change in culture/philosophy
• worries about quality
• impact on funding, value for money?
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8. New Learning Environments:
Changed Practices in Higher Education
8Picture courtesy of Irwan Ahmet, Artist and Designer