Innovative learning spaces
Welcome to the Innovative Learning Spaces Design Challenge
Are you an educator or student? Then this is a challenge for you!
We will look at what makes a learning space, or classroom innovative and will take a closer look at the components that an innovative classroom wants to accomplish. This challenge is based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal ‘Quality Education’ and the Codesigning Schools Toolkit’s Equitable Learning Practice ‘Defront the Classroom’.
Through hands-on experiences, collaboration, and interactivity, you will immerse in meaningful and creativity-based learning. For that, we will use the collaboration platform Miro.
You will learn to analyze your classroom for its innovativeness and act on it by designing a solution that will make your and any other classroom innovative.
Let’s start.
Step 1: What is an innovative learning space? (Individual activity)
When we want to learn more about innovative learning spaces, we want to look at different aspects such as the learning space itself (e.g. the layout of the building or classroom), its furniture, and other materials(e.g. whiteboard walls).
Watch the following videos and visit the following links. Look at what furniture and resources they use? What is the classroom layout like? How are the products designed to allow for innovative learning spaces?
Get a better idea by starting to read ‘Defront the classroom’, pages 13–16.
Danish Kurani is an architect and urban designer and has designed various learning spaces and schools. In this TedTalk, he explains the need of innovating today’s classrooms.
You can also listen to Kurani in this Getting Smart Podcast’s episode. In this article, Kurani explains three ways of designing better learning spaces. For more inspiration, visit his website: https://kurani.us/impact/.
Watch this Edutopia video to discover ideas for products and materials that make a classroom innovative.
Centerview Elementary School is another example of an innovative learning space. Watch their video here.
This company explains what makes a better learning environment. Watch here.
Finally, on your Miro Board share what you have observed that makes learning spaces innovative.
A few key elements that an innovative learning space wants to accomplish is that the learning space should allow for flexibility depending on the learning activity. It should promote movement and groupings. It allows for inquiry, creativity, and student agency. An innovative learning space provides room for hands-on exploration, building, and making. It promotes students’ identity and experiences and fosters belonging, autonomy, motivation. It enhances social development as well as social interaction and collaboration. It supports technology integration and places the learner at the center whereas the teacher acts as a facilitator of learning.
Step 2: Analyze & identify (Team activity)
Analyze your classroom for its innovative elements. Then identify one or two problems that you want to focus on. Use this template to help you with analyzing the components that make your classroom innovative or find out what is missing. Then post it on your Miro board.
Step 3: Define your user need statement (Team activity)
What is a user need statement? Find out more in this article or watch this video.
Use this template when creating your user statement. [A user] needs a way [to do something] in order to [accomplish a goal]. Post your user need statement on your Miro board and justify your statement.
Step 4: Benchmarking (Team activity)
See what is already out there that addresses your problem or a similar problem. Then define what function(s) this product is missing. Post this on your Miro board.
Here are a few examples of furniture for innovative learning spaces: Example 1, Example 2, and Example 3.
Step 5: Sketch idea and user journey map (Individual activity)
Sketch your product ideas indicating with arrows and words the characteristics and functions of the product.
Then, create a step-by-step description of how your product will work, also known as a user journey map.
Don’t forget to post everything on your Miro board.
Step 6: Design a 3D Digital Model (Individual activity)
Create a 3D model of your proposal using computer-aided design (CAD) software. You may use the web application Tinkercad.
Step 7: Design a 3D cardboard model (Individual activity)
Create a 3D prototype using recycled and reused materials, based on your 3D digital model. Need some inspiration? Watch this video.
Step 8: Present your product in a simple poster (Individual activity)
Present your solution in the form of a poster. You may use an infographic format to communicate your solution in a simple way. Try to include the problem description, targeted user, solution, and benefits. Canva is a great and simple tool.
Step 9: Receiving feedback and next steps (Individual activity)
Present your project poster to someone outside this project and ask them to give you feedback on the following:
What were the three things you liked best about this product?
What is still unclear and/or confusing? What is missing?
What could be improved?
What do you not like about it?
Then write up a short paragraph on how you intend to use this feedback. What changes or improvements will you make and why.
Assessment
Use the rubric at the end of this flowchart to guide you in your learning process and progress.
References
Alfie, Samuel. (2020, April 7). 5 Reasons Students Today Need Innovative Learning Spaces. EmergingEdTech. https://www.emergingedtech.com/2020/04/reasons-students-need-innovative-learning-spaces/
Co-designing Schools Toolkit (2020). Equitable learning practices. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V1fxUz8swa0ihx1RP02WMNQIDqRSTlMb/view
Ministry of Education New Zealand. (2021). Innovative learning environments. TKI. https://elearning.tki.org.nz/Teaching/Innovative-learning-environments
