Spaces for learning An empirical model for measuring the effect of the built environment on learning - NTNU

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Spaces for learning
 An empirical model for measuring the effect of the built environment on
                               learning

                                        Arne Henden Aaraas
                                        Department of Design
                                     NTNU University of Technology

                                             ABSTRACT

The development and design of learning spaces is receiving more attention because of a cultural shift
in educational practices. By studying the effect of the physical space on the learner, this article
develops a learner centered framework that can be applied in the design of a learning space. The
design of learning spaces is evaluated by studying statistics and research on learning, creating the
basis for the concept of spatial moderators; elements of the built environment that have a significant
positive effect on learning. These moderators have been developed to provide evidence-based,
practical guidelines that can inform the design of learning spaces.

KEYWORDS

Learning space, spatial moderators, student centered education

1. INTRODUCTION                                        (The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and
                                                       Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial
                                                       Revolution, 2016).
            “The context of education is
            changing. […] the focus has moved          From an outside point of view, a ‘Learning
            away from more traditional                 environment’ is an educational approach,
            methods of teaching to embracing           cultural context, or physical setting in which
            a totality of experiences that will        teaching and learning occur ("Learning
            equip young people to meet the             Environment," 2013). As mentioned in the
            challenges of the 21st century»            abstract, one of the key factors that
            (Scotland, 2015).                          determines the configuration of a learning
                                                       space is the educational philosophy, which
The shift from passive to active learning
                                                       often materialises in seating arrangements,
emphasising student participation, as well as
                                                       learning resources, teaching strategies.
new educational initiatives of the 21st century
                                                       Evidently, these choices shape the activities
are challenging the educational institutions,
                                                       that take place in any learning space.
from secondary school to university level.
Meanwhile, educational institutions are                With a shift toward a student-centered
accommodating societal needs of                        education, it is compelling to define the
competencies and skills in a time of rapid             learning environment from the perspective of
technological advances, globalisation of the           the learner. Research on schools suggests that
economy and shifting demographics                      social factors like having friends, having a high

                                                                                                     1
learning pressure and the engagement of            spatial moderators. The development and
parents and their attitudes towards the school     concept of spatial moderators will be
are among the most influential factors in a        explained in the research section.
learning environment (Amundsen, 2015).
                                                   There are several factors that influence the
Consequently, we should be aware of the
                                                   activities in a learning environment; in this
limitations of the physical space, and keep in
                                                   article, we will look at learning environments
mind the context in which students interact
                                                   from a broad perspective, focusing on
with it.
                                                   common themes and conclusions that can be
So, are the physical spaces keeping up with        drawn with the purpose of creating effective
the societal requirements emphasising              learning spaces.
complex problem solving, critical thinking and
                                                   2. METHODS
creativity (The Future of Jobs: Employment,
Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth       This article is a literature review, with sources
Industrial Revolution, 2016)? Some initiatives,    from reports, articles and web sites. The
including architectural projects and design        research topic deals with physical learning
pilots, have attempted to create spaces that       environments and their influence on various
address this new educational framework. This       aspects of learning.
involves designing a variety of spaces that
                                                   The search criteria were divided between
support different learning activities, thus
                                                   theoretical aspects of learning – i.e. learning
providing a network of spaces that gives the
                                                   theories, subcategories of learning, etc. – and
learner freedom in balancing individual
                                                   practical aspects of learning –i.e. the design of
studies with group projects (Van Merriënboer,
                                                   learning spaces, influences on the learning
McKenney, Cullinan, & Heuer, 2017).
                                                   process, etc.
Still, it remains unclear whether these
                                                   The article research was conducted between
initiatives are simply the physical
                                                   September 7th and November 20th. Most of
manifestations of a new educational
                                                   the articles, including ones that deal with
mentality, and whether the activities that take
                                                   empirical studies about the influence of
place are in fact supporting the learning
                                                   learning spaces, were found through Oria and
requirements and goals of the educational
                                                   Google Scholar. Reports and other sources
institution.
                                                   were found through internet searches.
Some work in recent years address the
                                                   Important keywords in searches include:
relationship between the physical
environment and learning, including research       Learning space, spatial characteristics,
linking attributes of the physical learning        influence, empirical research, guidelines.
environment to cognitive load (Choi, 2014)
and mental health and well-being (Ettema,          The empirical evidence cited is based on
                                                   findings in research papers and research-
2015). There is, however, limited research on
how physical spaces affect learning, and the       based reports. Although a limited amount of
research that exists is not necessarily focused    empirical research exists on the relation
on the learning process.                           between space and its influence on learning,
                                                   findings that were time-sensitive or that had a
This article will explore the effects of spatial   narrow application were excluded. Findings
characteristics on the learner, and investigate    that deal with learning theories have been
whether these can be quantified and                selected based on their relevance to the
categorised. Research on factors in the            physical learning environment.
physical environment and their influence on
                                                   3. RESEARCH
the learner is the basis for the development of

                                                                                                 2
3.1 Ideologies affect the design of learning       plan model whilst providing flexibility through
spaces                                             spatial differentiation, often measured in
                                                   terms of focus and collaboration (source).
   ‘The student-centred learning environment
                                                   However, statistics on work satisfaction
        has the student need satisfaction as its
                                                   indicates that for ABW to be effective for
    primary focus whereas the subject-centred
                                                   workers, the work culture should be aligned
environment has the transmission of a body of
                                                   with the work environment:
   knowledge as the primary focus.’ (Clasen &
                              Bowman, 1974)        ‘Statistically at face value, the benefits of ABW
                                                    environments are difficult to see. Comparing
The concept of student-centred learning is
                                                    them to a control group of non-ABW spaces,
gaining momentum, and has been shown to
                                                   they show lower Leesman effectiveness scores
be effective, especially in higher education
                                                     and average satisfaction agreement against
(Wright, 2011). Here, the curriculum and the
                                                     both productivity and pride key indicators.
learning activities are determined by the
                                                     Presented with these results in isolation, it
student, enabling pursuit of their own learning
                                                      would be difficult to build a case for ABW
interests, developing problem solving skills,
                                                     adoption. However, those averages mask a
and equipping them with the tools to become
                                                    dramatically diverse picture that is concealing
lifelong learners (Nanney, 2004).
                                                     how ABW environments deliver significant
In many ways, it is the antithesis of the              performance improvements on multiple
prevailing teacher-centered, authoritarian          measurement lines for those employees who
model that dominated in the 20th century.               adapt to their new surroundings. But a
Arguably, the classroom interior archetype –          number of these spaces are populated by
in which all the students have an appointed              large numbers of employees stuck in
desk facing the teacher and the blackboard -          traditional workstyles, in effect, in conflict
embodies an educational philosophy that is             with their new setting.’ (Leesman, 2016)
modelled on the industrial principles of the
                                                   To conclude, the functioning of a learning
early 20th century, favouring efficiency and
                                                   environment relies on the successful
uniformity.
                                                   alignment of the learning culture, the
The teacher’s passing of knowledge is still a      pedagogical ideology and the learning space.
core activity in modern schools, but in a          This is especially important in a time when
student-centered environment the teacher           education is responding to rapid technological
acts more like a facilitator, supporting           and societal changes.
students in their self-directed learning
                                                   In the following chapters, we study how
processes. Data from OECD shows that on
                                                   learning spaces support various learning
average, teaching time is highest at primary
                                                   activities, with an emphasis on skills and
school, and decreases for higher levels of
                                                   competencies that have been established as
education (OECD, 2017), correlating with
                                                   essential for the future work force.
higher degrees of learner autonomy and
influence on the learning process. These are       3. 2 The function of learning spaces
characteristics that are associated with active
                                                           ‘The [learning environment] also
learning environments.
                                                   encompasses the culture of a school or class—
The architectural framework of student-                its presiding ethos and characteristics,
centered learning has a lot in common with          including how individuals interact with and
the activity based working office model              treat one another—as well as the ways in
(hereby called ABW), which brings together          which teachers may organise an educational
elements from the social democratic open                setting to facilitate learning—e.g., by

                                                                                                3
conducting classes in relevant natural          allows people to interact and coordinate
 ecosystems, grouping desks in specific ways,       socially to perform tasks in a shared mental
 decorating the walls with learning materials,      space.
     or utilising audio, visual, and digital
                                                    Cognitive research indicates that the best
technologies’ ("Learning Environment," 2013).
                                                    learning takes place in a close simulation of
Learning spaces provide a wide range of             the realistic environment, which has been
learning experiences for different learner          shown to be effective in medical training
groups, with a diverse set of goals for learning    (Lateef, 2010). This also has important
outcomes. Therefore, it is not straight forward     applications to learning environments in
to determine what the general function of a         general, with benefits reaching beyond the
learning space should include. Still, we may        cognitive realm of learning. Furthermore, it is
point to certain forms of learning, as well as      widely acknowledged that a cognitive model
aspects of learning processes, that are             alone cannot explain the complex process of
facilitated by or rely upon the built               learning.
environment.
                                                    In the following chapter, we will introduce
Situated learning is a learning theory that         research that attempts to determine the
emphasises the role of physical and social          effectiveness of practices within a learning
surroundings in the learning process, originally    environment.
proposed as a model of learning in a
                                                    3.3 Measuring learning
community of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991).
Learning activities that apply this theory          In a report by the SCRI, principles from SCRI’s
include workshops, role playing, field trips and    Senses, Brain and Spaces (SBS) research work
music practice. In addition to providing an         “suggest direct connections between sensory
alternative to the traditional classroom, this      stimulations, learning and physical space.”
theory stresses the role of contextual factors      (Peter Barrett, 2009).
in learning processes. In the words of Paula
Vincini, “Learners must use tools as                The report states three design principles to
practitioners use them and become ‘cognitive        inform the development of effective learning
apprentices’ in that discipline’s community         environments in primary schools:
and its culture” (Vincini, 2003).                       •   Naturalness – addressing biological
The theory of situated cognition relates                    requirements for light, air and safety.
interaction with the environment to skill
training and execution, arguing that knowing            •   Individualisation – each person
is inseparable from doing (Brown, Collins, &                perceives and responds to
Duguid, 1989). Going one step further,                      environmental stimulus differently.
distributed cognition argues that “cognition
and knowledge are not confined to an                    •   Stimulation – by providing peripheral
individual; rather, it is distributed across                sensory stimulation, the surrounding
objects, individuals, artefacts, and tools in the           space can engage without diverting
environment (Hollan, Hutchins, Kirsh, &                     attention.
Grudin, 2000). This perspective acts as a           In a 2012 article by Barrett et al., the impact of
theoretical basis for understanding the             school building design was measured across
importance of the physical environment in any       ten design parameters in seven different
learning activity.                                  schools. Of all the factors influencing learning
Interestingly, digital media represents its own     progression, factors of the built environment
ecosystem of distributed cognition, as it

                                                                                                   4
were estimated to account for around 25%           evaluation can be interpreted and customised
(Barrett, Zhang, Moffat, & Kobbacy, 2013).         to suit a specific learning environment.
                                                   Furthermore, as a strategy to facilitate
Among the attempts to characterise good
                                                   learning, it can be backed up by research and
learning environments, one of the most
                                                   statistical data.
comprehensive studies is by the school
researcher John Hattie. In his Visible learning    This is the theoretical basis that inspires the
(Hattie, 2009), the relative effect of learning    concept of a spatial moderator; an aspect of
practices is measured based on meta-analyses       the physical surroundings known to have a
of schools, relating to the influences on          positive effect on learning. There are some
achievement in school-aged students (Miller,       challenges related to the description and
2010). John Hattie defines a moderator as an       effect measuring of spatial moderators, which
‘effectual measure known to have a positive        will be addressed in the following chapters.
effect on learning’ (Hattie, 2015).
                                                   3.4 Developing spatial moderators
 Influence                       Effect (d)
 Teacher estimates of            1.62              First, it is crucial to understand the
 achievement                                       educational framework that affects behaviour
 Collective teacher              1.57              and activities in physical learning spaces. To
 efficacy                                          implement any of these spatial moderators is
 Self-reported grades            1.33
                                                   not necessarily going to ensure better learning
 Piagetian programs              1.28
 Conceptual change               1.16              by itself; every learning environment is
 programs                                          different.
 Response to intervention        1.07
 Teacher credibility             0.90              Second, some of the attributes that
 Micro teaching                  0.88              characterise good learning environments are
 Cognitive task analysis         0.87              not restricted to learning, but influence other
 Classroom discussion            0.82              aspects – i.e. wellbeing and physiological
Fig. 1 - List of influences that have been shown   needs – that have an indirect influence on
 to have the largest positive effect on learning   learning.
    (Hattie, 2017). Here, d is the effect size
    (Cohen’s d) defined as the standardised        Third, there is no comprehensive statistic
         difference between two means.             linking spatial characteristics with their
                                                   relative influence on a learning environment.
This statistical overview links a practical        Nor does this article attempt to develop one;
measure in the learning environment with its       instead, we will look at some spatial attributes
relative effect on learning, providing a fact-     that have a proven effect –directly or
based overview of the most successful              indirectly – on learning. We will use this list as
measures that can be taken to facilitate           a theoretical framework for understanding
learning. As such, it is independent of any        and developing spatial moderators.
specific pedagogy, as it may point to certain
universal truths about how learning happens.       The formal characteristics of a (learning) space
It also provides an informed basis for             consists of temperature, ventilation, views,
prioritisation of teaching resources.              natural light, light, acoustics and finishes
                                                   (Wikipedia, 2017). While this describes the
For example, the high rank of ‘Formative           elements that constitute a physical
Evaluation’ suggests that informal and             environment, it does not provide information
ungraded settings facilitate student learning      about how the learner experiences their
(Learning, 2017). A key characteristic of these    environment. Within the scope of spatial
moderators is their relative definition; for       moderators, components in the learning
example, the implementation of formative

                                                                                                 5
environment – e.g. colour, displays, furniture      •   ‘The learning environment should
– are also included.                                    incorporate the actions and practices of
                                                        real life environments.’ (Vincini, 2003)
In the following section, we will present a list
of findings that address various aspects of
                                                    •   ‘Generally, teachers who want to
spaces and their influence on the learner. This
                                                        maximise the on-task behaviour of their
list is a collection of research findings from
                                                        students during independent work should
disciplines such as neuroscience,
                                                        consider utilising rows rather than groups
environmental and developmental
                                                        as their primary seating arrangement and
psychology, social anthropology and cognitive
                                                        moving desks into other positions to
science. The purpose of this list is to exemplify
                                                        facilitate interaction when it is desired.’
how multidisciplinary research could act as a
                                                        (Wannarka & Ruhl, 2008)
foundation for developing spatial moderators.

•   Availability of green space corresponds         •   ‘Although exposure levels at schools were
    with lower frequency of mental health               below 60 dB […] multilevel analyses
    problems (van Den Berg et al., 2016). This          revealed that increasing exposure was
    finding could be generalised to an innate           linearly associated with less positive
    orientation to all living things, often             ratings of quality of life, increasing noise
    referred to as biophilia.                           annoyance, and decreasing reading
                                                        performance.’ (Klatte et al., 2017)
•   ‘Computer and video games are suggested
                                                    3.5 Categories of spatial moderators
    to increase the motivation and
    engagement of players because they              Spatial moderators affect several factors that
    include elements such as play, fantasy,         must be present in a good learning
    curiosity, challenge, competition,              environment, addressing physiological needs
    cooperation, and learner-control’ (Barab,       as well as social interaction and cognitive
    Thomas, Dodge, Carteaux, & Tuzun, 2005).        requirements.
    “Game-based environments afford
                                                    It is also worth pointing out that some spatial
    activities for experiential, situated,
                                                    moderators are easily introduced to existing
    problem-based, and active learning.’
                                                    learning spaces, i.e. introducing plants in the
    (Boyle, Connolly, & Hainey, 2011)
                                                    environment or rearranging furniture. Others
                                                    require changes in infrastructure or learning
•   ‘In times of declining resources and
                                                    material, which could be resource intensive.
    increasing public demands, schools are
                                                    Nonetheless, spatial moderators are only
    often tempted to reduce or abandon
                                                    concerned with the relationship between
    aesthetic experiences in the curriculum.
                                                    spatial factors and their relative effect on
    These experiences (e.g., art, music,
                                                    learning.
    movement, etc.) offer the most obvious
    opportunities for children to play. Because     Further, a comprehensive list of moderators
    play appears to affect other desirable          listed in order of effect type and relative
    patterns of intellectual functioning like       effectiveness could provide a framework for
    divergent thinking and problem solving,         evaluating and developing learning spaces.
    we argue that play may have a more basic        This would require meta-analyses in which
    function in education than many                 elements of the physical learning environment
    educators believe. The concept of basic         were defined as influences on learning. Below
    education perhaps should include                is an example of how items in a list of spatial
    aesthetic experiences that encourage            moderators could be structured:
    play.’ (Christie & Johnsen, 1983)

                                                                                                 6
Influence       Learning         Effect (d)         ‘Mobile internet and cloud technology’ has
                 activity                            been listed as the primary technological driver
 Natural         Processing,      0.6                of change toward 2020 (The Future of Jobs:
 light           thinking
                                                     Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for
   Fig. 2 – Example of influence categorised
                                                     the Fourth Industrial Revolution, 2016). The
   according to learning activity and relative
                                                     mobility and connectivity that comes with this
effect. Here, the effect size (d = 0.6) is assumed
                                                     change has implications for the function of
    to be calculated as Cohen’s d (see Fig. 1)
                                                     physical learning spaces.
3.6 Towards a holistic understanding of
                                                     Over the last decades, technology has evolved
learning spaces
                                                     from presentation mediums (monitors,
The motivation for developing spatial                projectors) to research, generative and
moderators is not to formulate a definitive          collaborative tools (Wikipedia, 2017). With
answer to what constitutes the optimal               virtual learning environments, there is a sense
learning space, but to provide information           of augmented cognition, in which huge
that links specific elements of the space to         amounts of information is accessible. This
specific influences on the learner and, by           development is consolidated by augmented
extension, their learning process. Research on       reality technology, giving us access to new
spatial moderators can complement research           layers of information integrated in our
on other aspects of learning, from teacher-          physical environment.
student interaction to the learning strategies
                                                     Mobility in learning is also a direct result of
of students.
                                                     this technological shift. Computer rooms are
By looking at learning spaces through the lens       becoming obsolete, as mobile devices offer
of spatial moderators, there is an inherent          freedom in study space. Through mobility and
focus on the effectiveness of learning               connectivity, there is an opportunity for
environments, as opposed to the traditional          customising the learning experience, to
paradigm of measuring learning. Also, by             accommodate different learning styles and
approaching the subject from a                       different learning trajectories. Although there
multidisciplinary research point of view, we         exists a lot of software for e-learning today,
can identify subtle aspects of learning spaces -     there is work to be done bridging the gap
like levels of noise and the extent to which the     between the physical and the virtual world.
physical environment provides mobility - that
                                                     In a personalised learning environment, the
have a profound effect on learning.
                                                     progression is based on interests and
Some spatial characteristics, such as colour         competence, not a predetermined curriculum
and choice of furniture, have influences which       or assessment. In the ecosystem of a learning
are difficult to assess in a rigorous,               environment, technology can provide the
quantitative manner, although we know that           traditional knowledge transmission while
these are crucial factors in the perception of       providing new platforms for collaboration and
space, and what we experience as the                 communication.
atmosphere of a space. Thus, learning
                                                     This provides opportunities for restructuring
environments should not only accommodate
                                                     the layout of classrooms for other purposes. A
and facilitate learning, they should be settings
                                                     natural way for learning spaces to respond to
for a broad range of experiences that support
                                                     this change would be to specialise on social
personal development beyond the realm of
                                                     platforms of different kinds. As discussed
academic achievement and curricula.
                                                     previously, the acquisition of skills and
3.7 Technology and its impact on learning            competencies is often bound to the physical
spaces

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and social context in which the learning              Consequently, being able to support a variety
activities take place.                                of learning activities appears to be a
                                                      requirement for the future. Whether the focus
3.8 Future work requirements
                                                      will be on facilitating complex problem
It is estimated that the majority of the jobs of      solving, developing social skills or something
the future do not yet exist (Scott McLeod,            else, learning spaces should be flexible enough
2017). Along with the fact that changing jobs         to respond to changes in society, changes in
is increasingly common (Number of jobs, labor         learning activity and changes in technology.
market experience, and earnings growth
                                                      As mentioned in the introduction, new skills
among Americans at 50; results from a
                                                      and competencies make their way into the
longitudinal study, 2017), there are compelling
                                                      curriculum, many of which are difficult to
arguments for emphasising interdisciplinary
                                                      assess by traditional means. When moving
skills and competencies in educational
                                                      away from a highly formalised and structured
strategies.
                                                      learning space, one of the challenges is to
Below are the skills families expected to be          measure the learning outcomes of activities
most important in 2020, according to the 2016         like collaborative problem solving. This
Future of Jobs report by World Economic               problem has been addressed in ‘The Nature of
Forum:                                                Problem Solving’, which provides a research-
                                                      based overview of problem solving in general
 SKILL                                   %            and assessment in particular (Griffin, 2017).
 Complex Problem Solving                 36           Studies like these are necessary to understand
 Social Skills                           19           how new learning activities can be
 Process Skills                          18           implemented effectively in learning
 Systems Skills                          17
                                                      environments.

 Resource Management Skills              13           3.9 The future of learning spaces
 Technical Skills                        12
                                                      From an outside point of view, a learning
 Cognitive Abilities                     15           environment is ‘an educational approach,
 Content Skills                          10           cultural context, or physical setting in which
 Physical Abilities                      4            teaching and learning occur’ ("Learning
  Fig. 3 - Demand for skills: industry overall |      Environment," 2013). In this article, we have
 2020 (The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills         dealt with learning spaces as a physical
    and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth             setting, looking at how they are designed, how
     Industrial Revolution, 2016). Here, the          they are used, and how they influence
   percentage (%) indicates the share of jobs         learning.
requiring skills family as part of their core skill   The increasing presence of virtual
                       set.                           environments, as well as increased mobility in
In the larger perspective, we may consider the        learners is the context in which future settings
main function of learning as preparing for the        for learning will take place. Perhaps one of the
future. One of the challenges for educational         main challenges of the digital age is to balance
institutions is to adapt to shifting societal         things that happen in the digital world with
needs. Regardless of any specific skillset, it is     things that happen in the physical world.
evident that even the near future holds a lot         One experimental approach to incorporating
of insecurity, especially related to what sort of     information in the physical surroundings was
things we will work with.                             developed by the MIT Media Lab in 1997:

                                                                                                  8
‘The ambientROOM allows users to be aware          expense of the wellbeing and motivation of
     of background bits using ambient display       the learner, as these have been shown to be
 media such as ambient light, shadow, sound,        integral factors in cultivating learning.
   airflow, water movement in an augmented
                                                    Lastly, learning is a term with multiple
      architectural space.’ (Hiroshi Ishii, 1997)
                                                    definitions and subcategories, which this
Whether this is a realistic interpretation of       article does not go to great lengths to
how the virtual and the physical world might        distinguish. It becomes important, however,
integrate, can be discussed, but it certainly       to determine the type of learning activity that
provides an original viewpoint,                     is involved, when describing how the physical
reconceptualising the function of the built         environment affects various aspects of
environment by providing information directly       learning.
to the senses.
                                                    4.2 The essence of the article
A more recent attempt to create social and
                                                    By looking at factors influencing the design of
immersive experiences is the phenomenon of
                                                    learning spaces, both external (societal and
escape rooms, in which elements from game
                                                    technological changes) and internal (learning
design is applied in a setting for collaborative
                                                    ideologies and strategies), the aim is to
problem solving. Efforts to create engaging
                                                    contextualise the role of the learning space in
and immersive spaces could be beneficial
                                                    a modern educational reality. Evidently, a
when applied in a learning environment.
                                                    successful and effective learning environment
4. DISCUSSION                                       relies on a holistic approach to learning
                                                    strategies, that may inform the physical space
4.1 About the research material and
                                                    as well as learning activities and objectives.
definitions used
                                                    Efforts to reconceptualise the meaning and
This article gathers research from multiple
                                                    function of a learning space, whether they be
disciplines, combining studies that are related
                                                    reflexes to external changes or explorations of
to the influence of the physical environment
                                                    possible future scenarios, can be useful
on the learner. In this context, the learner is a
                                                    discussion points for the development of
generic term that covers any person involved
                                                    learning spaces.
in a learning activity.
                                                    Through the development of spatial
Because children and their requirements
                                                    moderators, this article proposes an informed
change over time, it is essential to understand
                                                    discussion about the influence of the physical
the influence of spatial moderators in the
                                                    environment on learning, as well as the
context of age as well as learning activity and
                                                    function of a learning space in different
the overall learning environment. As such, the
                                                    learning activities and processes, now and in
research findings are not universal truths that
                                                    the future.
apply to everyone; information about the
demographic and learning activity used in the
studies is provided when available.

Importantly, we should also emphasise the
role of positive learning, which happens in a
collaborative (rather than competitive)
environment that encourages self-directed
learning and wellbeing among learners (Chen
& McNamee, 2011). The implementation of
effective learning should not be on the

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