five steps to creating a great learning environment.

Step 1 - Speak the same language.

There are various terminologies associated with creating a flexible learning environment and it’s important everyone knows what they are – starting with the teachers. An ILE or flipped classroom has unique meanings to each specific school, so until everyone agrees on what each term means, it shouldn’t be shared with students and their parents. It’s important to be on the same page at the start and really define your terms to ensure immediate understanding and engagement.

Step 3  –  Factoring in success.      

Before making any decisions about your new learning environment, it’s important there’s a mutual understanding of the goals and successes associated with the space. Much like children who need to understand their success factors in order to achieve the next level, all stakeholders need to agree on the fundamental elements to create a space that supports active and collaborative learning. 

Step 4  –  Space: The final frontier…  

The primeval metaphors of the campfire, watering hole and the cave from David Thornburg’s Campfires in Cyberspace are terminologies often thrown around when thinking of designing flexible learning environments. In theory, they're fairly self-explanatory but can often lead to confusion when applied practically to your physical spaces. Refer to the panel below for ideas about what to consider when creating these key spaces to meet the needs of your individual learners.

Spaces to suit the task:

• A space for buddies to work in pairs.
• A space to collaborate in groups of three/four.
• A space for larger group collaboration eg. brainstorming or wider discussion.
• A space to work alone.
• A presentation space for small, medium and large groups.
• Display spaces, TV screens, projectors, wall displays, writeable walls or table tops.

Spaces to suit the learner:

• A nook or cranny with few distractions.
• A high space which affords an overview of a room.
• Low surfaces such as kneeler tables or floor cushions.
• Reclining spaces, high levels of comfort.
• Standard table task areas with emphasis on ergonomics and comfort.

Checklist - Do's and Don'ts.

Do

• Put pedagogy first – think about the educational benefit of each new learning space and how it will be used.
• Collaborate and communicate with all the teachers working on the vision to ensure effective change.
• Agree on the terms that you want to associate with your space: collaborative versus co-operative planning, flipped classrooms, MLE/ILE, digital collaborative environments etc. Once everyone is on the same page with the terminology, it makes it easier to share with stakeholders.
• Ensure you have a robust change cycle system in place, such as a coaching and mentoring culture.
• Know your success criteria.
• Engage your stakeholders in the process.
• Evaluate your practice.

Don't

• Use new furniture as treats or rewards.
• Label spaces with name tags.
• Be put off by difficult learning experiences – change is never easy.
• Shortcut the process, worthwhile things take time.

Backing things up with a bit of research

Change management

John Hattie’s Mind Frames study into the efficacy of different factors on education outcomes allows teachers to evaluate the impact they’re having in the classroom and how successful they are. The mind frames can also be used as part of an ongoing coaching and mentoring programme to increase classroom effectiveness.

Daniel Kim’s Levels of Perspective gives great understanding around maximizing leverage - by developing key mental models for leaders that play a vital role in the realisation of the school’s vision and goals. Simply adding in new furniture, without addressing the fundamental reason for the furniture, is unlikely to graduate beyond Events to become Patterns of Behaviour or Systems and Structures.

Huge thanks to our contributors:

Ro Hill (Deputy Principal, Parkvale School)


Tamla Smith (Deputy Principal, Mahora Primary School)

Patrice O’Connor (Deputy Principal, Te Mata Primary School)