Learning spaces and environments

Open-plan classrooms were promoted as a way to encourage collaboration and flexibility in schools. But after 14 years, the government is going back to basics with school design.

Eastern suburbs private school Scots College will this week unveil the faux baronial castle after years of delay and budget blowouts.

This “campus” is actually the 6th and 7th floor of an office building in Lonsdale Street, and has no open-air spaces, no canteen, no windows that open. It’s just office space divided into fluorescent-lit classrooms, some with no external windows. The “library” is a single bookshelf and there is nowhere to sit. There are no Bunsen burners or other built-in equipment in the science rooms. There’s no PA system, school bell, or lockers large enough for school bags. The “recreation” spaces (indoor, of course) don’t allow for physical recreation – too crowded. The nearest safe outdoor space is three blocks away. It’s absurd.

The university spent $7 million to transform the building to limit energy usage and costs, and boost the satisfaction of students.

US startup Proto is beaming life-size “3D” video into universities, hotels and medical centers.

The Live Online Classrooms at Harvard Business School provide an immersive and dynamic classroom experience in which case method teaching and learning

There is nothing fundamentally good about an office phone booth. A sealed-off stall for making private calls is a clunky solution to compensate for the architectural pitfalls of ill-conceived open-plan offices. With not enough attention to built-in acoustical solutions, these offices can be roaringly loud—about 10 decibels higher than what’s ideal for knowledge work, according to a report from Steelcase, the office architecture and furniture giant.

When temperatures in Cambodia hit a staggering 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in April, Sek Seila, an 11-year-old student studying in the capital Phnom Penh, was promptly sent home from school.

In an effort to improve student engagement, IT departments have started leveraging beacon technology. Learn what beacon technology is, and how it can help!

Jake Sorensen, who oversees sponsorship and advertising and Student Media in Auxiliary Business Development at the University of Utah, has navigated the digital signage landscape for nearly 15 years. He was managing hundreds of devices on campus that were incompatible with digital signage requirements and needed a solution that was reliable and lowered labor costs. The Amazon Signage Stick, specifically engineered for digital signage applications, gave him the stability and design functionality the University of Utah needed, along with the assurance of long-term support.

Institutions can bring inexpensive and easy-to-install technology to classrooms for their faculty and students with hardware systems designed for HyFl

It was the dream of two former Australians of the Year. Now, a world-class, Aboriginal-led tertiary education precinct is on the cusp of being brought to life in north-east Arnhem Land.

As higher education institutions transform learning spaces to enable HyFlex and hybrid courses, the Logitech Rally Camera Streamline Kit is earning pr

There are calls for government action to mandate indoor air quality standards and improve "terrible" ventilation in Australian schools that can hamper student learning.

Why removing the "teacher's desk" is the key to a learner centered environment

There are several teaching approaches that effectively create safe, supportive and successful learning environments, but classroom management is key.

In-person collaboration has been linked to high performance and job satisfaction, but these benefits don't increase with more days spent in the office.

Addressing the challenges of new learning spaces requires a new strategic approach to innovative planning, stakeholder engagement, continuous professional development, and a commitment to ongoing evaluation and adjustment.

The pandemic undoubtedly inflicted real pain on higher education during the past year, but it also brought about clarity for what’s next. Much has already been written about how Covid-19 forced schools to accelerate their blending of in-person and online learning. While this abrupt shift created significant challenges, this hybrid model will in the long run greatly enhance the classroom experience. Toward that end, universities need to act now to break down barriers to access and reach a broader, more diverse population of students in the pipeline to college, to meet the needs of a changing workforce, and to provide life-long learning and career opportunities for working adults.

Beacon technology is rapidly changing how we connect with the world around us and it offers many exciting possibilities in and out of th