We must create good social spaces for digital learning

debate ● yngve røe og tengel aas sandtrø

A new report shows that the physical design of classrooms must largely adapt to dynamic and hybrid forms of learning, according to the publication’s authors.

despite of That the diverse forms of student-centered learning in higher education are supported by research and desired by authorities, the introduction takes time. Hopes have been raised that digital learning technology will help reform teaching methods.

experiences from Before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, it shows that teachers are not good enough at combining digital technology with active student-centered teaching methods. As a result, Christine B. Meyer’s Article in Dagens Næringsliv How teachers struggle to get students back into physical lectures when they open.

medicine myers is that universities should rebuild halls, facilitate smaller student groups and increase interaction. We think Mayer is talking about something important here, but such a strategy should have a broader approach to the physical learning environment we want in the universities of the future.

One of the results In a recently published report Digital Mode 2021, is that the physical design of teaching spaces must largely adapt to dynamic and blended learning forms.

Universities have Often it is a building with different room categories, of which traditional halls are a part. In a professional university like OsloMet, on the other hand, there is another class of rooms, the so-called private rooms, which account for more than half of the teaching rooms.

private rooms Designed to teach skills that are often program-specific. Examples include a chemistry lab in engineering education, or a sitting room in a physical therapist’s education.

From From an educational perspective, private rooms are more or less suitable for educational diversity, or set up for digital learning. We believe the large scale of these rooms can help slow the transition to a more active and diverse digital curriculum.

OsloMet was early In order to facilitate digital transformation. From 2014, systematic work began to facilitate technology-rich classrooms. The first technology-rich room, Prolab (Professional Laboratory), is designed to test and diversify active digital learning methods.

based on experience Prolab has since changed hands several times and today is a technology-rich group-based room that seats 66 students. The room is equipped with a group table, small screens for group presentations, 5 large screens for general presentations, and a fixed personal computer for the teacher with Sympodium Smartboard.

Number of groups and places It has been changed by many repetitions (repetition), but is now 11 groups of 6 students. One example of testing was lowering the threshold for students to view their work, by having students and teachers present from a PC or mobile phone on large screens over the wireless network, no matter where they are in the room.

First experiences With the use of Prolab in teaching in reverse class it was very good and Scientifically Connected. Based on testing at Prolab, many of these classes have been created since 2015, following the same model. Based on the experiment, changes were made, such as moving the catheter in the middle of the floor, surrounded by groups of students on all sides.

de technologyGroup-based rooms invite active collaboration between students, and less teacher-led activity. The infrastructure is simple, with large wall-mounted screens spread throughout the room and communal tables with accessible power outlets.

Point Here that the rooms are not developed for a specific pedagogical model, but to diversify learning styles. The basic furniture in the rooms means that the students work in a team manner, which we believe is an important pedagogical premise.

de technology Classes quickly became popular among teachers. Initially, these rooms were often used for traditional teaching methods. Later, rooms were increasingly used for what they were designed for, namely active digital pedagogy.

From the teacher’s point of view Technology-rich classrooms can be challenging. Results from our own research However, he points out that digital teaching in such settings provides more social interaction and therefore a different kind of knowledge.

He made the epidemic visible Poor physical attendance to control infection. In the wake of this historical situation, universities may make hasty decisions to develop so-called hybrid classrooms (rooms where online teaching and physical education take place simultaneously).

Rooms required Technical infrastructure is expensive, and teaching will be difficult to operate for teachers. As a result, we believe educational planning and diversity will suffer. Even worse, social interaction among students can easily be damaged.

we miss Good pedagogical reasons for co-ed rooms and concerns that it might help slow the introduction of active digital pedagogy.

to succeed With digital transformation, it is important that universities now effectively control the physical learning environment, i.e. classrooms. There is a need for many large, technology-rich teaching spaces that provide opportunities for educational diversity and that are good social spaces to live in.

must be Campus life even after normal business hours! In order to bring about change, critical focus must be placed on those parts of the teaching field that prevent the introduction of active digital pedagogy.

The signals sent by the classroom In terms of teaching and learning, it should not be underestimated. Higher education is an educational journey where students have to get to know each other and learn to work in teams. Let’s create quality digital learning social spaces that enhance well-being and raise the quality of education.

Tengel Aas Sandtrø has worked with the digital rooms at property management, OsloMet.

Yngve Røe researches methods for teaching active digital learning in higher education.

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