does where you teach matter? pam woolner, research centre for learning and teaching

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

2005/06 41 80 59 18 198

2007/08 77 57 18 0 152

2009/10 46 107 8 0 161

10

30

50

70

90

110

130

150

170

190

Chart 4 Comparison of Fitness for purpose surveys

Num

ber

of

room

s

Lecture Theatres

Claremont 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 2008Stephenson 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