EDFD459 Assessment Task 2 Looking at five fundamental learning spaces that can be incorporated into an educational setting

1. EDFD459 Assessment Task 2
Rebecca Del Vecchio S00107272
FIVE FUNDAMENTAL LEARNING SPACES

2. As a teacher in the 21st Century, we need to be able to adapt to the
accelerated change in the way students live and learn. While in the
past educational settings were often similar in their style, and delivery
of lessons were based on a teacher centred learning space. Who
remembers a classroom like this one?
Image source: Cinar, (2010)
It is time as educators to
think about the learning
that we wish to occur in
the spaces we are teaching
in, and ensuring we can
provide students with
varied opportunities to
interact with each other
and enrich their learning
through engaging with
different spaces.
What learning
do you
remember from
this space?
Within this presentation we will look at five
different learning spaces that we can use in the 21st
Century education setting and their strengths and
weaknesses.
RETHINKING OUR LEARNING SPACES

3. The Classroom and
school
Within a harmonious and flexible space teachers are able to
engage in diverse pedagogical practices that cater for
the individual learner. This could be said to be best
equipping students for the 21st century society and its
inevitably changing nature.
The changing social and political nature of society had a
great impact on classroom design and curriculum
priorities in the 19th and 20th century (Schratzenstaller,
2010), so it makes sense that educational settings for
today and into the future adapt to 21st century learners’
needs.
In a traditional teacher centred setting where children sit in
rows and the teacher stands at the front it places
students in the back rows at a disadvantage who are
more likely to lose focus and be disengaged (Cinar,
2010). This set up does not encourage positive
interactions between teacher and students and more
collaborative learning (Makialo-Siegl, Zottmann, Kaplan
& Fischer, 2010).
Classroom design can have a
great impact on the way
students and teachers
engage with each other and
with their learning.
In creating a space that is
warm, welcoming and
provides flexibility, every
member of the learning
community feels like they
are a valid member.
It is important to create a
space that appeals to
children aesthetically as well
as being functional to create
a harmonious setting (Read,
2010).
As we develop educational settings to suit a more
contemporary learning style, it is important as
teachers that we ensure our classrooms are set up in
such a way that promotes respectful interactions as
well as providing spaces that cater for different
curriculum and learning needs.

4. Reading corner and Writing
corner
Image Source: The Write Stuff Teaching
Blog
http://www.thewritestuffteaching.blogspot.ca
A contemporary primary
school classroom
Image source: http://kinderspot-jodi.
blogspot.com.au/2011_08_01_archive.html

5. Beyond the
Classroom
It is important for students to
have experiences outside the
classroom and school setting.
Excursions that go beyond the
classroom walls allow for an
enhanced learning process
where students engage in
much more experiential
learning as it is presented in a
much more contextualised
form (Johnson, 2009).
In order to create a meaningful learning experience for students
on an excursion, as a teacher we must ensure it has been
prepared for appropriately (Lorenza, 2009). Not only are
there the practical and logistical preparations of risk
assessments and ensuring all details are considered, but we
must also determine the relevant learning that is possible,
discussing this with students prior to the visit. If the
preparations are limited or there is little follow up on
excursions, students the experience could be a wasted one
(Johnson, 2009; Lorenza, 2009)
One of the weaknesses of going on excursion is the risk that
comes with leaving the safety of the school ground where
the elements beyond your control can cause a disastrous
day out.
Making connections with the wider society can help students
gain a greater understanding of the world they live in
through new and exciting experiences. In making these
connections and participating in a more social learning
experience, students could be seen as engaging in a
community of practice beyond the confines of the classroom
walls (Smith, 2009).
In looking at the social nature of learning (Lorenza,
2009), excursions enable students to interact with
the wider world and provide a shared experience
that can be drawn from for further work in the
classroom. Students should be encouraged to be a
part of the entire learning process (Johnson, 2009)
including when going beyond the classroom, and as
educators we must encourage their ideas and
setting of learning goals for these experiences.
The benefits for students and
teachers easily outweigh the
anxiety of the preparation.

6. The Bird Show, Healesville Sanctuary, Vic
Image source: Del Vecchio, 2014
Children enjoying The Sydney Aquariaum
Image Source: Green Car Tours
Retrieved from
http://www.greencartours.com.au/sydney-shuttle-bus-services/school-excursions-and-field-trips.
html

7. The Electronic
Learning Space
Technology is such a driving force in
our society today, that it is irresponsible
as a teacher to ignore the electronic
space as being a valuable learning
experience.
However it seems that the potential that
this learning space offers does not yet
match its use in an education setting.
The electronic learning space has the
potential to transform educational
practices by enabling students through
mobile technology access to learning
tools they may not otherwise have
access to (UNESCO, 2012).
The capabilities of the electronic
learning space are changing all the time
so it is the responsibility of educators to
ensure they are able to support
students using these to this space to its
best possible use.
Collaborative learning could be greatly
enhanced for students through the use
of the electronic learning space, which
is one of its greatest strengths (Murray
& Olcese, 2011). Online learning can
generate greater connection to
communities and knowledge that was
not previously possible.
The electronic learning space can give students and
teachers a great opportunity to engage with
each other and the wider community in a new
way, which has the potential to not only
support traditional learning methods, but also
create new ones (Murray & Olcese, 2011).
The electronic learning space is something that can
be utilised to assist students in interacting with
other spaces, such as those beyond the
classroom as discussed earlier. As a way of
further connecting with the excursion space
through engaging with their online presence
such as websites or social media accounts.
One of the challenges of using the electronic
learning space is in the way that teachers
approach its use, with safety a key concern,
teachers and education policies limit its use
(UNESCO, 2012), or teachers may use it simply
as a tool in replacement of something else (eg
using word processor).
Perhaps it is up to us as educators of the
future to ensure we are able to ensure
students are not only provided with the
technological tools, but also equipped with
the skills to extend on their own learning
in innovative ways.

8. The Group
Learning Space
Working with others is a skill that is important for
everyone to learn, so as a teacher concerned
with equipping students with the skills to help
them in every aspect of life, it is vital to
encourage students to engage in a group
learning space.
The way in which groups are organised and the
work is structured will depend on the success
of the learning involved in group work. In
order to ensure each group member is
contributing and noone gets a ‘free ride’, each
member could be given a set time for sharing,
or giving each member a defined role (TVO
Parents, 2010).
Group learning has become an
important part of today’s
educational settings, highlighted
throughout this presentation in
various elements of other
fundamental learning spaces.
It is generally categorised into one of
3 areas peer tutoring, cooperative
learning or collaborative learning
(Tolmie et al, 2009).
The cooperative learning space has
been said to emphasise higher order
learning and thinking skills, which is
most successful when students are
given opportunity for success and
individual accountability (Slavin,
2010). While collaborative learning
focuses on working together to
create shared understanding (Tolmie
et al, 2009).
Every aspect of the group learning
space is important and it is vital for
teachers to ensure that students
have the opportunity to work in
varied group experiences- with
structured tasks as well as more
informal group discussion work
(Slavin, 2010).
It is extremely important as teachers to
incorporate the group learning space within
our teaching, however it is in knowing your
students and what you are wanting them to
learn that will allow for you to best structure
groups for truly enriching collaborative work.

9. Physical Spaces
supporting group
learning
Image Source: http://openlearningspaces.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/collaborative-teaching-what-might-
it.html
Images source: http://openlearningspaces.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/studios-and-cave-spaces-hingaia.html

10. The Individual
Learning Space
Self-directed learning relates to an individual
guiding their own education predominantly
through setting their own learning goals,
finding resources and evaluating what they
have learnt (Smith, 1996).
This style of learning is something that can
encourage greater motivation in the learning,
but also requires students to be able to
manage their own learning. This goes very
well with inquiry learning models, which have
become much more common in contemporary
education settings.
Self-directed learning is going to be most
successful when teachers are able to support a
students confidence and motivation in learning
(Kop & Fournier, 2010). This comes down to
the teacher ensuring that students are
scaffolded in their learning skills and
supported in their individual approach to
learning, shifting focus from teaching the
content.
The individual learning space is
something that depends greatly on (as
it suggests) the individual. Every
person has their own preferred
approach to studying whether it be
sitting on a couch with a lap top or
notebook on your lap, or sitting at a
desk, being in a quiet space or having
music playing, the optimal study space
is something that cannot be defined by
any one definition.
In relation to an educational setting it is
important for us to provide
opportunities for students to engage in
individual learning in the best possible
way.
In order for students to make the most
of individual learning space they need
to have a certain level of self-directed
learning skills. Self-directed learning
as described by Knowles (1975 as cited
in Smith, 1996) is a much more
proactive approach to learning and can
as a result will learn more things and
learn better.
The individual learning space is one that cannot
be controlled by an educator as it is up to the
student to ensure they best utilise this space,
however it is up to the educator, especially in
the 21st century to teach students how to learn
and how to enjoy their learning.

11. My individual learning space

12. References
Cinar, I. (2010). Classroom geography: who sit where in the traditional classrooms? Journal of
International Research, 3(10), 200-212
Johnson, J. (2009). Beyond four walls: experiential and situated learning. Teacher, (198), 18-20
Kop, R., & Fournier, H. (2010). New Dimensions of Self-Directed Learning in an Open-Networked
Learning Environment. International Journal of Self-Directed Learning, 7(2), 1-20.
Lorenza, L. (2009). Beyond four walls: why go beyond the bounds of school? [online].Teacher.
(198), 22-25.
Makialo-Siegl, K., Zottmann, J., Kaplan, F. & Fischer, F. (2010) Classroom of the Future:
Orchestrating Collaborative Spaces. Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
Murray, O., & Olcese, N. (2011). Teaching and Learning with iPads, Ready or Not? TechTrends,
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Read, M. (2010). Contemplating design: listening to children's preferences about classroom
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& F. Fischer (Eds.), Classroom of the Future: Orchestrating Collaborative Spaces (pp. 15-39).
Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

13. Smith, M.K. (1996) Self-Direction in learning , Infed.org. Retrieved from http://infed.org/mobi/self-direction-in-
learning/
Tolmie, A.K., Topping, K. T., Christie, D., Donaldson, C., Howe, C., Jessiman, E., Livingston, K. & Thurston, A.
(2010) Social effects of collaborative learning in primary schools, Learning and Instruction, 20, 177-191.
TVO Parents (2010) Does ‘Group Work’ Work? Is it the best way for children to learn? (video). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdt-b4yMp-M&feature=youtu.be
UNESCO. (2012). Turning on Mobile Learning: Global Themes. France: United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization.