2 Did You Know?
A Fabric of Learning Spaces BGSU has recently completed new construction and renovation of residential, dining, and classroom spaces to meet the needs of students. The future likely holds additional renovations. Creativity and innovation researcher Keith Sawyer recently addressed physical space development through his review of a document created by SRG Architects and Jeanne Narum titled “A Fabric of Learning Spaces 2013.” The Fabric of Learning Spaces document is a grid, on which the vertical axis lists desirable 21st-century college student skills and the horizontal axis lists learning spaces intended to foster those skills. Each learning space is then given a grade assessing how the space “values” or supports the designated 21st century skill. The values ratings include marginal, moderate, and rich, depending on how intensely the space supports the skill (and the ratings are visually represented by circles which range from small, indicating a small impact, to large, indicating a large impact). For example, at the intersection of the “traditional classroom” learning space and the “innovation” skill is in a “marginal” value rating represented by a small dot. This indicates that
traditional classrooms do little to enhance innovation. Thus the grid format allows for a visual comparison of 272 different skill/learning space value ratings. The complete list of 21st century skills assessed includes: adaptability, complex communication, non-routine problem solving, self-management, systems thinking, interdisciplinary thinking, collaboration, and innovation. Each of these skills is evaluated as an outcome of 34 different kinds of learning spaces on campuses. A sample of the learning spaces includes traditional classrooms, tiered classrooms, and teambased learning spaces. The core value of the grid is its easy-to-follow assessment of the effectiveness of different learning spaces. The method of presentation of the proposed ratings is also easy to follow, and visually startling. If you are interested in learning more about this document it can be found at http://keithsawyer.wordpress. com/2013/01/22/learning-spaces-and-21st-century-skills/.
“Chair”adigm Shift
When you come to the Teaching and Learning Fair on February 15 (9-11:30 in the BGSU Lenhart Grand Ballroom) you might see a display that has not only the usual poster presentation but also pieces of futuristiclooking furniture. The designers who are working with BGSU in the development of the Olscamp Prototype Active Learning Space will be bringing along some sample furniture for fair participants to try out and evaluate.
As might be expected, movement is an important element in active learning, and the node chair easily wheels from place to place as students move to work with other students and groups. The desk can be used for writing, swung down when not needed, butted up against the desk of another chair to create a larger area for writing or spreading out material, and swung to either side to accommodate right- and left-handed students.
Pictured below is a “node” chair from Steelcase. This handy design has been very popular in active-learning classrooms. One of its best features is apparent in the photograph. Students’ bookbags can be placed in a tray at the bottom of the chair. This may seem a small thing, but in an active classroom where students are likely to be moving around, it eliminates the hazard of tripping over large, heavy, canvas obstacles.
Other furnishings for active learning classroom may include movable tables, “writeable” walls, color-coded chairs for easy assignment to groups (“All the red chairs here; all the green chairs there”) and “huddle boards,” which are small white boards that groups of students can use to jot down their ideas. The small boards can then be displayed in a variety of ways so students can share ideas. So as instructors shift from a teacher- to a learner-centered paradigm, a similar shift is happening in classroom design. If you want to know more about furniture for active learning classrooms, Steelcase has an extremely informative site. Check it out at http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/ category/educational/research/ Pages/research.aspx
Spring 2013: Issue One