Learning spaces
There is growing interest in the relationship between architectural design and pedagogy in higher education.
Research indicates that space matters,impacting the quality and nature ofinteraction between students and lecturers, and between peers.
At the University of Winchester there has been a research-led approach tounderstanding the impact ofteaching and learning spaces on pedagogy. In 2006/7, research into teachingspaces was undertaken at Winchester by the University's Research and Teaching Fellow and a qualified architect. Findings from the research were presented at the annual Higher Education Conference in 2008. The research found that the shape and micro-design (furniture, layout etc) of a teaching space influenced the kind of teaching that took place within it.
Further research has drawn on the student experience of teaching and learning spaces within faculties, and has being synthesised by members of the university management team. Members of the Learning and Teaching Development Unit advise the Estatesand Planning teams on pedagogically appropriate designs for teaching spaces, drawing on their research evidence base.