Learning Resources

Abstract: Instructors have a responsibility to maximize student learning. Thus, to the extent that the characteristics of a classroom’s space facilitate or promote learning, instructors should be actively involved in the design and use of the space. This is especially the case as active learning activities are becoming more common. Principles are discussed in relation to functional seating arrangements; focal points and sight lines; acoustics; movement around, into, and out of the classroom; lighting; and windows. A list of principles for good classroom design from the instructor’s point of view is given at the end, and readers are invited to modify this list in a wiki.

Abstract: Student learning takes place both inside and outside of the classroom, yet a general understanding of student-user experiences in spaces outside of a classroom and the effect of those spaces on student experiences is limited. A collaborative research project conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Herman Miller, Inc., aimed to understand the modes of use and behaviors among students at the G. Wayne Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons (Clough Commons). In particular, researchers wanted to study the relationship between physical space and the user experience in that space. Researchers referred to this as the “lived experience” of Clough Commons. The research took place over the course of a semester, and methods included the application of digital ethnography tools, observation, walk-up user interviews, and analysis of existing building-use data. From our research, we developed 11 use modes that describe the user activities and behaviors in Clough Commons. The use modes are meant to help designers take a more empathetic approach to design and problem solving by understanding the lived experiences of students within physical spaces. Use modes can also uncover opportunities for improving the environment to best serve student engagement and interaction. In this article, we discuss the use modes and design recommendations from our research at Clough Commons and how they may be applicable to other learning environments.

Abstract: The Department of Architectural Science at Toronto’s Ryerson University was already committed to community engagement. However, the need for a permanent gallery provided a new catalyst. The collaborative nature of the integrated planning process provided the school with an opportunity to revisit its public programming mandate. The school’s transformation through the innovative physical positioning and use of the gallery deepens its dialogue and level of engagement both within the university and with the greater community.

Abstract: Collaborative partnerships can yield enormous benefits for campus projects involving complex uses and implementation strategies. When visions are aligned, public-private partnerships can leverage initial assumptions into more ambitious programs to meet placemaking, sustainability, and other goals. The story of the successful UC Davis West Village partnership between the University of California and its developer partner, West Village Community Partnership, LLC (WVCP), serves to illustrate the unanticipated directions made possible by diverse talents, resources, and points of view.

Abstract: This article outlines the conception and creation of the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships at Philadelphia’s Drexel University. It details the university’s goal of becoming an academic leader in civic engagement through the transformation of an off-campus site of existing historic structures into a center for outreach services.
The discussion of the center’s implementation is divided into four sections to present a comprehensive description of its planning process, funding, and design:
- Planning for community engagement
- The idea: developing an extension center at a private urban university
- Creating a physical hub for neighborhood engagement
- Planning the facility
The article closes with a report on early outcomes that have been identified: the introduction of community dinners, the creation of a stakeholder advisory council, and the establishment of volunteer committees that are planning to host a visioning event that will feature a creative building process along with an opportunity for participants to review and revise the vision and goals outlined during the original planning process.

Abstract: This article uses the planning process for the International Living-Learning Center (ILLC) at Oregon State University (OSU) to describe how the needs of international students are being served through residential living-learning communities. The number of international students enrolled in the United States has increased 43 percent over the past decade to a record high of over 800,000 students. Colleges and universities across the country are recruiting international students, but for these efforts to be successful, postsecondary institutions must support the students as they navigate a new cultural landscape. OSU and INTO University Partnerships (IUP), a private company from the United Kingdom that partners with higher education institutions, decided to plan for the students’ success by creating specialized housing facilities, both physically and with specialized residential programming. By examining the integrated planning process for the unique services this facility offers, this article will help postsecondary institutions plan for facilities and programs catering to international students on their own campuses.

Abstract: The University of Pittsburgh is committed to improving its Division I varsity sports venues and intramural sports and recreational facilities to meet the needs of student athletes, the general student body, staff, and faculty. In 2004, the university completed an Athletic and Recreation Facilities Master Plan. Since its completion, the document has guided the university’s development and renovation efforts on the Upper Campus. However, facilities for these programs remain a pressing need. Given its accomplishments since the completion of the 2004 master plan, the university determined that it needed to revisit and revise the plan to address unresolved issues, take on new challenges, and explore new opportunities that achieve the following objectives: strengthen the geographic definition of the university’s athletic campus within the greater context of the campus as a whole; optimize the university’s limited land and facilities assets such as Trees Field, the OC Lot, Petersen Sports Complex, Trees Hall, Fitzgerald Field House, and other potential sites to identify the highest and best use to meet current and future academic, athletic, and recreational program deficiencies; improve efficiencies in existing facilities where space has been vacated due to the construction of new facilities; and determine where consolidation and cross-departmental sharing is warranted and where space is suited for renovation and reuse.

Abstract: This report was produced by the research team awarded the M. Perry Chapman Prize for 2013–2014.

As the recipients of the 2012–2013 Perry Chapman Prize show in their report, Research on Learning Design: Present State, Future Directions, the study of learning spaces in tertiary education is an emerging field in which the key issues are to “establish a body of knowledge that will guide the design, remodel, and use of new and existing learning spaces” and “evaluate these learning spaces by developing research to determine whether and how they fulfill their purposes.”

This report aims to produce complementary work by addressing the larger context of the university campus and students’ perceptions and experiences of their learning at the tertiary level more generally. Rather than starting from environmental psychology or behaviorist models, it explores the value of applying contemporary approaches from the social sciences to learning space design, an approach increasingly being developed. This, however, is not just a matter of applying a different research method; it also concerns the underlying problem of how we conceptualize relationships between material space and its occupation both generally and specifically in relationship to learning. In fact, over the last few years, theorists across many disciplines that deal with material space—such as geography, anthropology, and science and technology studies—have been critically examining precisely this issue of rethinking how to conceptualize the interrelationships between space, people, artifacts, and activities.

Abstract: Sustainability guidelines for campuses typically focus on the environmental, structural, and organizational aspects of colleges and universities. The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) expands the definition of campus sustainability by including “Socially Equitable” design guidelines that consider how people interact with and within campus landscapes. Landscapes that afford (1) mental restoration and (2) social interaction become sustainable under the SITES definition. This study conducted at Agnes Scott College and The University of Georgia tests the criteria associated with these guidelines to determine their relevance and impact. Through mapping exercises, direct observation, and a questionnaire survey, data were collected from 120 students to determine which “sustainable” criteria are relevant to campus landscapes. The findings confirm the criteria listed in the SITES guidelines and introduce additional criteria to consider for enhancing Socially Equitable design standards on campus.

Abstract: Branding is a strategy that many universities have adopted to enhance their competitive position in the marketplace. In this article the author explores the important role that the visual image of the campus can play in any branding strategy. He suggests a variety of measures that can be taken to enhance the visual quality of the institution and indicates which can be most effectively used on various types of campuses as part of an effort to strengthen the university’s brand. He also identifies elements of analytical data needed to inform the decision-making process.