Architects as Agents for Organisational Change in New Generation Learning Spaces

Abstract

Space, technology and pedagogy are often heralded as the key influences in the development of New Generation Learning Spaces (NGLS's) (JISC, 2006; (Radcliffe, Wilson, Powell, & Tibbetts, 2008).The successful utilisation of these spaces and the introduction of new teaching and learning practices to them is not, however, a guaranteed outcome of a process that only focuses upon the physical aspects of NGLS design. As an architect working in the field of education space design, my observations of recent school expansion projects where new generation learning theories were being explored reveal that the critical factors for successful implementation of new pedagogies are at least as reliant upon space and technology design, as on the presence of both a holistic approach to architectural design and the leadership of aligned organisational change When designing new spaces, architects are perfectly positioned to explore organisational issues that need to be addressed as part of the transformation of a teaching and learning community, and yet historically they typically focus on the space being designed (making allowance for the integration of technology). This chapter explores how a minor expansion of traditional architectural practice through the application of design thinking can assist school communities to improve their chances of successful transformation from traditional teaching and learning models to those that fully take advantage of new generation learning spaces.