Learning Space and Students

The virtual and physical features of learning spaces play a strong role in their effectiveness and

by affecting student learning on society, as Winston Churchill (1943) implied, "We shape our buildings

and afterwards our buildings shape us."

Kurt Lewin's field theory and life space, Urie Bronfenbrenner's concept of microsystem, Jean

Lave and Etienne Wenger's situated learning theory, and others have long been proven the significance of

interactions between individuals and their environment (Kolb & Kolb, 2005).

Research conducted by Brooks (2012) continues to show us that active learning, and learning

spaces configured to support active learning, contribute to more effective learning and encourage

different methods of instruction.

The preceding observational analysis has contributed a significantly improved understanding of how

formal classroom space shapes the behavior of instructors and students who work within them. In general

terms, we have provided empirical evidence of a causal relationship that can be stated best in syllogistic

terms: 1) space shapes instructor behavior and classroom activities; 2) instructor behavior and classroom

activities shape on-task student behavior; therefore, 3) space shapes on-task student behavior.

Specifically, different classroom types are conducive to different outcomes: traditional classrooms

encourage lecture at the expense of active learning techniques while ALCs marginalize the effectiveness

of lecture while punctuating the importance of active learning approaches to instruction, but both are

effective at producing high levels of on-task student behavior. This suggests that different spaces are

better suited for different types of activities, but can still achieve similar results. Furthermore, the

evidence that active learning techniques do not work well in a lecture classroom and lecture does not
work in an ALC suggests that instructors should consider adjusting their pedagogy to fit the space in

which their course is held.

In the article published by Rémy Cagnol (2013), “Will Coworking Spaces be the New
Classrooms?” he cited that there’s a natural connection between school and coworking by noting that
students are used to study and work on their assignments at coffee shops, academic libraries and other
public places. A coworking space would be a natural alternative for students because it would somehow
merge their familiar spaces like home and school. A coworking environment as a classroom would allow
students to work and learn with the benefits of regular coworkers (Cagnol, 2013). That means working in
a comfortable and informal space; work and study when and for as long as they need; get familiar with
the local entrepreneurship ecosystem; learn by experience and observation from the community; put
theory into practice; and the opportunity to look for internships and even employment opportunities
(Cagnol, 2013).

A third place between home and school: coworking spaces for students

Firstly, it is very likely that coworking was made for students. We can easily see this just by
looking at the number of students working in cafes, libraries and other « third » places that have
an internet connection.
Space Skylight Phoenix tells parents that a membership to the space would "make a great
holiday gift for your serious scholars and future business leaders". The benefits for students are
indeed numerous:
- Working in less crowded areas, such as cafes or libraries.
- Ability to work for more extended periods of time
- Ability to learn about entrepreneurship
- Hands-on experience from a community of experts
- Putting theory into practice
- Conducting personal projects in a motivating work environment
- Access to internship opportunities and employment
These benefits suggest that innovation and creativity generated in coworking communities may
very well transfer over to universities. However, the universities also have an important role to
play.

Academic Libraries as Learning Spaces

According to Walton (2006), to access resources, to use learning space; and to benefit from the

environment are some of the major reasons why library is utilized. While Cannell (2007) specified that

library is used as a place to look for books/electronic resources, get assistance to work, employs e-

learning resources, celebrate research and meet together. Library is an accessible place for students to

revise and study for examinations and research. Students are able to employ books and electronic

information simultaneously. Learning space of varying purposes are provided like carrels which are

sound proof, study rooms which may be noisy, rooms for serious work and group work/assignment. The

learning environment in the library should be attractive enough to study better than the home

environment. It should be tranquil and with no distraction.

One key concept is that the library as a place must be self-organizing—that is, sufficiently

flexible to meet changing space needs… The use of electronic databases, digitized formats, and

interactive media has also fostered a major shift from the dominance of independent study to more

collaborative and interactive learning. A student can go to this place called the “library” and see it as a

logical extension of the classroom. It is a place to access and explore with fellow students information in

a variety of formats, analyze the information in group discussion, and produce a publication or a

presentation for the next day’s seminar. To address this need, libraries must provide numerous

technology-infused group study rooms and project-development spaces. As “laboratories that learn,”

these spaces are designed to be easily reconfigured in response to new technologies and pedagogies. In

this interactive learning environment, it is important to accommodate the sound of learning—lively group

discussions or intense conversations over coffee—while controlling the impact of acoustics on

surrounding space. We must never lose sight of the dedicated, contemplative spaces that will remain an

important aspect of any place of scholarship.

Freeman (2005) stressed that academic library as a place holds a unique position on campus as it

symbolically and physically embodies heart of the academe. Freeman articulated that its architectural

expression and citing continue to reflect the unique legacy and traditions the academe of which it is a part.
A good academic library building as a place is expected to deliver flexible learning space and reading

rooms that encourages learning and scholarship.

Given this longstanding practice, it is no surprise that the traditional library we inherit today is

not the library of the future. To meet today’s academic needs as well as those in the future, the library

must reflect the values, mission, and goals of the institution of which it is a part, while also

accommodating myriad new information and learning technologies and the ways we access and use them.

As an extension of the classroom, library space needs to embody new pedagogies, including collaborative

and interactive learning modalities. Significantly, the library must serve as the principal building on

campus where one can truly experience and benefit from the centrality of an institution’s intellectual

community.

While some groups are regarding the Library as a “deserted library” (Carlson, 2001) and arguing

that it is no more significant in this digital era, others are sustaining the ground that library is still a place

to use for study, learning and research.

Scott Carlson in his 2001 article ―Deserted Library‖ for the Chronicle of Higher Education, says

―The shift leaves many librarians and scholars wondering and worrying about the future of what has

traditionally been the social and intellectual heart of campus, as well as about whether students are

learning differently now – or learning at all. Many academic librarians saw the decline and began

reinventing their libraries proactively.

 Smith et al. (2005) cited by Ugwuanyi et al. (2011) supported this statement that “library is still

indispensable as a place or base for teaching, learning and research in the digital age.” Essentially, what

has taken place is that the importance of Library space is shifting from the content on our shelves to how

students use and learn in our space.

Library is still indispensable as a place or base for teaching, learning and research in the digital

age. This is made possible the adoption of the concept of information commons which insists on

interactivity and collaboration by users in the library environment. The paradigm shift in information

resources from print to electronic and services from manual to electronics, calls for critical examination

of the concepts, principles and features of library as space and place. This will in no doubt position the

present library and library of the future in the same line with the trend.

Reference

Brooks, C. (2012). Space and consequences: The impact of different formal learning spaces on
instructor and student behavior. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from UNCG:
http://libjournal.uncg.edu/index.php/jls/article/view/285/275
Kolb, A., & Kolb, D. (2005). Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential
Learning in Higher Education. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 193-212.

Cannell, S. (2007).The changing research environment: Implications for library space. SCONUL Focus,

40: 43-46.

Walton G (2006). Learners’ Demands and Expectations for space in aUniversity Library: Outcomes from

a survey at LoughboroughUniversity. Rev. Acad. Librarianship, 12(2): 133-150.

Ugwuanyi, C. F., Okwor, R. N. and Ezeji, E. C. (2011). Library space and place: nature, use and impact

on academic library. International Journal of Library and Information Science, 3(5): 92-97.
Carlson, S. (2001).The Deserted Library. Chronicle of Higher Education 48(12): A35-A36.

Freeman, G. T. (2005). The library as place: Changes in learning patterns, collections, technology, and

use. In Library as Place: Rethinking Roles, Rethinking Space. CLIR Publication No. 129: 1-9.

Washington, D.C. Council on Library and Information Resources. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from

http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub129/pub129.pdf

Cagnol, R. (2013). Will Coworking Spaces Be The New Classrooms? DeskMag. Retrieved
November 10, 2019, from http://www.deskmag.com/en/will-coworking-spaces-be-the-new-classrooms-
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