Space matters

Abstract

Managing the space in which learning takes place is subject to ongoing debate. Spatial management and movement can impact upon the construction of meaning within education and upon the dynamic of learning. It is suggested that there are now different learning goals and expectations and consequently a need for different learning environments. We are urged to break out. Many constraints, however, result in everyday experience not being of high-tech, impressively designed formal and informal spaces. This article contributes to a navigation of the realities of learning space. It recognizes that the literature may be leaving the profession behind and that for many educators the opportunities of design are merely aspirations. Taking as its focal point the small seminar room with sparse furniture, it presents two studies to contribute ideas on how such non-ideal spaces might be managed; one looking at an alternative education space, the museum, and the second drawing on interviews with colleagues about their experiences.