Development of an Observation Metric for Linking Pedagogy, Technology and Space

Abstract

The current interest in innovative learning environments has generated considerable investment in spaces designed to transgress the boundaries of learning set by an ‘architectural deterministic’ mindset. Such a mindset assumes that the act of occupation of these spaces itself will cause the desired change to teaching and learning. However, a design-orientated approach often neglects to monitor what actually happens once these spaces are inhabited. The evidence base is yet to show how these spaces invoke pedagogies that support the desired types of learning that the design was intended to support. Because there are relatively few methodologies and metrics available to measure the impact of the space on pedagogy in situ, the Linking Pedagogy, Technology, and Space (LPTS) observational metric was developed. The LPTS metric provides instantaneous visual feedback to teachers on their practice and tracks its subsequent impact on their students. This paper reports on the conceptual development of the metric.