How to facilitate teachers to make the learning environment work in the 21st century?

“If you are a fish the last thing you would discover is the water. In higher education, we have not given sufficient thought to our surroundings of teaching & learning, and yet they are fundamental for the process of learning. We have to wake up and realise that we are no longer fish where we ever haven't thought about the water or in our case the places where we teach and learn.” (Prof Dr Colin Beard).

The environment (physical, digital, social) is a catalyst for people’s performance and therefore has a strategic impact. How to get the (latent) question about optimizing/improving the physical, digital and social learn/work environment on the agenda of the management board?

Definition of Experiential Learning:

1. When the experience takes centre stage.
2. The design of the experience takes centre stage in the learning (experience centred).
3. Focused around the learner (learner-centred).
4. Experiential learning is acquaintance with rather than knowledge of.

Let the learners do the learning. Don’t go too fast and don’t try to do too much.

Using gesture-based technologies (spatial recognition) have the potential to liberate the human mind to the next layer.

Having a greater awareness of space is the first step. Teachers should their voice have heard in the tribes of real estate, facilities management, IT and Human Resources. But that begs the question do they know what their ideal classroom feels and looks like?

Topics being discussed:

• Learning Experience Designs (LED)
• What is Experiential Learning?
• Giraffe effect (engagement with the subject).
• Improving learn/work environment for 21st-century teaching & learning.
• The environment of teaching & learning plays an important part.
• If you are a fish the last thing you would discover is the water.
• Spatial dynamics. Space is the new frontier.
• Involvement of caretakers and users of space & place.
• All the rooms? All teachers embracing the new space dynamics?
• The HR department in charge of the required cultural change?
• Space generates behaviour and behaviour drives space design.
• How to start getting people involved in different use of space?
• Digital learn/work environment.
• Technology has the potential now to go large.
• Spatial dynamic of big space can have a major impact.
• Big space and working in teams (social environment).
• Need to make thinking and learning visible.
• How to involve senior management in using space differently?
• Where and how to start for some quick wins?
• Is a conductor to orchestrate desired change required?

BIO:

Professor Colin Beard BSc., M.Ed., PhD is a National Teaching Fellow, and a Professor of Experiential Learning at Sheffield Business School, part of Sheffield Hallam University. His research interests are the multi-disciplinary theories and practices of human learning.

He is recognised as a leading global thinker, writer and skilled practitioner in Experiential Learning. Colin has worked with many organisations advising on learning and development.

He is a member of the editorial panel of several leading journals. And the co-author and author of some best-selling books including Experiential Learning and The Experiential Learning Toolkit.

He is also the owner of the consultancy firm Experience – the Difference.

More information you can find on the website: https://colinbeardblog.wordpress.com/