Learning Spaces Need to Enable and Motivate Every Learner

Everybody learns differently – and everyone needs variation. We believe that learning spaces need to support different ways of learning and developing skills for the 21st century.

Our design of spaces is based on six principles that connect learning situations to the physical framework. Each describes a constellation for the learners' focus and interaction.

Mountain Top

The Mountain Top learning situation establishes a space for individuals to address a group and let thoughts, views, and knowledge flow from one to many. The speaker or performer stands in front of an audience and becomes an educator.

Cave

The Cave learning situation offers a space for individual concentration, focus, and reflection. It is characterized by quietness but not necessarily isolation. Cave spaces are small, strictly defined spaces for one or two students away from areas with activities.

Campfire

The Campfire learning situation provides a space for group-based learning situations. It trains students to work effectively in smaller teams, focus dialogue within the group, and develop their collaborative skills.

Watering Hole

The Watering Hole learning situation exploits informal spaces with many passers-through and disturbances. This is a space of disruptions where learners encounter unexpected ideas, astounding skills, and surprising knowledge that inspire and motivate them.

Hands-on

Hands-on is an essential design principle that adds an extra non-verbal communication dimension. It offers a link between theory and practice, mind and body, insight and play. It explains relevance, inspires and motivates learners.

Movement

The Movement design integrates movement as a natural part of all spaces. No matter a human’s personality or the subject being studied, movement enhances cognitive skills and energizes the learning process.

Learning Landscapes

We use the design principles to assemble playful learning landscapes where the school day can be organized as destinations in the landscape. Students could start around a Mountain Top, continue with group work in Campfires where they can work Hands-on with their project. Some will need a Cave to immerse themselves while others seek Watering Hole for informal encounters with other learners in the learning community – and throughout the learning sequence, the children can choose Movement to stimulate both mind and body.

The significance of learning spaces

Our work with open and flexible learning spaces is supported by academic research, pointing to the significance of the physical space in learning. According to the analysis of academic learning projects from the Center for Research in Early Scientific Learning, students improve their creative skills in flexible spaces that support play and co-creation. And according to the Clever Classrooms report from HEAD Project, the degree of ownership and flexibility in the physical design means improved acquisition of skills.

Students need more involvement in their own learning – with a sound balance between autonomy and fixed boundaries. Strategic interior design can engage and motivate, so all students can achieve their potentials.

Flexible Learning Spaces at Buddinge School

The flexible framework of the learning landscape supports the development of 21st Century Skills where students cultivate creativity, critical thinking and collaboration – and most importantly: the ability to learn to learn on their own.

The learning landscape aims to activate the students' senses. Vibrant colors, tactile materials and strategic light design direct attention while the vast and flexible spaces create dynamic learning processes.

Learning Spaces Need to Enable and Motivate Every Learner

Mountain Top

Cave

Campfire

Watering Hole

Hands-on

Movement

Learning Landscapes

The significance of learning spaces

FACTS

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