Informal Learning Spaces
Learning doesn't happen ONLY in the classroom! Informal learning spaces are all the locations on campus where students and faculty members gather to do learning outside scheduled classes.
Informal learning spaces are quickly becoming recognized as important in the learning process of students not only at the post-secondary level, but in K-12 education as well. McDonald (2013) explains that modern students prefer a variety of learning settings and activities, especially those that promote collaboration, hands-on learning, and direct interaction with teachers and peers. Informal, collaborative environments have been shown to provide just the right atmosphere for this type of learning.
Examples of typical informal learning spaces today include: Libraries/Learning Commons, Lounges, Resource or Study Rooms, Courtyards, Cafeterias, Technology Labs, and any other socially-oriented space located in the school. |
Researchers have identified several characteristics of successful informal learning spaces (McDaniel, 2014). These spaces must be:
- Flexible - allows students to adapt the environment around them to accommodate individual preferences; gives students a sense of ownership over their learning space, which increases motivation
- Supportive of a variety of activities - e.g., within the collaborative (less private) spaces, include small, intimate spaces (e.g. study carrels) where students feel free to focus on individual work
- Comfortable and appealing - comfortable furniture lends itself to a casual, appealing atmosphere, as does access to food/drink, WiFi, and other amenities; this attracts students to want to spend time in these spaces
- IT-rich - access to a range of modern technologies (WiFi, computer terminals, outlets for charging devices, printing/scanning stations, media labs, etc...essentially any tools which support research and communication
- In close proximity to formal learning spaces - this encourages students to connect the formal to the informal in a direct way - as they leave their formal instruction space (e.g. after a scheduled class ends), students will naturally continue discussion and engage with their peers regarding course material as they enter the informal space
Two examples of informal learning environments are provided from the research on subsequent pages:
"[Learning] environments can be designed to promote learning as an activity; support collaborative and formal inquiry; offer a personalized and inclusive environment; and be adaptable to meet changing needs" (JISC, 2006; McDaniel, 2014, p. 3).