Where is the theory?

1. Where is the theory? Towards Creative Learning Spaces:re-thinking the architecture of post-compulsory education Dr. Jos Boys, Senior Research Fellow, Learning Spaces, Centre for Excellence for Teaching and Learning through Design (CETLD)

2. What is the problem? • The relationship between space and the activities that go on it remains seriously under-theorised and under-researched • Although many research methods exist for exploring this relationship, these are not often used • We need to be asking the questions: what is it that is distinctive about post-compulsory teaching, learning and research; and what is it that matters about space for learning?

3. the ‘commonsense’ view • structuring ideas about learning and space via social and spatial analogy • seeing design intentions and built results as equivalent • relating space and learning through behaviours • reading ‘effects’ directly off spaces • aiming to ‘change’ education by changing space

4. Formal passive single-directional one-to-many individual serious Informal active multi-directional many-to-many social playful Social and spatial analogies

5. Formal passive single-directional one-to-many individual serious Informal active multi-directional many-to-many social playful Social and spatial analogies associative oppositional

6. Towards Creative Learning Spaces: Re-thinking the Architecture of Post-compulsory Education Reviewing different perspectives- architects, educators, estate-managers Developing a conceptual framework and exploring possible research methods Considering how this affects the development and designing of learning spaces To be published by Routledge, end of 2010

7. Current educational theories communities of practice/threshold concepts Lave and Wenger 1991, Wenger 1998, Meyer and Land 2006

8. Current educational theories situated/boundary crossings/ legitimate peripheral participation/ journey from margin to centre/reification through the repertoire

9. Current educational theories troublesome knowledge/sticking points/ liminal spaces

10. Contemporary architectural theories and approaches deconstruction/post-structuralism

11. Contemporary architectural theories and approaches events-based practices /embodied, affective encounters/partial, uneven relationships

12. Estates management how learning and space are related what matters about learning for space (and space for learning) what matters about space beyond learning setting priorities, measuring value

13. Conceptualising relationships between space and learning Lefebvre 1991The Production of Space The designed environment conceived space/representations of space social and spatial routines perceived space/spatial practices Individual engagements and adaptations of designed environment and social and spatial practices lived space/representational space

14. mapping the spaces of learning encounters close observation, talk, social and spatial practices, everyday routines to explore layered partial understandings and tensions - not to evaluate as ‘good or bad; but to ‘illuminate’.

15. (re)making the space of the institution beyond representation and consensus: intersections between social and spatial practices, repertoires and individual engagements

16. (re) thinking the spaces of the learning, teaching,research knowledge creation, transfer and exchange, creative, professional and development, business and community engagement, health and wellbeing, access and equality, resource-effectiveness and sustainability

17. (re) constructing learning spaces • mapping intersections of existing social and spatial practices/individual engagements/designed environment • articulating and debating learning encounters/ relationships/ contexts • locating space and its design as not central, but with a particular ‘place’ • learning as more than space, and space as more than learning

18. Learning Spaces, CETLD • Towards Creative Learning Spaces. Re-thinking the architecture of post-compulsory education (Routledge 2010 forthcoming) • Re-shaping Learning: conference 21-23 July 2010, University of Brighton http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/research/cetld/reshaping-learning-conference • http://www.spacesforlearning.blogspot.com • Jos Boys jos.boys@gmail.com • Hilary Smith h.c.smith@brighton.ac.uk