1. Co-Creation of
Learning Spaces
Learning to Learn
Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell

2. Today’s Outline
Part 1:
• User Involvement in Learning Space Design
Part 2:
• Engaging Students in Campus Design
Part 3:
• Engaging Staff in Campus Design
Part 4:
• Meaningful Engagement

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4. Today’s Outline – Part 1
Part 1:
• User Involvement in Learning Space Design
Part 2:
• Engaging Students in Campus Design
Part 3:
• Engaging Staff in Campus Design
Part 4:
• Meaningful Engagement

5. User surveys
Design charettes
Reference groups
Post occupancy review
User Involvement in Space Design
How does your institution involve staff and
students in the design of new learning spaces?

6. Student Feedback – New Classrooms
Its totally awesome!
Great for group work
& discussions
Chairs are great
Tables on wheels
are great
Can you write on the
green boards. I think
we should.
I don’t like it…. They
spent so much
money. I feel so
obligated
I go home and cry
every night after this
class
I’d rather be poor and
Irish than be hatless
Needs more orgies

7. KG E Block RefitKG Classroom Refit

8. Student Feedback – Library Upgrade
Wow oh wow! Went to the uni
library today (on my own will)
and it looks snazzy. I’m
actually going to spend more
time at #QUT this year now.
How good does the new
#QUT Kelvin Grove library
look?! There are books on
the ceiling!!
Re-designed library is pretty
freaking cool. It smells like
new car in here! (@ QUT
Kelvin Grove Library) this is
the place to be!
The #QUT library is
freaking cool! It looks
like a gay night club!

9. KG E Block RefitKG Library Refit

10. “Bright colours.
Lively
atmosphere”
“Love the glass
walls in the lecture
room!”
“It's a really vibrant
environment to teach in.
The decor and layout of
the rooms are conducive
to learning
Staff Feedback – Classroom Upgrade

11. These students
cannot follow the AV
system or pay proper
attention to teacher
at front of room
Is this for teaching
or do we just let the
students work it out
for themselves?
lecture stand should
be built so that the
presenter can stand
behind the stand and
see the students
PLEASE, PLEASE bring
back the didactic
teaching space! I am
begging you!
Staff Feedback – Classroom Upgrade
How would you react if this was the response
you received about a newly designed space?

12. KG E Block RefitGP Classroom Refit

13. • Involvement of academics and students
in all aspects of the design,
development and management of
space.
• Involvement of technical and facilities
staff in the design, development and
management of learning activities and
curriculum design.
• Places, spaces and support programs to
enable groups to explore ideas, make
mistakes and change directions.
• Academic and student champions for
new spaces
Co-Creation of Learning Space

14. Today’s Outline - Part 2
Part 1:
• User involvement in the Design of Learning Spaces
Part 2:
• Engaging Students in Campus Design
Part 3:
• Engaging Staff in Campus Design
Part 4:
• Meaningful Engagement

15. • Designed by students for students
based on notion of evolution rather
than a completed solution
• Students were encouraged to "make
the space work for them" with new
non traditional forms of movable
furniture and related technology.
• Students involved in evaluation and
marketing
• End result: Simple, cost effective
solution that challenged QUT
orthodoxy.
Case 1: Student Led Design

16. Real Impact, Real Change
What are the major impediments at your
institution in terms of doing something that is
truly innovative?

17. • Classroom feedback and group
collaboration solution
• Multifaceted designed based on a
perceived need.
• Student advice led to greater
simplification of the solution.
• Students involved in evaluation in
conjunction with academics
• End result: Simple, cost effective
solution that found favor in a wide
variety of situations.
Case 2 – Student Guidance for Projects
LECTURETOOLS

18. Go Soap Box

19. Lecture was Engaging OWL helped involvement
Enjoyed lecturePreferred question method
24%
38%
28%
7% 3%
Strongly
agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
24%
52%
22%
1%
1%
Strongly
agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
31%
38%
31%
Asking a
question
verbally
Asking a
question using
OWL
I don't have a
preference
27%
35%
30%
6% 2%
Strongly
agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Real Differences

20. Student Perspectives
“It’s comforting to be
able to post a question
that might seem
silly, and look at
responses on OWL
only to find others
have been thinking the
same thing.”
“I really enjoyed
interacting with OWL.
It made what is a very
dry subject exciting
and stimulating! OWL
definitely has
increased my ability to
learn and absorb the
content.”
Student Perspectives

21. Today’s Outline - Part 3
Part 1:
• User Involvement in Learning Space Design
Part 2:
• Engaging Students in Campus Design
Part 3:
• Engaging Staff in Campus Design
Part 4:
• Meaningful Engagement

22. • New $250 million dollar science and
engineering centre
• Strong focus on non traditional
learning spaces.
• Recognition that there was no agreed
model for new spaces
• Community of practice established to
trial, modify and alter the space
design as they modified their learning
activities for the new science degree
• Involved academics, AV support, IT
staff, facilities staff, architects, and
learning support staff as well as
students in a live experimental space
Case 3: Academic Engagement

23. KG E Block RefitScience and Engineering Building

24. Building Blocks Approach

25. Agile Spaces

26. • It cannot be business-as-normal if we
seek to achieve educational
transformation … we need to learn from
models which represent best practice in
the field …
• This is an operation on a large scale …
500+ teachers in ten new learning spaces
with about 10,000 of QUT’s students … it
better be great!
• The goal of the transformation is to make
QUT a leader in the field of educational
research and development in the STEM
disciplines
Sustainable Change

27. Today’s Outline – Part 4
Part 1:
• User Involvement in Learning Space Design
Part 2:
• Engaging Students in Campus Design
Part 3:
• Engaging Staff in Campus Design
Part 4:
• Meaningful Engagement

28. Principle 1: Ease of access and
simplicity of design beat
complexity and beauty every
time.
Principle 2: Things that are the
same should look and feel the
same.
Principle 3: Simple things can
make a big difference.
Principle 4: One size fits no-one.
Principle 5: Just because
something works for me now
doesn’t mean it will work for me
in the future.
Engagement Derived Principles
Simplicity
of Design
Fit for
Purpose
Ease of
Access

29. Principle 6: Spaces and their
purposes need to be allowed to
evolve.
Principle 7: Project budgets and
timelines need to allow for this
evolution.
Principle 8: Institutions and
senior managers need to learn
that failure IS an option.
Principle 9: There is a big
difference between opinion and
vision.
Principle 10: Post occupancy is
not a one of event.
Engagement Derived Principles
Simplicity
of Design
Fit for
Purpose
Ease of
Access
Evolution
of Purpose
Simplicity
of Design

30. Questions? More
Information?
Geoff Mitchell
Queensland University of
Technology
Email: gc.mitchell@qut.edu.au
Phone: 07 3138 4376