Planning Learning Spaces: A New Practical Guide For Architects, Designers And School Leaders

Murray Hudson, co-editor and contributing author explains why this book has come at a critical time.

“Over the past decade there has been virtually no improvement in learning outcomes from students in the western world…”
World Class – How to build a 21st-century school system. Andreas Schleicher 2018.

The shocking statement made last year by Andreas Schleicher from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that there has been virutally no improvement in learning outcomes from students in the western world over the past decade must not be ignored, but instead seen as a call to arms.

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      string(400) "... instead, imagine and design physical requirements for practices you have not yet tried, using tools you have not been trained to use properly. Well-intentioned school and district leaders want total transformation: project-based, tech-enhanced, creativity-fostering teaching and learning—with brand new spaces to showcase all of it ..."
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      string(6113) "I’ve taught in classrooms and labs without windows, with immovable yet broken demo benches, and without environmental controls of any kind. I’ve planned lessons in make-shift “desks” supported by milk crates in three different US cities. Since my teaching days, I have worked inside over 1000 classrooms in schools internationally, most of which sorely needed either a complete overhaul or significant improvements to make the space truly functional. Teaching and learning are two of the most difficult yet important jobs on the planet, and people engaged in both deserve comfortable, safe, clean, beautiful places to do their work. I commend the current trend of facilities upgrades, renewals, and new builds on school campuses.The transition to modern learning spaces has embraced more than cosmetic or functional upgrades. Many school boards, leaders and teachers are taking this opportunity to upend traditional teaching and learning behaviors as well. Modern learning spaces and 21st century teaching and learning go hand in hand, right? Only when schools intentionally integrate both processes and players to allow learning to guide space redesign. In the past, school facilities projects were responses to common, tangible needs: the need to increase square footage to accommodate more student seats; the need to update antiquated facilities to improve community perceptions or increase enrollment; the need to fix plumbing issues or a collapsing roof, etc. Such decisions required a small group of school or district leaders to scope the project, often with the help of outside professionals who conducted a feasibility study. Monies were raised through funding drives or a local bond and, once secured, an RFP was issued for more detailed proposals. The bidding process yielded a selection of contractors, planning and construction timelines were established, and the rest of the school community was alerted to the pending changes (Figure 1). The new wave of school construction has introduced at least two new variables to the process: 1) a new set of voices who influence project scoping at an early stage, and 2) an aspirational vision for modernized teaching and learning that educational leaders, teachers and students can barely envision. Adding two variables to any process can be problematic, but their inherent contradiction makes matters worse. On one hand, there is a democratic desire to involve the people who will inhabit these modern learning spaces. This would make sense, except that teachers and students are not being asked to imagine design elements that would make their current work easier or more effective. The aspirational vision complicates the request: Don’t imagine a better place to engage in your current practices; instead, imagine and design physical requirements for practices you have not yet tried, using tools you have not been trained to use properly. Well-intentioned school and district leaders want total transformation: project-based, tech-enhanced, creativity-fostering teaching and learning—with brand new spaces to showcase all of it. But their community messaging often focuses on the expensive new construction, mainly because that requires a major fundraising campaign. You may be surprised how many leaders simply add teacher representatives to design teams, and then casually state during a faculty meeting, “And our new spaces will allow for 21st century teaching and learning,” as if that is going to be as easy as hanging a banner in the front foyer. Teachers, department chairs, and technology specialists are tasked with doing due diligence on 21st-century learning, a description now rife with buzzwords organized into bulleted lists. More deeply informative resources, such as the Digital Promise Research Map,  John Hattie’s Visible Learning,  New Zealand’s Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Progamme/Hei Kete Raukura, and the OECD iLibrary require more time to digest. However, they do not provide a plug-and-play instructional model that may be slapped into a learning space redesign initiative (nor should they). How do school communities scope a major capital improvement project, one that is too expensive to redo in a few years, with insufficient expertise? Welcome to a major challenge of modern learning space design.Engaging Pedagogical Change Management Alongside School RedesignBuilding modern learning spaces will not automatically change teacher practice or student behaviors. I suspect that most readers would agree with that statement. Yet I have now witnessed several modern learning space projects in various stages, and in some cases the arbitrary conflation of two complex change processes has caused confusion and even frustration. In one school, I attended a meeting with teachers who had volunteered their after-school time to give their architects feedback on a demo space. The space contained a few fixed seating elements that prevented the space from being optimized for a variety of uses. And the space chosen for the demo was not ideal—there were large pillars in the middle of the room that the architects needed to work around. The teachers explained their frustrations, and even gave some ideas for what might work better for them in that same space. The architects listened respectfully, but two weeks later I returned to find out that the new classroom spaces had already been designed using those same fixed seating elements the teachers did not like. The architects’ response? “That furniture works fine in other schools, it will work.”"
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Early Years

The Design Process Doesn’t Work

17 Nov 2017

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      string(5700) "other way round.Similarly, every school is unique, and rather than relyon the statistics of how many similar projects have beencompleted by an architect, perhaps it would be moreuseful to try and look at how a few completed projectshave met, or defined, the vision of their client.With a shortlist of no more than five or six architectsin place, the final selection can be made throughone of two typical common methods, either a designcompetition, or an interview process.  Both can besuccessful, but if as a Client you want to be involved indefining your new building you should not be lookingfor a design until you have been able to discuss yourvision in person with the designers.  To do this, we havealways found that a competitive interview based on thearchitects approach alone, will enable a client to seewho they can work with most effectively to help definetheir vision.   This is arguably the best way that a clientcan be sure they will be working with an architect withwhom they can communicate easily, and find a practicesuited to the project – not the other way around.  This iscertainly how DSDHA have been appointed for all of ourmost successful schools projects.   Sometimes we havebeen given the opportunity to do a project larger thanwe have done before, and sometimes we have proventhat we have already delivered just what the Client hadin mind.  Either way the success was borne out of theshared confidence that we all wanted to work togetherto deliver a shared vision.4. Effective consultationOnce you are up and running with your design team, itis important to build in the support of all stakeholdersto the project which will include staff, pupils, parentsand the wider community.For outsiders of the schoolGenerous rooflights in the children’s centre open to encourage natural ventilation andbring light to key areas of navigation and use.  This cork lined wall helps to orientatemovement through the building, and accommodates much of the practical storageneeded within the building.52 Century 21 Schools  Summer 2006Early Years  www.century21schools.comenvironment there is often fear of change; will a newchildren’s centre mean more pressure on parking tolocal residents?  More disruption from deliveries, ormore noise?  Will the staff be undermined by changes,or feel “de-skilled” to teach in a new environment whereeverything is different?  The architect is of course an easytarget for any vociferous neighbours, or disgruntledstaff, but such poor relations are not in anyone’sinterests in the short or long term.An angry neighbour may be enough to slow downthe planning process for example, and it is only thesupportive neighbours who may help to monitorsecurity of the new buildings out of school hours andhelp protect them for the future.   So make sure thatpeople know what is going on, early, middle and end.Combine consultation and feedback sessions with otherappropriate events, or occasions when an audience isguaranteed.  Get the architects along, but make surethat they do not stand alone – if things have gone toplan, they are presenting the client’s vision and notsimply their own – so take joint credit, or joint blamewhere criticism falls.5. Understanding drawingsThere are two excellent guides by CABE which describes“How to be a Good Client” which we encourage everyClient should read before undertaking any significantbuilding project (available from CABE at www.cabe.org.uk). Almost every difficulty we have experienced can betraced to the breaking of one of the 10 key principlesestablished in what should be the Client Bible.   Despitehaving been given a copy, on these occasions either ourclients did not read the guide, or perhaps once thingsget going it is far too easy to forget the principles whichseemed so clear in advance.An equally useful guide we have found , alsoproduced by CABE is called “What we are Scared of?”which helps empower a client to believe in the benefitsof taking what are often small risks to deliver a bespokeproject suited their needs.  This is perhaps increasinglyrelevant as legislation controlling the design of the builtenvironment increases, but which can be countered ifappropriate management of the building is enforcedby its “Owners.”The time commitments required of a client foreducation buildings cannot be underestimated, and wedo not envy the Headteacher or Chair of Governors whoneed to carve this time from an already busy schedule.But perhaps the issue which is not always madeentirely clear is the extent of new skill sets which maybe required to be an effective client.  This comes backto team work.  Whoever has taken the responsibility toact as the “Client “ or Design Champion may have verylittle experience in reading drawings for example.  As thedevelopment of a design progresses through what theRIBA define as the different Work Stages A –L, differentskills will be needed and it is essential that the client isable to understand what they are getting spatially andnot just in words before it is built!Of course the responsibility to communicate thedesign lies with the architect, but in the spirit ofteamwork it is really important for a client to beconfident enough to speak up loudly if they do not fullyunderstand what is on a drawing, for example.  It willnot cause offence – and sometimes it may encouragethe architect to use other forms of presentation such asphysical models, which may be easier to understand.Equally, it is important to define things which you reallycare about – perhaps choices of colour, or materialswhich are favoured, or"
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Learning Spaces

Early wins with Early Years

22 Sep 2009

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      string(5948) "I love seeing photos of cool learning spaces with funky furniture. They can be captivating and inspiring, yet the question remains, ‘Are these new learning environments changing the way we teach?’ New spaces require educators to implement new pedagogical approaches. Many schools are looking at the classroom through a 21st century lens, they are rethinking the traditional ‘egg crate’ model with desks in rows and the classroom with an obvious ‘front’, where the predominant model is the didactic, pedagogical approach. Sometimes we gain inspiration from the modern workplace, such as the offices of Google or Microsoft and understand the way that the world works, thinks and learns may also have a bearing on the way we organise the classroom. In 2017, when our young people need to develop adaptive skills of connection and collaboration, it seems incongruous to enclose learning in single cells, organised in rigid rows. My own context is Northern Beaches Christian School on the northern edge of the greater Sydney region, in Australia. Since 2005, under the leadership of the principal, Stephen Harris, the school has been on a trajectory of change, as Stephen says, “NBCS is a school that demonstrates that change is both necessary and possible – a change in paradigm, in learning space design, in the way we empower students to take charge of their own learning.” Essentially, technology has been a game-changer and it affords immense opportunities, especially due to the increasing mobility of devices. This has led to the design of a range of innovative learning environments in schools around the world. These spaces are often shared by multiple classes and are technology-rich, multi-modal and adaptive, enabling a variety of pedagogical approaches. I regularly facilitate workshops for teachers and leaders around the context for rethinking learning experience using a design-thinking approach, we call design/engage. We help educators think about the learner, how we might personalise the learning experience, and then how the design of the space can support and even enhance the learning.For many teachers the ways of working in new spaces can be confronting and the foundational shifts that need to take place are daunting. There are often questions about the physical attributes of the environment, usually the noise and whether all students remain on-task in a shared classroom, without fixed walls. There can also be a perception that parents will be non-supportive and, importantly teachers ask, “So where do I put my stuff?”When I speak to educators, I often use the metaphor of the iceberg.  What people see when they visit NBCS or see the images of innovative learning environments is the tip of the iceberg, the real work is under the surface, across a number of years to maintain the vision and reinforce the desired culture. In the case of NBCS, it is more than 10 years of change. When it comes to ‘people and change’ there is no quick-fix, and using the language of design/engage we take People on a Journey in a Space. Rather than put just classes together in new spaces with a variety of furniture to teach in multiple zones, it is important to attend to the under-the-surface work beforehand. The design process that we use can be applied to mapping out a school year or just planning a lesson. The first step is to grow your team and then think about your students, before anything else. If collaboration is a necessary skill for students, it starts with teachers being able to collaborate, to work as an effective team. At NBCS we work with our teaching teams to come up with ‘team agreements’, gaining alignment and clarity around a vision, intention or purpose, articulating what we value and how we will work together.  In order to create a personal learning experience, we create some archetypes, describing those students who may get lost in the mix or have particular needs of circumstances. This ‘user-experience’ approach helps us to see the learning through their eyes. Next we think about the ‘Big Idea’ to guide the process and the ‘Mountaintop’ – what will it look like if everything is humming? Once these are clear, the planning work can be done, creating an engaging ‘Entry Event’ and then the ‘Immersion’ experiences. These include learning activities in terms of ‘Guru’ sessions providing the expertise and explicit teaching that students need, personalizing the learning through providing choice and multiple pathways, we call this ‘Matrix’ and allowing students (and teachers) space for to explore their ‘Passion’ or particular areas of interest. At critical junctures in the design process we stop and consider the plans through the lens of the student-archetypes, making adjustments to ensure that the learning is designed so that it will engage all students.So once we’ve looked at ‘People’, the teaching team and the students, the ‘Journey’, designing the learning with a personalised approach, then we consider the ‘Space’.  The important question to answer is: How will the classroom space support and enhance the personalized approach and learning pathway we have designed to engage our students? The arrangement and intentionality of the learning space needs to support the pedagogical approaches. We help teachers to think about space in terms of both the physical and virtual environments working together, using a handful of key terms to guide their thinking. Drawing on the work of David D Thornburg,"
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ECO Friendly Design

Designing for change

14 Mar 2017

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      string(5779) "Does the notion of Outdoor Learning immediately conjure up for you Forest Schools? Minibeast safaris? or food growing?  All these activities are very worthwhile of course, but this article looks at another aspect of learning outside the classroom.The school grounds are a huge and often underused learning resource and ‘classroom’ space, where there is open air and opportunity for practical activities, louder, bigger, wetter and messier learning. This is generally accompanied by fun and laughter too.  So, my working life as a landscape architect has revolved around helping children and teachers to make the best use of this space, for everyday core curriculum delivery and enrichment. I also believe that engagement in the process of change, during implementing school ground developments large or small, is a valuable learning opportunity. This article explores this in more detail.Learning through design and buildLandscape architects and teachers could make a lot more of the possibilities of engaging children in the process of design and build, whether on the scale of a major development, a small extension project that impacts the grounds, or modest playground modifications. Budgets are always tight, and funding children’s engagement might be considered a luxury, however, the learning benefits can add weight to the argument to allocate a percentage of the capital budget for specialist support to do this. Some schools use their pupil premium funding to support this enriching learning opportunity.  Many schools have valued the opportunity to engage children meaningfully in their grounds projects and feel it is important to do so. Even small projects benefit from the overview and experience of a landscape architect who really understands schools and can work effectively with children and staff. 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(so you don’t change something inadvertently  that supports creative play or important learning opportunities!) Feeling pride in achievementThe Building Schools for the Future program and Primary Capital Program in the 2000s used laudable involvement programs for children, but there was lack of clarity about how the outcomes and opinions expressed by the children actually informed or influenced the resulting design outcomes. There was very little to show the children whether their work made any difference.  Did this turn out to be tokenistic? I believe in many cases it was. This article advocates a different approach, scalable to any sized project.  Also, when the inevitable value engineering takes place, the children should be involved in these decision too, in an age appropriate way.  If not, Heads can expect protest letters asking for explanations! 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Leadership

Outdoor Learning… In The Playground

16 Jan 2018