DOES WHERE YOU TEACH MATTER?Pam Woolner, Research Centre for Learning and Teaching
Learning can take place anywhere...
....can’t it...?
School buildings research evidence
The Impact of School Environments: A literature Review (2005) www.designcouncil.org.uk
School building programmes: motivations, consequences and implications (2005) www.cfbt.com
Woolner & Hall (2007) Oxford Review of Education 33(1), 47-70
What effect(s) does the physical environment have….? Physically inadequate places impact directly (eg
noise on reading; poor air quality on health) and indirectly (poor maintenance on teacher and student attitudes) on learning
There is much less evidence for any benefit of much better setting
There are exceptions to both these generalisations!
What impact(s) does changing the setting have?
History shows that changing the physical setting often doesn’t change teaching and learning practices
Participatory approaches seem to have benefits to place and participants
Woolner et al (2010) Learning environments research13(1), 1-22
Woolner & Hall (2010) International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 7 8) 3255-3269
Woolner P. Educational and Child Psychology 2011, 28(1), 9-19
This all suggests... There is no ideal space for learning The importance of ‘fit’ between the
space and what teaching and learning you want to do in it
Teachers (and students and others) need to get involved in thinking about teaching spaces and facilitating change
Fitting the space to your intentions Find the appropriate room Consider re-arranging the
furniture Discuss how you teach with
colleagues Feedback (to your school,
faculty, T&L Spaces Group, Estates) about what you need
TEACHING SPACES ON CAMPUS
Bev Robinson , Estate Planner,Newcastle University, Estate Support Service
Teaching & Learning spaces
Over £15 million of funding has been invested in teaching and learning spaces in the last six years.
The aim has been to create ‘Better not more spaces’
Improve the quality of all teaching rooms Standardise equipment Improve utilisation and efficiency
Number of Teaching rooms
Fitness for purpose survey 2010LT’s, Teaching rooms & seminar spaces
Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Total 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200Chart 4 Comparison of Fitness for purpose
surveys
Num
ber
of r
oom
s
Lecture TheatresClaremont Tower 1.02 Capacity 252Armstrong 1.46 Capacity 106
RB Green 2009 Entrance to Lecture Theatre
Lecturers view when teaching
RB Green lecture Theatre 2010 Capacity 450
King George VI LT1 Raked seating 2009 Teaching wall 2009
King George VI 2010 Capacity 143
King George VI LT5 2011 Capacity 64
Standard AV equipment Percy G11 2008 Stephenson T 13
Capacity 60
Teaching Rooms Stephenson T1 (3.02) 2008
Stephenson T1 (3.02) 2009 Capacity 48
Teaching Rooms Stephenson T12 Capacity 60
Bedson Teaching Centre G36 Capacity 60
Merz Court L201 Capacity 50
Stephenson T10 Capacity 60
Percy 1.05 Capacity 22
Herschel Computer Cluster 2009
Herschel Computer Cluster 2010 Green zone student study 25 capacity
Purple (48), Red (36) and Blue (68) zones for teaching (Capacity full 172)
Hershel Cluster 2010 Projection screen for Red zone
Purple zone capacity 48
King George V1 Computer Cluster
2007 split into 2 with screens
2008 One or two teaching spaces Capacity 90
Stephenson Computer Cluster 2010 Capacity 124
2011 Refurbishment Old Library Building Cluster - Student study Robinson Library cluster - 24 hour student study King George VI LT5 , seminar rooms 1.11 & 1.12 Bedson 1.46 Lecture Theatre Decoration & minor improvements to over 20
teaching and seminar rooms Installation/upgrade of AV Percy 1.19 & 4 Dental
seminar rooms Conversion of 7 seminar rooms to boardroom
style
Old Library Building cluster
Bedson Teaching Centre 1.46 Summer 2011 Refurbishment
Wooden seating to be retained
Refurbishments 2011/12 Daysh Brae Cluster David Shaw Lecture Theatre - AV King George VI LT4 Computer clusters - Bedson - Chart, Medical School
- Pool, Merz Court - Oracle, Ridley - Neried Creation of a film showing venue Development of a number of social learning spaces Decoration and minor improvements to a number
of rooms Creation of large flat floor teaching space
Does Where you teach matter?
1. How can we improve the spaces we’ve got ?
2. Other institutions
3. Something different?
Merz Court L301 Capacity 78
Merz Court L3.03 84 Capacity
Claremont Tower 1.01 Capacity 60
King George VI LT4 Capacity 117