Scaling-up Collaborative Learning for Large Introductory Courses Using Active Learning Spaces, TA training, and Computerized Team Management

Drawing broadly on the reflective practices of design case research, this paper reviews ten years of development, innovation and design in technology-rich collaborative learning classrooms and active learning pedagogy at Dawson College. Grounded in a process of Design-Based Implementation Research and leveraging Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships, Dawson College has been a leading hub of evidence-based pedagogical development in Quebec for a decade. By recognizing the important interplay of technology, spaces, tools, pedagogy and design, our institution has sustained continual growth in capacity and infrastructure when it comes to student-centred learning, and it has learned important lessons in capacity building that can be applied to higher-education institutions broadly and to engineering in particular.

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The Architecture of Built Pedagogy for Active Learning—A Case Study of a University Campus in Hong Kong

Buildings ◽

10.3390/buildings9110230 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 230

Author(s):

Edmond W.M. Lam ◽

Daniel W.M. Chan ◽

Irene Wong

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Active Learning ◽

Collaborative Learning ◽

Interior Design ◽

Design Principles ◽

University Education ◽

Learning Spaces ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

The Impact

Traditional teaching modes are engaged with teachers delivering knowledge to students with minimum feedback. Teaching is conducted in lecture theaters and classrooms, which are sometimes designed with minimum flexibility for university education. However, the rapid development of information and communication technologies has altered the teaching pedagogy from traditionally teacher-centered to more collaborative learning between teachers and students. Learning spaces should be designed to be interactive and collaborative with suitable physical movement and social engagement among teachers and students. This paper aims to examine the relationships between modern technology and pedagogical shift, and to identify and discuss the essential design principles for effective active learning through built pedagogy. A recent renovation project of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in converting conventional classrooms and lecture theaters to active learning spaces was adopted as a case study to illustrate and validate the design principles and their actual implementation. Feedback and responses from 410 end-user students on the impact of the renovated classrooms and lecture theaters on teaching and learning effectiveness were gleaned through empirical survey questionnaires dispatched face-to-face to students after attending classes in the renovated classrooms and lecture theaters. The results of factor analysis indicated that the 15 variables of key design criteria for active learning spaces were consolidated under six underlying clustered factor groups: (1) Versatility of learning space; (2) interior design of learning environment; (3) modern information technology / audio and video (IT/AV) technologies; (4) interior lighting; (5) comfortable furniture and acoustic design; and (6) interior temperature. The survey findings can serve as good references and useful insights for architects in designing new learning spaces and facilities that assist active and collaborative learning for university students in future.

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More than Chalkboards: Classroom Spaces and Collaborative Learning Attitudes

10.31219/osf.io/x2wep ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Virginia Clinton

Keyword(s):

Active Learning ◽

Collaborative Learning ◽

Student Perceptions ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Peer Interaction ◽

Perceived Value ◽

Learning Spaces ◽

Traditional Lecture ◽

Learning Attitudes ◽

Aviation Students

The well-known benefits of collaborative learning have prompted the development of active learning classrooms that are designed to facilitate peer interaction. Given the expense of designing active learning classrooms, examining student perceptions of these learning spaces is critical. Furthermore, it is not well understood how the type of classroom (active learning or traditional lecture) relates to students’ perceptions of collaborative learning. In this study, aviation students (N = 46) were enrolled in the same course taught in the same active-learning manner by the same professor with one section taught in an active-learning classroom and one taught in a traditional lecture classroom. Results indicated that students perceived the active-learning classroom as much better suited to collaborative learning than the traditional lecture classroom. In addition, students in the active-learning classroom reported higher-levels of perceived value of collaborative learning, both in terms of enjoyment and usefulness, than did students in the traditional lecture classroom. Implications for designing learning environments and promoting the value of active learning to students are discussed.

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Assessing Child Communication Engagement via Speech Recognition in Naturalistic Active Learning Spaces

10.21437/odyssey.2020-56 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Rasa Lileikyte ◽

Dwight Irvin ◽

John H. L. Hansen

Keyword(s):

Speech Recognition ◽

Active Learning ◽

Learning Spaces

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Studying Collaboration Dynamics in Physical Learning Spaces: Considering the Temporal Perspective through Epistemic Network Analysis

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21092898 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (9) ◽

pp. 2898

Author(s):

Milica Vujovic ◽

Ishari Amarasinghe ◽

Davinia Hernández-Leo

Keyword(s):

Collaborative Learning ◽

Temporal Analysis ◽

Learning Design ◽

Learning Spaces ◽

Limited Evidence ◽

Temporal Perspective ◽

Learning Space ◽

Collaboration Dynamics ◽

Collaborative Activities

The role of the learning space is especially relevant in the application of active pedagogies, for example those involving collaborative activities. However, there is limited evidence informing learning design on the potential effects of collaborative learning spaces. In particular, there is a lack of studies generating evidence derived from temporal analyses of the influence of learning spaces on the collaborative learning process. The temporal analysis perspective has been shown to be essential in the analysis of collaboration processes, as it reveals the relationships between students’ actions. The aim of this study is to explore the potential of a temporal perspective to broaden understanding of the effects of table shape on collaboration when different group sizes and genders are considered. On-task actions such as explanation, discussion, non-verbal interaction, and interaction with physical artefacts were observed while students were engaged in engineering design tasks. Results suggest that table shape influences student behaviour when taking into account different group sizes and different genders.

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