An Investigation of Learning Spaces at IUPUI John Fierst

Learning Environments  Classroom or study space  Taken in a variety of campus buildings: IT Building School of Science Engineering and Technology University Library Kelley/SPEA Education/Social Work Cavanaugh Hall Taylor Hall

Photo Examples

Survey Participants  138 Total Responses  98 Females, 40 Males  Basis of Data Analysis Masculine, Slightly Masculine, Neutral, Slightly Feminine, Feminine ○ Masculine = 1 ○ Slightly Masculine = 2 ○ Neutral = 3 ○ Slightly Feminine = 4 ○ Feminine = 5

Results  Analysis done with respect to the entire 138 participants Of the entire 4140 responses collected (138x30)… ○ 1188 – Masculine (28.7%) ○ 730 – Slightly Masculine (17.6%) ○ 1845 – Neutral (44.6%) ○ 795 – Slightly Feminine (19.2%) ○ 1130 – Feminine (27.3%) Nearly half of the responses were neutral

Results  Analysis done with respect to the entire 138 participants Most feminine space = Most masculine space = 1.906

Results  Analysis done with respect to the entire 138 participants Distribution of learning environments Less than 21 Between 2 and 2.56 Between 2.5 and Between 3.5 and 45 Greater than 41

Results  Most neutral classrooms: and respectively Women saw the orange space as slightly more masculine, and men saw it as more neutral

Results  Analysis done with respect to gender Small differences between male and female respondents Same room appeared most masculine and most feminine to both genders Top row = female; bottom row = male

Results  Analysis done with respect to school/building Honors College – more feminine ○ Runner Up: The Tower Lecture Hall – more masculine ○ Runner Up: IT

Connections to R325/Kimmel  Interplanetary Theory of Gender Difference Survey results show we’re more alike than different  Hidden Curriculum Informal interactions with professors and students Based on my survey, this could extend to the way we perceive and interact with our learning environments

Conclusion  Our university’s learning environments are mostly neutral (half of responses and over half of classrooms were neutral).  Men and women seemed to define gendered learning environments in the same way.  Newer spaces should consider gendered visual appearance.