An assignment about Learning Spaces.

1. LEARNING SPACES:
WHAT ARE THEY? AND HOW DO THEY WORK?
Angela Hunt S00117559
EDFD459 The Learning Space
ASSIGNMENT #2

2. LEARNING SPACES:
WHAT ARE THEY? AND HOW DO THEY WORK?
What is their purpose?
Today:
We are in the process of changing our school for
the better by steering ourselves away from a
traditional way of being, where the focus is on
output to one that is equitable for all learners.
However vital to this change is having an
understanding of the five learning spaces and
how they have the potential to present
possibilities but also eliminate opportunity
dependent on how they are incorporated into the
school’s curriculum.
It is our responsibility as educators to understand
the different elements that must co-exist in order
to ensure that the environment is thought of as an
active participant in the educative process, just as
students, teachers and pedagogy are.
The choices we make today about our school
environment will greatly influence both the
teaching and learning that is due to take place in
the future.
Are 21st Century Learning spaces
different? Why?
What do we have to consider?

3. THE CLASSROOM AND THE SCHOOL
Traditionally schools were designed with a focus
on input and output to ensure students had the
skills to participate effectively in society however
global needs have changed significantly during
this time and so education has to be situated
differently (Shcratzenstaller, 2010).
There are a number of factors that influence the
physicality of the classroom including, the
aesthetics of the room itself (Read, 2010); access to
resources; the number of students in each class;
and the teaching style that the school or individual
teacher has chosen to adopt (Cinar, 2010;
Shcratzenstaller, 2010).
So, in terms of our school, we need to think
about our collective needs. What is the
function of the school?
Many classrooms today have been transformed
from being teacher centred; filled with tables in
straight rows and the teacher up front to more
child centred spaces that offer flexibility and
adaptability dependent on the lesson at hand.
The key to the success of any classroom, is
‘knowing’ the students and how they learn best.
Research has found that students can identify
elements that they find welcoming in an
environment in particular, spaces that offer both
comfort and engagement as well as providing them
with choice and visual stimulation (Read, 2010). If
we as educators expect our students to learn, we
need to consider these requirements as we plan.
We need to think about having learning spaces that
can easily change dependent on the learning
outcomes for each session and/or provide choice
for both teachers and students.
Well thought out spaces can provide opportunities
for collaboration, individual work and ICT
incorporation at the same time. However, it should
be remembered that no matter the layout chosen
all students have the right to achieve (Cinar, 2010)
and it is the role of us as educators to do this.
Should we limit ourselves to being contained
in rooms? Do we limit the students if they
are contained? (Nair & Fielding, 2005)

4. Smart Classrooms. Image source:
http://www.calvin.edu/~dsc8/smart_classrooms.htm
Athelstan Community Primary.
Image source:
http://www.rm.com/generic.asp?cref=GP1864287

5. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Excursions and incursions if planned well
(Lorenza, 2009), can provide opportunity for
our students to have truly authentic learning
experiences that can engage and motivate
them to learn more about the world they live
in (Johnson, 2009).
The more rewarding experiences will be
determined by educators preparations prior
to the lesson as this is where they help situate
the learning by providing contextual
information and set expectations for learning
to take place. Lorenza (2009) believes that
teachers should feel ownership over the
experiences rather than leaving it up to the
curators/guides etc. as they should be the
ones to lead the learning. However, at the
same time it should be remembered as these
spaces are already developed community of
practices that there are a number of resources
to act as enablers for teachers, to help further
enhance students learning ( Johnson, 2009;
Lorenza, 2009).
Students have to go on the journey in order
to fully realise what their prior learning
connects to.
Another point of consideration is the option chosen.
Will it offer students with a chance to experience
something in a way that they would not be able to
in the classroom? Will all the different types of
learners in the classroom be able to gain
understanding from it? (Johnson, 2009).
Experiential learning is an enabler for students that
is why the experience must be relatable and
provide practical learning in which tangible
outcomes extend the curriculum. Cognitive growth
gained from social interactions with peers, teachers
and experts in the field (Lorenza, 2009) are also a
strength as it helps transform perspectives and
challenges thinking (Smith, 2009) while doing so in
a safe environment.

6. Sovereign Hill Gold Rush Tour
Image source:
www.melbourne.vistorbureau.com.au
National Gallery of Victoria.
(2014). Outer Circle: Student
Programs.
Retrieved from:
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/__data/
assets/pdf_file/0015/701124/NGV_
SCHOOLS_OUTERCIRCLE_2014.
pdf

7. THE ELECTRONIC LEARNING SPACE
We are living in a digital age and the students
we teach need to have the opportunity to work
with ICT in order to become active participants
in their world (Murray & Olcese, 2011). The
classroom environment should be one that is
designed to facilitate motivation; and research
shows that the successful incorporation of these
technologies has the potential to engage learners
in meaningful ways (Murray & Olcese, 2011;
UNESCO, 2012).
The electronic learning space allows for teachers
to better assist their students as it can be
integrated with what is learnt in the physical
classroom. The e-education model (Jung &
Latchem, 2011) and web 2.0 learning
frameworks (Bower, Hedberg & Kuswara, 2010)
offer guidelines for how best to achieve this in
the classroom. The electronic learning space can
be used as a tool for assessment, collaboration
and inquiry.
Collaboration is often mentioned in research as
a pedagogical affordance that electronic
learning spaces offer (Lye, Abas, Tay & Saban,
2012; Murray & Olcese, 2011). This is because
not only can students work together on projects
(UNESCO,2012) but they can also share their
ideas with teachers and peers in an online
format. An online dialogic that if used well can
further extend thinking.
Teachers and students can delve further into
their learning of a topic by locating resources
that complement what they have learnt, and
sometimes even challenge their perspectives
with alternate viewpoints.
The only trouble is, as mentioned before all of
this requires educators to be willing to learn
about technologies and understand that it can
be used as an extension to their lessons
(Murray & Olcese, 2011). This requires time,
and the constant development of their own
skills to ensure that students gain the most
from the electronic learning space but also do
so in a safe and familiar environment (Lye et al,
2012).

8. Image source: cloud.lib.wfu.edu
Museum Victoria Australia. (2014).
Marvellous Melbourne- Gold Rush Town.
Retrieved from:
museumvictoria.com.au/marvellous/gold/

9. THE INDIVIDUAL LEARNING SPACE
The individual learning space is where
students take on the responsibility for their
own learning (Smith, 1996). Educators can
support their students to establish the
foundations for autonomous learning,
however, students are ultimately the ones
who decide how much they would like to
attain.
As we move away from teacher led learning,
the focus becomes ensuring that students feel
supported to achieve things by and for
themselves (Smith, 1996). Students progress
through their learning at different paces and
in different ways. The curriculum offers a
guide to where they should be heading
towards, and if used appropriately it is a
continuum that can be viewed as a scaffold.
Bouchard’s 4 dimensions of learner autonomy
(2009, as cited in Kop & Fournier, 2010)
highlight: motivation, connection, goal
setting, value of learning, and the different
modes of delivery, as being things needed in
order to be a self directed learner.
The role of the educator is that of a facilitator
of learning, introducing ideas to the class to
spark their interest and motivate students to
want to find things out for themselves( .
They are also there to provide feedback and
challenge students to reflect on what they
have learnt and how they can learn better-be
this through individual goal setting
(Bouchard, 2009) or situating their thinking
within the taxonomy of learning and
reflection, as they themselves do (Pappas,
2010).
Educators must accept that not all students
will be able to sit at their desk to work and
so should be flexible with their teaching to
allow for students to create a space that they
feel comfortable in while also providing
them with opportunity to learn.
These environments can be within the
physical classroom or be assisted with Web
2.0 technology, with appropriate structures
in place to assist students as they move
toward a sense of personal agency and
direction (Kop & Fournier, 2010).

10. THE GROUP LEARNING SPACE
Designing lessons around shared learning
experiences is more common in education, as we
move from traditional learning environments
into those that will assist students develop skills
needed in today’s society. Before introducing the
task, the teaching and learning goals need to be
recognised (Slavin, 2010 as cited in Dumont,
Istance & Benavides, ).
What is the purpose of the lesson? What do
we hope the student’s will get from this?
How best will they learn? What will they
be assessed on? All are questions to help
decide on the use of peer tutoring,
cooperative or collaborative learning for
the lesson.
The terms ‘cooperative’ and ‘collaborative’ are
often used interchangeably however they have
some major differences.
Cooperative learning is a structured approach to
group work that relies on 3 factors: Team
rewards, individual accountability and that all
students have an equal opportunity for success.
The role of the teacher is to provide an environment
that students feel comfortable learning together in,
before setting expectations, demonstrating individual
roles and providing learning intentions. In the
classroom this can be achieved in many different
ways eg. Jigsaws, learning investigations and groups
to help master new learning (Slavin, 2010).
Collaborative learning as mentioned as a key
pedagogical component of previously discussed
learning environments can require more work in
order to be done well however, can also be an
extension of the skills students have developed in a
cooperative learning environment.
The physical layout of classrooms has changed
because learning has been identified as being socially
constructed. Students learn from each other (positive
interdependence) and can help further each others
thinking while also being actively engaged with the
tasks at hand.
Collaborative learning is a socially constructed
method that can be used across multiple platforms. In
the Web 2.0 electronic learning space students and
teachers can interact via Wiki’s working towards a
common goal and challenging each other’s ideas for a
better understanding of the theme but also of each
other (Murray & Olcese, 2011; UNESCO, 2012).

11. Collaborative learning:
Research Summaries.
Image Source: www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk
Cluster Learning Areas.
Image source:
schoolstudio.typepad.com

12. REFERENCES:
Cinar, I. (2010). Classroom Geography: who sit where in the traditional classrooms? Journal of International Research,
3(10), 200-212.
Johnson, J. (2009). Beyond four walls: experiential and situated learning. Teacher, (198), 18-20
Kop, R. & Fournier, H. (2010). New dimensions of self-directed learning in an open- networked learning environment.
International Journal of Self-Directed Learning, 7(2), 1-20
Lorenza, L. (2009). Beyond four walls: why go beyond the bounds of the school? [online]. Teacher. (198), 22-25
Lye, S., Abas, S., Yong Tay, L. & Saban, F. (2012). Exploring the use of online space in an elementary school, Educational
Media International, 49:3, 155-170, DOI:10.1080/09523987.2012.738009
Makialo- Siegl, K., Zottmann, J., Kaplan, F. & Fischer, F. (2010). Classrooms of the Future: Orchestrating Collaborative
Spaces. Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
Murray, O, & Olcese, N. (2011). Teaching and learning with ipads, ready or not? TechTrends, 55(6), 42-48
Nair, P. & Fielding, R. (2005). The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Century Schools. Minneapolis,
MN: Design Share
Pappas, P. (2010). The Reflective Student: A Taxonomy of Reflection. Copy/Paste. [Online]. Retrieved from:
http://www.peterpappas.com/2010/01/reflective-student-taxonomy-reflection-.html
Read, M. (2010). Contemplating design: listening to children’s preferences about classroom design. Creative Education, 2,
75-80
Smith, M. (1996). Self-Direction in learning, Infed.org. Retrieved from:
http://infed.org/mobi/self-direction-in-learning/
UNESCO. (2012). Turning on Mobile Learning: Global Themes. France: United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation.