New Learning Spaces for Students

The evolution characterising the world ranging from technological to cultural domains
demands improved learning spaces. It’s unfortunate that there are parts of the world, especially
the developing world, still practising some traditional learning spaces. The contemporary world
has presented ideas and concepts that require an overhaul of learning spaces endearing to secure
a transformative generation and future. As such, this paper exploits various peer-reviewed
journals to analyse new learning paces ideal for students in the 21st century. The goal is to depict
an apt learning environment for all students nurturing a sense of belonging, team spirit,
collaboration, creativity, and excellence.

Demand for New Learning Spaces

Over the years, learning spaces have significantly grown, thus, enlarging the landscapes
of learning. The field of learning is swiftly adopting progressive and integrative education. This
is to not only broaden and conceptualize holistic education but also establish a promising
interaction between formal and informal education. The case applies to virtually all services and
facilities on and off schools. The spaces in which we learn potentially affect our behaviours,
feelings and performance, thereby, dictating the spaces of work and living. Granted, how we
work and live today is different from the traditional culture. The spaces of living and working
have highly adjusted. That’s why new learning spaces will compensate and counteract these
adjustments in endeavours to retain the quality of education. In other words, educational systems

need an entire adoption of the new generation of learning spaces. It means that teaching and
learning paradigms will be maximised to account for student-centered systems, active learning
experiences, and encouragement of students to collaborate and construct new knowledge and
insights(Sun, Mingze, and Feng-Kuang 250).
It’s time the world unanimously agree that the learning spaces should improve to
incorporate new educational information and technologies. However, the move should be
strategically executed. Examinations should proceeds implementations so that educationist are
certain of the association of the innovations and technologies with education. The point is
exploiting the interconnections that drive incentives for teachers adjusting their practices to stoke
a reliable engagement with students. What a teacher does in a new or advanced learning space,
whether in small or large scale, determines the efficiency of the innovative and technological
spaces(Yang, Junfeng and Ronghuai 91). The focus on teachers doesn’t mean that students will
be exempted. The perceptions of the students on the influence of the new learning spaces ought
to be scrutinised aiming to unmask their attitudes and behaviours on these spaces. The feedbacks
and perceptions should be studied in an innovative holistic process to ensure validity and
reliability.

ICT Integration

New ICTs should promote change to learning spaces and augment desirable outcomes.
It’s because the ICTs are required to incept a new setting that will boost the teaching and
learning experience. Unfortunately, the educational systems across the world have recorded
various obstacles to the introduction of new technologies mainly due insufficient training and
teachers’ understanding of the shortcomings characterising the implementations. Hence, the
support intended to be support learning ambiance is compromised. For example, an examination

conducted in Silicon Valley’s schools registered that majority of teachers retained their initial
teaching practices despite the area enjoyment of immense technological advances(Valtonen 55).
The teachers had adequate pieces of technological equipment, but they were sustaining their
initial teaching practices instead of altering them. Even worse, most of the schools had inefficient
interactive technology regardless of them having Internet access. Therefore, technology being
seen as a driver of change is one thing and its implementation to boost effectiveness is another.
It’s imperative to demonstrate the concrete ICT implementations in learning spaces to all
schools without presumptions. The schools will see the needs and expectations of the
implementation and forge ahead towards outright digital transformation. The challenge is to
huddle all technological resources to host optimum interaction and achieve collaborative
learning, working and creativity. However, this remains to be a challenge because most schools
are more focused on physical facilities than the capacity of technology to replace the
facilities(van den Beemt and Isabelle 164). With technology, learning spaces can’t be just
classrooms or lecture theaters but anywhere a laptop, computer or i-pad is accessed. Following
the flexibility and mobility of technology, learning spaces can operate between work, home and
campus. Again, some of the students are commuters or employed. The time dedicated to
studying is, thus, limited. Technology can enhance consistent linkage to learning resources to
such students.

The Learning Space Framework

The concepts of the reaction of both teachers and students to new learning spaces should
be featured in schools. The idea is to gauge the level of use and adoption of the new spaces. The
first aspect is to probe the design in which the learning space, pedagogy and technology
converge. The critical elements of the design are to facilitate the convergence that addresses

student’s needs rather than the lecturer’s. The design should be redressed in a way that is
generative and participative. Such a design is deemed ideal for improving teachers’ approaches
and augmenting the experience of learners. Moreover, feedbacks from teachers are necessary as
they can hint the morale and attitude of the teacher towards the spaces. The second aspect is the
move from the previous spaces to the new ones. This may consume time depending on the
spaces occupied by the students and staff. New spaces have been proven to improve learning as
they encourage modification of teaching strategies and re-imagination of students and
teachers(Park, Elisa, and Bo Choi 763). The issue in this aspect includes, class size, accessibility
and security, adaption, curriculum, managing transitions, school culture among others.
The third aspect oversees a smooth flow of consultation and harness of knowledge. The
essential stakeholders, in this case, include students, academic teachers and ICT representatives.
The interaction of the three ensures that innovations are adopted, and that desirable outcome
prevails. The students are the digital natives expected to appreciate and embrace technology’s
capacity. On the other hand, the ICT representatives establish potent ICT for current and future
capabilities in line with the new design and learning spaces. Finally, the teachers should enshrine
the course context within the new frame to aid in accessibility by learners and assessment. With
such an establishment, any gap within the framework is easily identified and the appropriate
action taken(De Ler 1002).
Moreover, most schools are too focused on intangible elements such as reaction and
response between teachers and students that they overlook the importance of physical
environment. Aspects such as noise, light, ventilation, air quality and temperature are paramount.
Technologies can also be leveraged in these aspects to seize a unique and collaborative design of
physical learning environment. For instance, a collaborative software may be connected with

several computers with each bearing control panels and a color-encoded monitor. A number of
studies conducted to establish the link between pedagogy, space and architecture and design of
schools. Indeed, there is a correlation between the physical environment and the expected
outcome. In fact, educational and curriculum policies observe particular design of schools
endearing to promote quality teaching and learning. An observational study in Poland focusing
on 10 secondary schools revealed a significant connection between classrooms’ physical
properties and teachers’ styles of teaching. In cases where the row and column seating of
students was traditional, the styles of teaching were no different(Thibau 31).
Another relevant concern is the fact that the adoption of the learning pedagogy is not an
easy task. It’s met with various challenges, thus, derailing the teachers’ capability to change their
teaching practices. The Education and Early Childhood Department embarked on a journey to
scrutinize 162 schools on the basis of their incorporation of new resources in their teaching
pedagogy(Shmis, Tigran, Jure and Maria 45). It was noted that the new learning spaces were
undermined in most cases due to various reasons. The most notable reason include ineffective
collaboration among teachers to learn and apply the new learning spaces. The other solid reason
is the lack of sufficient self-confidence and capabilities of teachers in the face of technological
and cultural transformation.
As seen, new learning spaces are essential in the move to secure a milestone in education.
Certainly, there is enough advances ideal for a promising learning spaces but the problem lies in
the efficacy of its implementation. The execution of new learning spaces in schools is met with
gruesome and persistent challenges. However, very few works of research have dedicated to
fully capture these challenges in order to facilitate long-standing solutions. Most studies focus on
how the new learning spaces should be designed in schools and partially explore the challenges

conjoining the designs(Vilsmaier and Daniel 54). Therefore, there is a need for intense
examinations on not only these shortcomings but also how to evade them in advance. Teachers
and students have a hard time embracing designs and pedagogies that are decorated with
comprehensive benefits but reflecting inadequate efforts directed towards the low ends of the
new information.

Works Cited

Yang, Junfeng, and Ronghuai Huang. “Development And Validation Of A Scale For
Evaluating Technology-Rich Classroom Environment.” Journal Of Computers In
Education 2.2 (2015): 145. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File. Web. 18
Feb. 2016.
Todhunter, Barrie James. “An Examination Of The Views Of Key Stakeholders On The
Development Of Learning Spaces At A Regional University.” Journal Of
Facilities Management 13.2 (2015): 204. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching
File. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Shmis, Tigran, Jure Kotnik, and Maria Ustinova. “Creating New Learning Environments:
Challenges For Early Childhood Development Architecture And Pedagogy In
Russia.” Procedia – Social And Behavioral Sciences 146.Third Annual
International Conference <<Early Childhood Care and Education>> (2014): 40-

46. ScienceDirect. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
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Valtonen, Teemu, et al. “The Impact Of Authentic Learning Experiences With ICT On
Pre-Service Teachers’ Intentions To Use ICT For Teaching And Learning.”
Computers & Education 81.(2015): 49-58. ScienceDirect. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
van den Beemt, Antoine, and Isabelle Diepstraten. “Teacher Perspectives On ICT: A
Learning Ecology Approach.” Computers & Education 92-93.(2016): 161-170.
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de Lera, Eva, et al. “Designing Innovative Open Spaces For Learning: The Case Of The
Open University Of Catalunya.” Procedia – Social And Behavioral Sciences
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Park, Elisa, and Bo Choi. “Transformation Of Classroom Spaces: Traditional Versus
Active Learning Classroom In Colleges.” Higher Education 68.5 (2014): 749-771.
Professional Development Collection. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Sun, Mingze, and Feng-Kuang Chiang. “Active Learning Spaces: New Directions For
Teaching And Learning.” Educational Technology & Society 2 (2015): 394.
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Thibaut, Patricia. “Social Network Sites With Learning Purposes: Exploring New Spaces
For Literacy And Learning In The Primary Classroom.” Australian Journal Of
Language And Literacy 2 (2015): 83. Academic OneFile. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.