Fresh thinking, from a pod.
Stepping into our learning space in Trinity’s Oriel House is like stepping into no ordinary classroom. As learning environments go this one is different. There are no rows of desks, no top of the classroom, and no single direction for teaching.
Instead, the space is designed to facilitate the type of learning that Bridge21 aims to model.
The space is divided into two rooms. The first, a forest room, is designed on the concept of ‘pods’. Each pod, formed with curved walls and non-linear spaces, houses two desktop computers, where teams of five cluster to work on individual projects. The colour palette is natural and organic, setting up a calming, welcoming tone as you enter the space.
The other learning room is brightly painted with urban murals and designed as a flexible space to facilitate clustered group work, open plan discussion, debate and dialogue and quiet individual reflection time. The colour palette here is vibrant and dynamic, aiming to stimulate interaction between individuals, teams and mentors. Tables and chairs can be rearranged according to the needs of the team.
By creating a flexible learning environment and thinking, at the design stage, about how the space will mediate and facilitate learning, has enabled the Bridge21 to build innovative learning experiences around teamwork and technology.
We are interested in hearing about examples of creative learning spaces that have an impact on the quality of learning that can happen. Please leave comments below.
