How can I get the most
out of my learning spaces?

A learning space is a formal or informal area that is conducive to learning.  Students are motivated and learning is promoted as an activity.  It should provide an attractive, personalised environment, and be flexible in the face of changing needs.

The best learning spaces help everyone in the institution to work more productively. They produce learners who are confident, adaptable, independent, motivated and inspired to learn.
Learners benefit academically from social interaction with their peers.  Open, informal learning spaces support collaborative activities as well as providing individualised learning environments.  Seminar rooms and other traditional learning spaces can be more flexible with technology, supporting group discussion and feedback.

The design of your learning space can signal your commitment to inclusivity and personalisation.  Flexible furniture and wider doorways meet the needs of a variety of learners.

If you are embarking on a learning space re-design or are creating one from scratch, involving learners is important.  It gives them a sense of having a measure of control over their learning environment and their own learning.

Your learning spaces should be a physical representation of your vision and strategy for learning – responsive, inclusive and supportive of attainment by all.

Technology is integrated into the everyday lives of today’s students.  Further and higher education institutions need to keep up to date if they are to attract, engage and motivate students.
They expect to work with a range of applications, environments and digital media – don’t disappoint them.  If learning is social, then why restrict the use of software that encourages social interaction? 

Let students bring their own devices.  For technology to be a creative tool, students have to own it and have continued access to their own work and resources.  They need to be connected to their ideas and have a sense of ownership of them – the days of a time-limited session on a networked college or university computer are gone.

Apps help students to personalise their devices to suit their style of learning.

These approaches enable a range of learning styles and preferences that further personalise the learning experience.

The motivation of learners is the ultimate end product. Well-designed learning spaces create a sense of excitement about learning – a sense that anything is possible.  An environment that is easy and pleasurable to work in will encourage engagement in learning and a desire to continue beyond timetabled classes. 

There are many things you can incorporate into your learning space to make it a pleasure to use.  If you have a light, airy, comfortable, colourful, adaptable space, where students can work in the way they want to, why would they want to go anywhere else?

The learning spaces of the future will be increasingly flexible and multifunctional:

The fantastic growth of mobile technologies will continue, and this has repercussions for our students and our learning spaces.  See this Jisc infoKit on mobile learning for practical guidance

Serious search facilities are becoming increasingly available on handheld devices, making information more accessible, in turn making research easier for students and staff.  This will make demands on your network

Telepresence is an emerging technology that provides a ‘real feel’ presence of people at remote sites.  Images are 3D and life-size.  Remote learners can really start to feel included.

Devices will become smaller and faster.  As more devices are developed, at cheaper cost, there will be billions of connected devices, putting connectivity and community at the heart of technology

Learning space design will become ever more innovative.  For example, specialist learning spaces, such as labs, will be sited next to open learning spaces, meaning that students can move seamlessly from one type of learning space to another