This document summarizes a workshop aimed at co-producing a "Learning Spaces Lens" to help envision future learning space design at Sheffield Hallam University. The workshop brought together academics, facilities staff, architects, students, and others to collaboratively explore ideas based on established principles for designing effective learning spaces. The objective was to create a structured Learning Spaces Design Lens around 7 principles and many good ideas that could provide guidance for designers while recognizing different contexts. The lens would join other existing design lenses at the university focused on curriculum, assessment, employability, and learning engagement.

1. Future Thinking: Learning Spaces
how we can envision our future learning
Sheffield Hallam University, 14 January 2016
Andrew Middleton
@andrewmid
@DrAlisonPurvis
Alison Purvis

2. Acollaborative workshop
Aim
Consider how spaces can be designed to promote learning
Objective
Co-produce a Learning Spaces Lens that can be shared as a
University resource to support future thinking about designing
and using learning spaces
envisioning learning spaces for the near future

3. Design Lens?
Our job today is to create a design lens
about designing and managing effective
learning spaces
A lens creates a way for designers to,
• work collaboratively - whoever they are
• bring into focus real possibilities
• freely develop possibilities together
based on sound principles
• present a small set of 'true enough'
concepts from which designers can
imagine new possibilities that recognise
their context
designing through sound principles

4. Designers use design principles
e.g. curriculum designers
The Assessment Lens, Authentic Learning
Lens, Employability Lens, and Learning
Engagement Lens are examples of lenses
that we have already designed here at
SHU.

5. Who will use our design lens?
• Academics
• Facilities Directorate
• Architects
• Students
• Timetabling staff
• AV leaders
• Future Learning Space leaders
• Anyone who does not understand the relationship of space
to learning – but needs to

6. What happens in a design workshop?
Academics
Facilities Directorate
Architects
Students
Timetabling staff
AV leaders
Future Learning Space leaders
Anyone who does not understand the relationship of space to learning
People collaborate to
confidently explore
ideas based on
established principles
and good ideas

7. What are we going to actually make today?
Structured around 7 principles and hundreds of good ideas
Learning Spaces Design Lens

8. Innovator ground rules
• No ‘hierarchies’
• No fear
• Every idea is a good idea
• Forget the barriers and
problems
• Forget all you know
• Imagine the impossible
• Have fun
• Create a fast-paced, vibrant
atmosphere
• Share what you learn
• Create a real vision
You can smile and point at these ground rules
whenever it helps!
IDEO’s Deep Dive
• One conversation at a time
• Stay focused
• Encourage wild ideas
• Defer judgement
• Build on the ideas of others
• Focused chaos
• Enlightened trial and error
succeeds over the planning of
the loan genius
• Try stuff and ask forgiveness
(not permission)
• Fail often in order to succeed
sooner