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Over the past decade, universities and colleges of all types and sizes have started to rethink the traditional classrooms. From incorporating cutting edge technology to maximum flexibility when it comes to room layout, these cutting-edge learning spaces are not only improving classroom design from an aesthetic/comfort point of view, their transforming the very nature of higher education by ushering a new era of collaborative, social and interactive learning.

With this in mind, we at Future Learning Spaces put together this list of the Top 5 Learning Spaces Trends that are not only changing the spaces we learn in, but transforming the educational experience from the outside in. 

There’s a lot going on when it comes to the future of learning spaces. Whether it’s innovations in small institutions, big universities, academics or facilities management, our upcoming Boston conference November 18th-20th focuses on cutting-edge projects that are true game changers in the world of higher learning. With representatives from venerated institutions like Boston College, Auburn College, UMass Amherst, Northeastern University, Smith College and more—it’s apparent these construction projects raise the bar and break the mold when it comes to future learning spaces.

In this infographic, we highlight the top higher education construction projects of 2019-2020 to showcase how the world's leading universities are embracing cutting-edge learning space technology and design techniques to foster innovation and elevate the student experience.

Find out how universities from all across the globe are:

• Designing spaces that cater to different learning types
• Blend physical and virtual learning
• Develop future-minded instructional techniques
• Link space to pedagogy 
• Create unique, individualized learning experiences
• Measure the impact of student engagement 

Today’s classroom needs an upgrade to support 21st Century teaching. Despite shifts in teaching methods, the physical classroom has more or less remained stubbornly static. Nonetheless there are notable efforts to address this issue as educational institutions strive for innovation in developing flexible and collaborative learning spaces. To discover more, the Next Generation Learning Spaces team spoke to three industry leaders from prominent institutions on the strategies they are implementing.

What universities can learn from primary education. 

With classrooms shifting from whiteboards to smart boards, traditional layouts to open plan spaces, and teacher-led lessons to more collaborative learning experiences, it’s more crucial than ever to recognise these trends to remain competitive. At the forefront of these changes is technology; its interactive and immersive qualities enhance students’ desire to learn and retain information.

Find out how your learning peers have successfully integrated and implemented cutting edge technology and blockchain, revolutionizing their learning spaces to foster experiential learning outcomes.

Close your eyes. Imagine a space 100% dedicated to creativity. It has exclusive, high-tech tools you can’t find anywhere else. It is outfitted with plush, comfortable furniture that enhance hardcore brainstorming sessions. It’s open and spacious, but contained enough to not be overwhelming. There is only one thing asked of you when you enter the space: get creative.

These fantasy lands are real and they’re called makerspaces. Simply defined as collaborative work spaces found within schools, libraries, or other public/private facilities, makerspaces are dedicated to learning, exploration, and sharing. They bring the latest technology that individuals can’t find elsewhere into one space for students to test out. They encourage users to get outside of their comfort zones and blur academic lines.

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Mindfully designed active learning spaces support learner-centered teaching and learning strategies that are far from the classic lectures many students are used to experiencing. Using evidence-based interactive and collaborative pedagogies often results in learning spaces that are chaotic, loud and intellectually messy. Knowing that students’ brains aren’t equally wired to optimize these types of learning environments, when designing and using these spaces, it is imperative that a wide array of students’ learning preferences be considered.

In this session participants will:

• Outline a framework for building cognitively inclusive learning environment
• Focus on the evidence supporting the emerging need to consider students’ learning differences
• Identify resources for end users to start designing experience on their own

Presentation by: 

• Jeffrey Ashley, Director of Teaching & Learning Center, Thomas Jefferson University
• Marie-Christine Potvin, Interim Director Occupational Therapy Program, Thomas Jefferson University
• Martha Añez, Associate Director Interior Design, Interior Architecture Programs, Thomas Jefferson University

Within the learning spaces discipline, much focus has been placed on state-of-the-art active learning spaces, and research has shown the value and impact that these spaces can have on student learning and success is well worth the cost. Nonetheless, the prohibitive cost of these high-end spaces leads to inequitable access to these transformative opportunities, especially in historically underfunded public institutions which increasingly serve first-generation, underrepresented minorities. To ensure equitable learning and teaching experiences, campuses and industry partners should be encouraged to focus on creating inclusive, affordable, accessible and scalable “Learning-Ready Classrooms” that support the multiple teaching identities and philosophies of faculty, and the physiological, cultural, and cognitive needs of all students.

Through facilitated discussion, hands-on activities and real-life examples, participants will:

• Explore how notions of equity and inclusion pertain to learning space design
• Dissect how to apply key strategies for fostering equitable and inclusive space design within their own institutional contexts
• Discuss how concepts of equity and inclusion contribute to student success, as applied to the public and private institutional contexts of the participants
• Define the characteristics of culturally inclusive, universally accessible, and fiscally responsible “learning-ready classrooms,” within the framework of the EDUcause Learning Space Rating System
• Outline ways to implement institutional strategies, processes, and governance structures to foster cross-departmental partnerships that lead to the development of “learning-ready classrooms” at scale

Presentation by:

Maggie Beers, Executive Director of Academic Technology, San Francisco State University

In higher education today, data analytics is becoming a catalyst to systematically assessing the effectiveness of learning space designs and their maintenance and operations. While university space leaders are getting increasingly creative and granular about capturing data from learning spaces, its overall adoption is still few and far between. Drawing on specific examples championed within ITS Learning Environments, this mind-opener will go through the whys and how's of AV data in higher education to transform spaces, and how it can be a strong communication strategy for stakeholder buy-in.

The ITSD LE data visualization solution brings all the data you too might care about such as room scheduling, room use, customer service, device usage, inventory, staffing, financial and project management data into one single place. This helps to tell the story behind the data. In their presentation, Megan and Chi will discuss:

• Why data and its analysis is important in higher ed learning space design & operations
• How the AV tech team developed its networked AV system architecture roadmap
• How data helps us tell audiences the stories we need to tell

Presentation by:

Megan Dee Durocher, AV/IT Solutions Architect, University of Southern California

Chi Hang Lo, IT Analyst, University of Southern California

A commonly heard buzzword in higher education is innovation. But what does innovation look like? What is the purpose of innovation? In reality, innovative practices may have nothing to do with technology. Instead, innovation may simply involve a shift in thinking, a new collaboration, a new perspective. In this session, we’ll look at how shifting our thinking on a project to update general classrooms and a student lab helped to promote collaboration, accessibility and the opportunity for more teaching and learning innovation.

In this session participants will:

• Examine how new collaborations fostered new perspectives
• Identify how to create innovative spaces within a tight budget
• Explore practical applications of innovations in teaching, learning and administrative environments

Presentation by:

Ana Thompson, Learning & Access Designer, University of Washington, Bothell

David Moehring, Senior Capital Planner, Physical Planning & Space Management, University of Washington Bothell

Andreas Brockhaus, Executive Director, Office of Digital Learning & Innovation, University of Washington, Bothell

Schools and learning institutions that switch to a cloud-based model are reporting increased savings, decreased costs, greater access to content and the ability to provide virtual help. Yet, many institutions are struggling with which elements of IT infrastructure integration. For example: Should you move into the cloud—and when? How do we create an inclusive experience for using the Cloud?

In this session, participants will explore the challenges, benefits, opportunities and risks associated around the Three Basic types of Cloud Computing being used in IT—Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service and Software as a Service.

Presentation by:

Catherine “Cate” Rudowsky , Dean of Libraries, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Edward Evans, Senior Associate Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi

An exploration of the 4 key elements of Future Learning Spaces:

• Space Redesign
• Collaboration
• Technology
• Pedagogy

Here is a list of the job titles and organizations that attended last year's Future Learning Spaces summit (formerly Next Generation Learning Spaces). Take a look to get an idea of who you can expect to meet in Boston this coming November.