Exploring the Six Learning Spaces

Over the past few decades, education has changed radically, in all aspects of the word. Gone are the days when every day at school is the same, with the students sat facing the board, two people per table, working individually to complete the tasks. Education in the 21st century portrays the change in not only the content being taught, but also the way in which it is being taught.  New technologies have changed the educational landscape (Kop and Fournier, 2010), and education has moved away from these old views, and are moving towards creating a learning environment that is ultimately revolving around the students, allowing them to have a say in what and how they learn.

 

All the 6 spaces explored here are interconnected, working cohesively to ensure optimal learning, and are designed to adapt to change.

A school that offers optimal learning goals and achieve these goals will incorporate aspects of all of these 6 learning spaces.

The personal learning space and the liminal learning space bookend these 6 spaces. Although these are not seen to be ‘physical’ learning spaces, they are vital in the ultimate achievement of an education system. Education has moved away from this concept of 4 walls and one room, and is moving into thinking about accommodating for the changes in the parameters of learning, with the focus on society, the environment, technology, and the way in which best learning can occur.

 

Bentley and Gardner (2012) discuss the importance of the next century of education ensuring there is an active partnership between the adults (teachers, principles, parents) and the students themselves, as they are the ones who will do the learning. This concept is explored within all the spaces.

The way in which these 6 spaces are set up allow for change; that is each space can be tailored to suit each individual students personal learning style. As stated by Gardner (1983 ,2003, 2009) (as cited by Woolfolk and Margetts, 2013), students can possess multiple different learning styles, known as multiple intelligences.