#schoolarcitecture

Joost Vaesen                         Marina Berbel

Jo Tondeur                             Maruxa Touceda

Lisa Herman

Elise De Clercq                      

 

It is widely recognised that the material landscape

  can impact the teaching and learning process

Historical research about the material learning environment (eg. Hermans et al., 2012; Van Den Driessche, 2009)

"The space should reflect the pedagogy"

- Myers, 1993 -

Classroom biographies: Teaching & learning in evolving material landscapes 

The jury is still out on how the learning environment can be associated to 21st Century Learning!  

 

 

Voogt & Pareja Roblin, 2012

What about the 21st Century?

Architects

School policy

Teachers

Pupils

Macro level

Parents

Culture

Structures ...

A classroom

- The grammar of schooling -

"With so many students
I can only put them in rows"

- Teacher Primary Education -

School policy

Teachers

Pupils

Culture

Structures ...

The social agency can be exercised relative to things and social agency can be exercised by things

A. Gell, ‘Art and Agency. An anthropological theory’ in: Oxford: Oxford University Press

Interaction between architecture and education

What are important (f)actors
to design powerful physical learning environments?

Design of the study

Review of the literature
Expert interviews
Analysis of the environment
Selection of the schools
Observations
Stimulated recall interviews
Focus groups 
Design scenario, incl. evaluation
Inspiration guide
In-depth interviews with pupils 

Experts? To illustrate:

Art Basics for children
Future Classroom Lab

Analysis of the environment

 

Analysis of graphical documents (e.g. maps, diagrams, photographs, etc.)

Observations (school tour, photos, notes, etc.) + interview with management

 

  Observations

Perspective of the pupils

Pupils take pictures in their school
Interview 
Based on the pictures
Based on their sketch: Ideal school 

Primary education

Het Reuzenhuis - Tielt

Innovative design (2003)

Sample schools (selection)

Primary education

 Hippo's Hof - Gent

Renovation, Jenaplan (2015-2018)
Original building 1914 

Primary education

KBO College het Sleutelbos - Oudenaarde

CV of each of the schools

Primary & secondary education

New trend: De Tienerschool - Anderlecht

Secundair onderwijs

 RHIZO Lyceum OLV Vlaanderen - Kortrijk

Future Classroom Lab in an old school building (1930)

Secondary education

 Talentenschool - Turnhout

Campus Boomgaard: ASO, TSO, BSO

Secundair onderwijs

Talentenschool - Turnhout (GO!)

Modern design
in lign with their pedagogical vision 

Secondary education

 Talentenschool - Turnhout (GO!)

 Future classroom & multimedia room

Results: design of a powerful

physical learning environment

 

From vision to space: a process                                              

Preparation, transformation and implementation, evaluation and again

 

Pedagogy and space: inseparably connected

"You have to know how a school wants to live, work, before you can make a building for it.

If you believe in the importance of nature, you can't have a concrete playground, do you?

If you believe that children from different ages should play together, you can't let them play separately, right?

We have animals at school, some children have behavioral problems, but let them care for animals and they open up.

We don't do this to 'be fun'. It all comes from vision.

(Schoolteam, 19/04/2018). 

 

 

Connecting expertise

Every step we came together with the schoolteam to ask and receive feedback. We designed in consultation. Involvement is of big importance during the construction process. Unfortunately, this often isn't the case: a school is assigned to you and you build it. Here we were involved in the pedagogical aspect. That was amazing. (Architect, 21/02/2018).

 

 

Connecting expertise

We did a lot of research and looked for support. First we explored and looked at good practices: what shapes exist, and which of them can we use to translate our vision? Next we could get to work, always in collaboration. We talked to experts. All actors were constantly involved again. Collaboration and involvement, this is the key message you must always remember.  (Schoolteam, 21/02/2018).

 

What do the pupils think?


What is the ideal classroom in relation to the 21st century skills?

What is the ideal classroom according to the pupils, with the 21st century skills in mind?

What are the perceptions of students about their current school design?

How are the 21st century skills stimulated in the current class design?

Research questions

21st CS

"I think working with computers but also groupworks with the computer. Communicating from home and sending documents thanks to the computer, is really from this century."

(Student RHIZO Kortrijk)

Sports and games Peaceful and cosy

"My favourite place at school"

"My least favourite place at school"

Work Privacy

"The most innovative place at school"

"The angry corner because you can box, smash the doors and scream without getting disturbed."

(Student Reuzenhuis Tielt)

"The place that every school should have"

"The place that stimulates the 21st CS"

Sports and games Laptop/technology

"Good wifi and a place to put the cables together instead of cables everywhere on the ground, that would be very practical.”

(Student Talentenschool Turnhout)

 

 

“Enough plugs to charge the laptops are important.”

(Student RHIZO Kortrijk)

Technology

Ideal classroom

Ideal classroom

Sports and games

Laptops in the classroom

“This is the extreme corner if you are really sad.”

 

“Here you can go swearing. You swear in the jar and then you close it and your bad words can never leave.”

 

“In this corner they can draw for the children they have hurt.”

 

A place for emotions

“I think it's important that every class has it's own theme. For example, our teacher likes owls so our class is full with pictures of owls.

Ideal classroom

Decoration

- Technology society: visible at schools
- Ideal classroom? positive aspects from the current classroom!

Conclusion

Results: 21st Century Skills &

the physical learning environment

Pedagogical axis

Six starting points

And a non-exhaustive list of activities/approaches for each (based on observations)

21st century skills

Architectural axis

Five design options and examples of possible application

Combination axes

Innovative spatial solutions: with their own detailed fiches​

> Scenarios based on school visits, interviews with experts and literature​

Innovative spatial solutions

24 scenarios

Combination axes

  

Example

Combination axes

Innovative spatial solutions


Het Reuzenhuis - Tielt

Experts and literature

24 scenarios

containing innovative spatial solutions

Conclusion?

Ten commandments!

Don't be afraid to start:

they deserve a powerful learning environment

Start with a clear vision about good education

Linking pedagogy & architecture

 

 

It's a marathon, not a sprint. Make sure you are well prepared

Involve all stakeholders

Communication is the key

Ask for help

Don't forget the technical issues

Transformation is a cyclic process

Every school is different!

Moving forward

Build your own scenario

@jotondeur 
jo.tondeur@vub.be

Feel free to contact us

Creating and building innovative learning environments

By idlovub

Creating and building innovative learning environments

“More than a brick in the wall” - Creating Europe’s innovative learning environments, connecting policy, pedagogy and investment

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