DOES WHERE YOU TEACH MATTER? Pam Woolner, Research Centre for Learning and Teaching

Learning can take place anywhere cant it...?

School buildings research evidence The Impact of School Environments: A literature Review (2005) School building programmes: motivations, consequences and implications (2005) Woolner & Hall (2007) Oxford Review of Education 33(1), 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 doesnt 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) 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 2010 LTs, Teaching rooms & seminar spaces

Lecture Theatres Claremont Tower 1.02 Capacity 252 Armstrong 1.46 Capacity 106

RB Green 2009 Entrance to Lecture TheatreLecturers view when teaching

RB Green lecture Theatre 2010 Capacity 450

King George VI LT1 Raked seating 2009Teaching wall 2009

King George VI 2010 Capacity 143

King George VI LT Capacity 64

Standard AV equipment Percy G Stephenson 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 zonePurple 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 RefurbishmentWooden 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 weve got ? 2. Other institutions 3. Something different?

Merz Court L301 Capacity 78

Merz Court L Capacity

Claremont Tower 1.01 Capacity 60

King George VI LT4 Capacity 117