Fostering Healthy Learning Communities through Informal Spaces

Miyoung Hong (University of Nebraska–Lincoln)

Objective. This presentation will share preliminary results from a comparative research study evaluating how informal learning spaces can best support building healthy learning communities for students in higher education.

Background. Universities are seeking to advance learning beyond the classroom, recognizing the critical role environmental design can play in both students’ pursuit of educational goals and strengthening campus communities. Recent approaches to reconfigure facilities on campus incorporate informal spaces—non-classroom locations such as libraries, common areas, corridors, and stairwells—supporting a wider range of student-based engagements. The open concept, coffee shop aesthetic, and emphasis on flexible and collaborative spaces have helped reinvigorate many higher education settings and become a new construction archetype, but little empirical research exists examining their efficacy (Deed & Alterator, 2017; Head, 2016).

Methods. This research employs a sequential mixed-methods multi-case study approach investigating informal learning spaces at five disparate locations at a large midwestern public university. Quantitative and qualitative data are currently being gathered from each site through: 1) direct unobtrusive observations to record end-users’ activities; 2) random-sample walk-up surveys to gather a representative and multi-modal activity profile; and 3) focus group interviews to provide successful aspects of design.

Results. With data collection and analyses currently underway, early findings indicate distinct differences between how spaces were designed for use and students’ actual use. Additionally, use of the spaces appear to differ according to gender, major, and identified tasks. Full findings will be reported at the conference.

Implications. Findings from this study can be practically applied to the design of informal learning spaces in higher education that more effectively supports the diverse needs of college students. Further, results of this evaluation should be shared with campus facility planners, designers, and administrators to ensure that lessons learned can inform future projects, and advance the future of learning environments throughout higher education.