Designing and building for collaborative learning

The profile of students attending university has dramatically changed in the past 50 years. Other significant changes can be seen in the way in which teachers and students think about and engage in teaching and learning, particularly with the introduction of ICTs and greater the flexibility in the ways degrees can be studied. However, the physical spaces in which the teaching and learning takes place has remained largely unchanged. This is understandable as buildings are enduring and built to last across decades and centuries. It would be expected that new buildings in universities would be designed to take into account the needs of current and future students and teachers, however, this issue has only recently gained attention.

Over the past 7 years, the University of Queensland has designed a number of buildings and spaces in recognition of this issue. This has involved establishing strong collaborative links between the architects, teachers and students, building facilities staff, and the service providers such as staff in information technology, library and administration services.

Our most recent building has specifically designed teaching and learning space to promote and facilitate collaborative learning and teaching. There are informal meeting spaces, a café, and formal teaching spaces over two levels. The interior design, furniture and fittings have been specifically designed to maximize the likelihood of engaging students in collaborate and cooperative learning. The showcase presentation will highlight the process of planning and the collaboration that took place with all the stakeholders to design and build the space.