Page 18 - School Planning & Management, May 2017

COVER STORY
ARCHITECTURAL INNOVATIONS FOR IMMERSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN K-12 SCHOOLS
New forms of architecture design for K-12 schools are creating in-depth, adaptive and flexible learning spaces
for students with diverse and changing learning needs.
By Mark Marchisen, Tim Williams, AIA, and Don Eberly
PHOTOS © 2016 BRIAN GASSEL PHOTOGRAPHY
There is a growing surge of acTiviTy focused on developing new learning environmenTs in response To demands for increased inTer- acTion, collaboraTion, connecTiviTy, engagemenT and communiTy. This movemenT is spearheaded by The need To accommodaTe The vari- eTy of idenTified ways in which sTudenTs learn. innovaTive school fa- ciliTy design is The key inTegraTor of mulTimodal learning concepTs, academic cusTomizaTion and Technology synThesis for exisTing and new k-12 schools.
Non-traditional, Immersive Learning Environments, or “Learning- scapes,” are generally designed around five distinct types of learning activities, namely: Individual study, collaborative small group, break- out lecture, community classroom and exploratory workshop spaces.
Each of these has specific needs in terms of space, configurations, technologies, finishes, furniture, acoustics and lighting. For example, individual study areas define intimate spaces designed for individual investigation, critical thinking and assessment. Collaborative small group areas integrate flexible team spaces for project-based learning and collaboration.
Workshop areas accommodate hands-on exploration and test- ing, similar to a science lab. Breakout lecture areas include gathering spaces intended for short discourses and distant learning. Community classroom areas are shared spaces planned for social learning and co- planning in groups. The relationship and configuration of these spaces, in conjunction with a central teaching-team planning area, are the de- sign components used to develop such environments.
Mutual Education and Learning
“Immersive Learning Environments, also known as active learn- ing, personalized learning or project-based learning, promote diverse
teaching strategies aimed at changing the idea of one teacher in one room in favor of a more migratory educational experience,” explains Kirk Marchisen, principal and vice president of Ste- vens & Wilkinson, in Atlanta. “The variety of space typologies permits a team of teachers to jointly devise the curriculum and workflow into ‘neigh- borhoods’ of learning to improve teacher-to-student and student-to- student interaction and educational outcomes.”
Learning neighborhoods are bet- ter for both students and teachers. Rather than transitioning from one fixed classroom to another, or remain- ing with the same teacher all day, students may be given the choice to work either individually, or study col- laboratively in groups of varying sizes and learning abilities.
This expanded learning format requires more interaction and co- operation among the teaching team to develop plans that are unified yet diverse in their offerings.
Professional development focused on activity coordination and the
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