Future of Learning Spaces in Higher Education

Reflections on the PKAL-in-Boston Forum for Architects & Friends

Purpose: To explore the question, "what is the question that you would like your clients (those just now anticipating new spaces for science) to be asking you?"

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what is the teaching/learning experience of the future to be like?

ResponsesResponse:

• it will be a just-in-time remote (virtual) laboratory one that provides remote access to instrumentation, rather than fitting all equipment into every science facility; learners (students and faculty) will be able to see/use the experimental devices through webcam, and be able to control the devices remotely with a browser.
• one which is a model for how we want to work and to live
• one that enables synchronous learning and teaching across the globe 24/7, distributing information, ideas, and materials
• the university/college will be seen as a "publishing" entity, producing content for global distribution to learners
• the laboratory will become a "maintenance of experiments" device rather than a source of discovery
• there will be "micro-economic" collectives (such as MIT is now creating), alliances when and where they are needed (just-in-time)
• simulations of things very small and very large will be created
• learning gains will be improved as faculty match technologies to attention spans to receptivity and styles of learning
• there will be new physical characteristics of these remote labs:
  • there will be virtualized access to shared resources, with high density shared housing services
  • the climate control of resource space will be modeled and adjusted remotely
  • there will have to be new financial models to account for the purchase and use and maintenance of these resources
  • we will have to figure out how to overcome social barriers, by making all surfaces writable, by capturing everything

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