為了使我們的學生在12年初高級教育后成為職場和人生贏家，我們的教育系統(tǒng)不能只是再強調(diào)死記硬背和考試了。為了在全球經(jīng)濟中獲得一席之地，必須注重知識的實際應(yīng)用。學生必須擅長于搜索信息，以便在未來工作中面對無法預(yù)料的問題時，能夠利用這些信息來解決問題，在未知的技術(shù)領(lǐng)域大展身手。

因此，現(xiàn)今的教育應(yīng)注重實踐：各種學習環(huán)境下針對各種學習模式的實踐性學習、體驗式學習和互動教學。這種轉(zhuǎn)變更加反映出學生在進入21世紀職場時被賦予的期望。在過去二十年中，企業(yè)單位已經(jīng)變得更加全球化，而雇員也更加多樣化。因此，雇主會優(yōu)先考慮傳統(tǒng)的 “軟” 技能，例如團隊合作能力、組織和優(yōu)先處理工作的能力、決策及解決問題的能力、以及口頭和書面溝通能力。為了開發(fā)學生這些能力，我們需要從根本上重塑教育。那么，我們從哪里開始呢？第一步是重新思考如何利用學習環(huán)境支持新的教學方法。

對未來學習的預(yù)測

我們的孩子需要什么樣的技能來確保在未來取得成功？當今的一些高薪職業(yè)，例如云計算專家、應(yīng)用程序開發(fā)人員和無人駕駛汽車工程師等，在20年前根本不存在1。學校如何使學生做好準備，面對擁有無限可能的未來? 答案是教育我們的孩子批判性地思考、理解沖突的信息并制定創(chuàng)造性的解決方案。他們必須學會在團體中高效工作，并明白學習不僅僅限于學校，學習無所不在。他們須要成為一名終身學習者。

強調(diào)記憶和考試的傳統(tǒng)學校不符合未來的需要。面向未來的學校須要為學生提供多種學習方式選擇，包括教學方法和多樣化的空間，支持多種學習模式。成行排列的桌椅不支持小組作業(yè)和社交談判技巧的發(fā)展，而這些對于未來職場的成功至關(guān)重要。建造機器人或建造多媒體演示需要可適應(yīng)課堂活動變化的靈活環(huán)境。同樣，對于知識的構(gòu)建來說，僅通過教科書了解大自然不能代替通過走出去做試驗來論證你所學到的知識。

面向未來而設(shè)計

案例中介紹的學校都處于教育建筑設(shè)計的前沿。它們不僅為學生提供了正規(guī)學習所需的環(huán)境，也為獲得終身知識所需的協(xié)作式和意外式學習提供了需要的環(huán)境。它們?yōu)閷W生提供發(fā)展空間，學習嚴謹?shù)呐行运季S方式以及社交技能，使他們能夠在未來將會面對的日常人際交往中取得成功。這些學校利用其室內(nèi)和室外的整個環(huán)境，進一步開展教學任務(wù)。學生有時會好奇為何學校是這樣被設(shè)計的，同時他們也被邀請在學習過程中使用建筑的每個方面。我們需要為將來設(shè)計學校。

學生需要從學校環(huán)境中獲得什么

雖然學習可以在任何地方發(fā)生，教育發(fā)生的實體環(huán)境既可以幫助也能夠阻礙學習過程。然而，環(huán)境的哪些方面會產(chǎn)生助益，而哪些方面又會產(chǎn)生阻礙呢？我們通過研究兒童的學習需求來回答這個問題。Abraham Maslow的需求層次論是評估兒童學習需求的有用切入點。

Abraham Maslow是20世紀美國心理學家，1943年，他在心理評論中發(fā)表了具有里程碑意義的作品“人類動機理論”，介紹了他的需求層次論。Maslow的層次結(jié)構(gòu)往往以金字塔形式表述。金字塔的底部是最基本的需求。金字塔中相鄰的每一個級別都描述了一種更高的需求，最頂點為自我實現(xiàn)。Maslow理論的核心是人類在最基本的需求得到滿足后，才能轉(zhuǎn)到更高層次的需求。例如，如果你渴了，你的全部想法就是得到水。你無法專注于任何一個更高層次的需求，無論它們有多么重要和緊迫。通過將這一概念應(yīng)用于實體學習環(huán)境，我們可以了解如何創(chuàng)造能夠最大限度地提高學生成績的空間。

以此為基礎(chǔ)，我們發(fā)展了“學生需求層次”的理論，以確定我們應(yīng)該首先實現(xiàn)哪些需求，從而使學生茁壯成長。它告訴我們，如果金字塔上的較低層次的需求沒有得到滿足，則無法有效解決金字塔上的較高層次的問題。在學生需求層次底部的是生理需要。這些主要是生物學方面的需求，包括適當次數(shù)的新風換氣、舒適的溫度、以及飲用水的獲得和洗手間的使用。研究表明了學習環(huán)境中定期換氣的重要性：Wyon和 Wargocki 在2008年的研究報告中發(fā)現(xiàn)2，”室外空氣供應(yīng)速率每提高一倍，學業(yè)成績將提升14.5%，因此沒有適當?shù)臏囟日{(diào)節(jié)和通風，學生的學習將受到不利影響。金字塔再往上一個層次是安全需要。學生的生理需要得到滿足后，他們需要在學校獲得安全感。他們需要不受欺凌，并對周圍環(huán)境感到安全舒適。學生洗手間是霸凌和恐嚇高發(fā)地。遭受霸凌的孩子會試著避免使用洗手間，從而避免恐嚇。為此，他們不喝水，然后相繼脫水。根據(jù) www.teachingexpertise.com 的信息，學生感覺口渴時，其精神表現(xiàn)將降低 10%。

接下來的一個層次是社交需要。學生需要感覺到他們屬于某個集體。他們需要空間進行非正式的互動并且實踐其與其他人建立建設(shè)性的關(guān)系的技能。這些靈活的空間使得學生可以與同學比較學習成果，并在緊張的課堂學習中為學生提供了極需的喘息時間。

Wilson High School 威爾遜高中

Antonio Maria Lugo Academy 安東尼奧瑪麗亞盧戈學院

Bennett Elementary School 貝內(nèi)特小學

更往上一個層次是尊重的需要。學生需要感到被重視，而學校環(huán)境應(yīng)為此提供支持。M.E.于2009年進行的一項研究表明，”除了社會經(jīng)濟條件外，學校的設(shè)施條件對學生成績有顯著影響……“。他們需要展示其作品，并有適當?shù)目臻g來展示其能力。這要求學校進行配置以滿足這些需要的固定和靈活空間。最后，學生需求層次頂層的是人格的自我實現(xiàn)。學生只有在有創(chuàng)造力、可選擇其學習方向且好奇心得到滿足后才會成長和真正學習。學?？臻g能夠支持創(chuàng)造力和好奇心，留出空間并保持靈活性，以適應(yīng)各種學習方式?？傊?，學生需求層次告訴我們，首先必須滿足最基本的生理和安全需要。學校的形式和布局能夠?qū)崿F(xiàn)某些社交需要的滿足。環(huán)境的質(zhì)量會讓學生和老師感到自己受到重視。在層次中的所有需要得到滿足后，自我實現(xiàn)和真實學習才會發(fā)生。

讓教師知道：學習無所不在

學習的未來始于教師。他們是學生教育的促進者，是學習的管理者，也在下一代的成長中扮演關(guān)鍵角色。教師處于教育改革的第一線，其應(yīng)意識到實體環(huán)境能夠產(chǎn)生或破壞創(chuàng)造力和創(chuàng)新性。對于學習無所不在的認識正在推動教育的未來和我們正在設(shè)計的教育設(shè)施。但是，首先，教師必須了解如何高效地將整個學校用作一個學習工具。

作為建筑師、研究者和曾經(jīng)的教育工作者，我們擅長在設(shè)計過程中，教授教師通過實體空間進一步推進其學生的成長和學習。我們向他們展示如何利用各種正式和非正式、室內(nèi)和室外空間去探索、實驗、以及根據(jù)學生和課程的需要來定制課程。

學習無所不在

將學習與有意義的經(jīng)歷聯(lián)系起來的做法已經(jīng)被證實能夠顯著強化知識和加深記憶。在一系列場景中有意識地提供教育機會，幫助教師確定學習確實無所不在。以下是我們的一些項目實例。

學習的國度——這個項目通過將學校所在地的自然環(huán)境融入學校建筑提供學習機會，并使學生通過探索和游戲參與其中。在Riverview小學，教室旁邊是一片濕地，占了整個校園的很大一部分。濕地之中和周圍有一條蜿蜒的小徑，濕地中設(shè)置了植物標識來識別原生植物，并設(shè)置了多處觀景臺，便于停留和觀察。學校所在地的地質(zhì)歷史時間線被嵌入球場周圍的一條多孔混凝土小路中，記載當?shù)乇ǖ刭|(zhì)歷史的演變。

教育性探索活動——在Playa Vista小學，我們創(chuàng)造了一個可持續(xù)的校園尋寶游戲，教授學生關(guān)于原生植物、可持續(xù)實踐、以及環(huán)境管理的知識。采用一塊大型的黃銅板，通過蝕刻方式描述學校中實施的 20 種不同的可持續(xù)建筑策略，并指示學生前往學校中探索這些策略的區(qū)域。

互動教學和體驗式學習

追蹤能源的使用——作為Renton學區(qū)的可持續(xù)建筑原型，中級學習中心利用 LED 裝飾照明在整個校園中追蹤能源和水的使用。燈光會改變顏色，以實時反映建筑的不同區(qū)域中資源的使用情況，鼓勵員工和學生參與到可持續(xù)性實踐中。

觸發(fā)感官——通過在某個校園設(shè)施中有策略地使用顏色、燈光和材料觸發(fā)的學習行為，在學生的成長中能夠起到重要作用。在Summit Sierra,利用生動的顏色、大型尋路圖標、玻璃車庫門和靈活的可共享空間推廣一種以學生為中心的、自我引導(dǎo)的學習方法。實體環(huán)境支持探究式教育，使學生能夠主導(dǎo)自己的學習。具有豐富感官體驗的環(huán)境——聲音、氣味、味覺、觸覺和動作——幫助學生記住和記起所學到的知識3。科學作為一種生活方式——North Central高中將 STEM 教育貫穿學生每日課堂和課外體驗的始終。其建筑推動了一種真正的浸沒式學習環(huán)境，當學生進入課堂，將背包換成實驗服時，他們就“成為”了科學家。學生認為他們自己是科學家，因為他們是真正在激起其對于學習和探索的熱情的、令人振奮的建筑環(huán)境中做生物遺傳學研究。這加強了該項目的信念，即學生越是能夠在研究角色中發(fā)揮想象力，他們越有可能在將來進入角色。學校設(shè)計的藝術(shù)不在于對如何使教室發(fā)揮功能的理，而在于我們?nèi)绾卧趯W校環(huán)境中成功地為教師和學生創(chuàng)造了廣泛的教育選項，以及如何成功地教授了他們?nèi)绾问褂眠@些空間來刺激和啟發(fā)學習。

21 世紀學生必備的技能組合

對于當今的經(jīng)濟和全球社會來說，做好“思想工作”準備是進行有效參與的新前提?，F(xiàn)在更加重視知識的應(yīng)用；學生必須擅長查找和使用知識。

下一節(jié)列出了幾個示范項目，用以論證我們在本文中討論的幾個概念。

環(huán)境支持學習

近年來，我們了解到建筑環(huán)境在支持學生的學習機會方面起著至關(guān)重要的作用。學術(shù)研究和教育理論從學術(shù)角度解釋了我們對這種關(guān)系日益增長的認識，但教育工作者也從他們自己的經(jīng)驗中分享了極其寶貴的經(jīng)驗教訓(xùn)。正如Meteor首席教育布道者 Page Pettman 所說，“環(huán)境從來都不是中立的；它要么支持教育，要么阻礙教育?！?/p>

支持各種學習活動

教育工作者是重要的信息來源，揭示了社會參與是學生學習能力的重要組成部分。經(jīng)濟合作與發(fā)展組織 (OECD) 關(guān)于社會情緒學習 (SEL) 的一項研究強調(diào)了它對教育整個兒童的價值。這項研究的結(jié)果清楚地指出了社交情感學習與學業(yè)成功之間的本質(zhì)聯(lián)系，尤其是在數(shù)學和閱讀方面。而這給建筑師的信息是，我們需要著重設(shè)計可以用來幫助學生建立彼此之間關(guān)系的空間。

學習發(fā)展水平

先進的教育者明白學習發(fā)生在三個層次上。首先是社會和關(guān)系。學生需要與同齡人建立關(guān)系，以便能夠就聯(lián)合項目和學習練習進行協(xié)作和自由交流想法。當我們建立了良好的學生與學生和學生與教師的關(guān)系時，我們就有了掌握作業(yè)和處理越來越具有挑戰(zhàn)性的任務(wù)所需的認知發(fā)展的肥沃土壤。最高水平的學習是代理式的，學生主動詢問、評估和提高他們保留和檢索新知識的能力。

基于項目的活動——學校的空間構(gòu)成

學校設(shè)計和空間構(gòu)成對支持這種學習發(fā)展起著至關(guān)重要的作用?？臻g設(shè)計和它可以支持的學習活動之間有著非常直接的聯(lián)系。好的學校應(yīng)該有各種各樣的空間，這些空間具有高度的靈活性，但也應(yīng)經(jīng)過設(shè)計和布置，以提供各種不同的體驗。一所高質(zhì)量的學校將擁有豐富多樣的空間結(jié)構(gòu)，從程序化的空間到基于選擇的空間，可以適應(yīng)各種正式和非正式的學習模式。雖然有些課程需要通過講座模式教授，尤其是在年輕水平，但重要的是要根據(jù)知識進行計劃，即基于項目的活動為所有年齡段的更深入學習提供了批判性參與和協(xié)作的機會。通過游戲?qū)W習，無論是程序化的還是自發(fā)的，對于幼兒園的孩子來說都很重要，因此具有前瞻性的教育工作者正在努力為進入小學生持續(xù)這種互動參與。

足神經(jīng)心理學需求——喘息、放松、專注學習的空間

我們對學生學習方式的日益了解使我們將注意力集中在精心策劃和設(shè)計的學習環(huán)境，這種環(huán)境能夠以其他方式上支持學業(yè)成功。后疫情時代，設(shè)計將更加清晰地突出學生的神經(jīng)心理需求，顯示出對休憩的更大需求。非正式空間以前沒有被廣泛考慮，但現(xiàn)在我們認識到它們在一系列選擇中的價值。從學生休息室到個人壁龕，學生可以從各種空間中受益，這些空間可以滿足他們在小團體中放松、充電或互動的個人需求。

了解這些需求使我們更加關(guān)注以一種以前未被廣泛考慮的方式規(guī)劃和設(shè)計各種非正式空間。從學生休息室類型的空間到獨立空間，我們需要在這兩個對立面之間合理進行規(guī)劃。

人性化的學習環(huán)境——親自然設(shè)計

在《歡迎來到你的世界》一書中，作者莎拉·威廉姆斯·戈德哈根清楚地解釋了精心設(shè)計的建筑環(huán)境對人類行為的潛在好處和影響。作為教育環(huán)境的設(shè)計者，我們需要綜合既有的知識，上面解釋了一些關(guān)鍵點，并且非常了解一天中大部分時間在學校里的體驗質(zhì)量。我們需要使用所有設(shè)計工具來布置人性化學習環(huán)境，以便學生和教師都能在他們的環(huán)境中茁壯成長。環(huán)境可以而且應(yīng)該在白天幫助他們的健康和健康。無論是通過引入日光和景觀，還是提供對景觀的觸覺或感性的物質(zhì)性，我們都應(yīng)該創(chuàng)造一種以能夠改善用戶居住/健康而聞名的多感官體驗。親自然設(shè)計的原則很好地解釋了與自然聯(lián)系的好處，良好的學校設(shè)計在其空間特征中應(yīng)具有許多很好的整合親生物原則。

教育設(shè)計理念/方法的總結(jié)

我們可以從一個明確的參考點出發(fā)。我們擁有豐富的知識，應(yīng)該使我們能夠提供鼓舞人心的面向未來的環(huán)境，這些環(huán)境可以真正支持不斷發(fā)展的參與式教學方法，在校的師生健康。我們個人和集體的責任在于采用設(shè)計激發(fā)所有學習模式蓬勃發(fā)展，并為所有用戶提供愉悅的空間體驗,設(shè)計能夠激發(fā)所有學習模式并為所有用戶提供愉快的空間體驗以增強他們成長和繁榮的能力的空間，這是我們作為個人以及集體的共同責任。

In order for our students to be successful in their career and life beyond grades K-12,our education system can no longer emphasize rote memorization and testing.To succeed in a global economy there has to be a greater focus on the application of knowledge.Students must excel at finding information and using it to solve problems that we don’t even know are problems yet,in jobs that do not yet exist,which will use technologies that have not yet been invented.

In light of this,education today should have a bias towards action: hands-on learning,experiential learning,and interactive teaching in a variety of learning environments designed for a variety of learning modalities.This shift more closely reflects what is to be expected of students when they enter the 21st century workplace.Over the last two decades,companies have become more global,and employees are more diverse.As a consequence,employers are prioritizing traditional “soft” skills such as the ability to work in a team structure,ability to organize and prioritize work,ability to make decisions and solve problems,and ability to communicate verbally and through written reports.In order to develop these skills in students,we need to fundamentally re-imagine education.So,where do we begin? Rethinking how new pedagogical methodologies are supported by the learning environment is the first step.

PREDlCTlNG THE FUTURE OF LEARNlNG

What skills do our children need to ensure their future success? Some of today’s top paying jobs like cloud-computing specialist,app developer and driver-less car engineer did not even exist 20 years ago1.How can schools prepare students for such an unpredictable future? The answer is to educate our children to think critically,make sense of conflicting information and develop creative solutions to new problems.They must learn to work effectively in groups and understand that learning does not just happen in school,learning happens everywhere.An education system that only fills students with facts and formulas no longer prepares them for success.They need to be empowered to become lifelong learners.

注釋Notes:

1World Economic Forum,“10 jobs that didn’t exist 10 years ago.” weforum.org https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/10-jobs-that-didn-t-exist-10-years-ago/ (accessed June 7,2016)

2Wyon,David P.and Pavel Wargocki.Indoor Environmental Effects On The Performance Of School Work By Children (1257-TRP) ASHRAE,2008.

3Cannon Design,VS Furniture,and Bruce Mau Design.“55.Trigger the Senses.” In The Third Teacher: 79 Ways You Can Use Design to Transform Teaching &Learning.Pages 176-177.China: Abrams,2010.

Tillicum Middle School 太樂康中學

Riverview Elementary School 河景小學

Traditional schools that emphasize memorization and testing do not meet the needs of the future.Future-oriented schools offer students multiple options for learning,both in pedagogical approaches and in spatial variety that supports various learning modalities.Desks in rows do not support group work and the development of the social negotiating skills critical to future success.Creative activities like building robots or constructing multimedia presentations require flexible environments that can adapt as class activities change.Similarly,learning about nature only through a textbook is no substitute for building on that knowledge by going outside to conduct experiments that demonstrate what you have learned.

Redesigning for the Future

The schools featured here are at the forefront of educational design.They provide the environments students need for formal learning,as well as the collaborative and serendipitous learning that lifelong knowledge acquisition demands.They provide spaces for students to learn rigorous critical thinking as well as the social skills that will allow them to be successful at the everyday interpersonal transactions they will face in the future.These schools use their whole environment,both indoors and out,to further their pedagogical missions.Students are challenged by why their schools look as they do,while at the same time they are invited to use every facet of the building in their learning process.These schools are designed for the future.

WHAT LEARNERS NEED FROM THElR SCHOOL ENVlRONMENTS

While learning can happen everywhere,the physical environment in which education occurs can either help or hinder the process of learning.But what aspects of the environment help and what aspects get in the way? By examining the needs of children as they learn we begin to answer this question.Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a useful departure point for evaluating children’s learning needs.

Abraham Maslow was a 20th Century American psychologist who described his Hierarchy of Needs in his landmark work: “a Theory of Human Motivation”published in Psychological Review in 1943.Maslow’s Hierarchy is often expressed as a pyramid.At the bottom of the pyramid are the most basic needs.Each successive level of the pyramid describes a higher need with the achievement of Self-actualization at the pinnacle.The crux of Maslow’s theory is that humans are motivated to fulfil their most basic needs before they move on to higher-level needs.For example,if you are dying of thirst,all you can think about is getting water.You cannot concentrate on any of your higher-level needs no matter how important and pressing they may be.By applying this concept to the physical learning environment,we can get a good idea of how to craft spaces that maximize student performance.We developed a “Hierarchy of Learners’ Needs” to determine which needs we should fulfil first to allow students to thrive.It shows us that solving problems higher on the pyramid will not be effective if needs lower on the pyramid have not already been fulfilled.At the base of the Hierarchy of Learners’ Needs are Physiological Needs.These are primarily biological and include an adequate number of air changes,comfortable temperatures,and access to water and restrooms.Research shows the importance of regularly changing the air in a learning environment:Wyon and Wargocki found in their 2008 study2that “Each doubling of the outdoor air supply rate results in an increase of 14.5% in the performance of schoolwork.”Thus,students without ample ventilation of properly conditioned air are at a learning disadvantage.

The next level up on the pyramid is Safety Needs.Once student’s physiological needs are met,they need to feel safe at school.They need to be free from bullying and comfortable in their surroundings.Student restrooms are a frequent location for bullying and intimidation.A child who is the victim of bullying will try to avoid using restrooms to avoid intimidation.To achieve this,they stop drinking water and in turn become dehydrated.According to www.teachingexpertise.com,mental performance can fall of by 10 percent when students are thirsty.

Playa Vista Elementary School 普拉亞維斯塔小學

Hazel Wolf K-8 ESTEM School 榛子狼K-8 ESTEM 學校

Bennett Elementary School 貝內(nèi)特小學

Moving up the Hierarchy we next find Social Needs.Students need to feel like they belong to a group.They need to have spaces for informal interaction and to practice their skills at relating to others in constructive ways.These flexible spaces allow students to compare their learning conclusions to their classmates and provide a much-needed respite from the rigors of intense classroom study.

On the next level of the Hierarchy are Esteem Needs.Students need to feel valued,and their school environment should support that.according to a 2009 study by M.E.Sheets,“The condition of school facilities has a measurable effect over and above socioeconomic conditions on student achievement…” They need to display their work and have appropriate places to demonstrate their competence.This requires both fixed and flexible spaces that can be configured to meet these needs.Finally,at the peak of the Hierarchy of learner’s Needs is Self-Actualization.Students grow and learn authentically when they can be creative,choose the direction of their learning and satisfy their curiosity.School spaces can support creativity and curiosity and allow the room and flexibility for multiple modes of learning.In conclusion,the Hierarchy of learners’ Needs tells us that the most basic physical and safety needs must be met first.Only then can their higher needs be effectively fulfilled.The form and arrangement of schools can enable the fulfillment of some social needs.Students and teachers feel valued by the quality of their environments.Self-actualization and authentic learning happens by meeting all the needs in the Hierarchy.

TEACHlNG TEACHERS: LEARNlNG HAPPENS EVERYWHERE

The future of learning starts with the teacher.They are the facilitators to their students’ education,the curators of learning,and they play a crucial role in the next generation’s growth.Teachers are at the front line of education innovation,and they should be aware that the physical environment can make or break creativity and innovation.The understanding that learning happens everywhere is driving the future of education and the facilities we are designing.But first,the teachers must know how to effectively use the whole school as a learning tool.

As architects,researchers,and former educators,we are experts at teaching teachers to use the physical spaces to further strengthen their students’ growth and learning.We show them how to use a variety of spatial opportunities—formal and informal,indoors,and outdoors—to explore,experiment,and tailor lessons to the needs of the students and curriculum.

Learning Happens Everywhere

Learning linked with meaningful experiences has been shown to significantly improve knowledge and retention. Providing intentional educational opportunities in a wide variety of settings helps teachers make sure that learning can happen anywhere.We offer several of our projects as examples.

A Terrain of Learning

Weaving the natural environment of the site into the school building can provide learning opportunities that engage students through exploration and play.At Riverview Elementary,classroom neighborhoods face the wetland that claims a large portion of the campus.A winding trail carves a path through and around the wetland where botanical signage identifies native plants and lookouts provide places for pause and observation.a timeline of the site’s geological history is embedded in the porous concrete pathway around the playfields,chronicling ancient periods of local glaciation.

Educational Wayfinding

At Playa vista Elementary a treasure hunt of sustainable initiatives on campus was created to teach students about native vegetation,sustainable practices,and environmental stewardship.A large etched brass panel describes 20 different sustainable strategies implemented throughout the school and directs students to areas on campus where they can see the strategies in action.

lnteractive Teaching and Experiential learning

Tracking Energy Use.as a sustainable prototype for the Renton School District,the Secondary learning Center utilizes LED accent lighting throughout the school to track energy and water use.The lights change color to reflect the level of resources being used in different sections of the building in real time,encouraging both staffand students to be engaged in sustainable practices.

North Central High School 北中高中

Tillicum Middle School 太樂康中學

Trigger the Senses.Strategic use of color,light,and materials throughout a school facility that trigger learning behaviors can play a powerful role in a student’s growth.At Summit Sierra,the use of vibrant colors,large wayfinding graphics,glass garage doors and flexible shared spaces promote a student-centered,self-directed learning approach.The physical space supports inquiry-based education where students are enabled to drive their own learning.Environments rich in sensory experiences—sound,smell,taste,touch,and movement—help students retain and retrieve what they learn.3

Science as a Way of Life

North Central High School infuses STEM education throughout the daily experience of students,both inside and outside the classroom.The building promotes a truly immersive learning environment,with students “becoming” scientists as they trade their backpacks for lab coats when they enter class.The students consider themselves scientists because they do genuine research in biogenetics,in an inspiring architectural environment that celebrates their passion for learning and discovery.This reinforces the program’s belief that the more students can visualize themselves in a research role,the more likely they will be to step into the role in the future.The art of designing schools lies not in just understanding what makes a functional classroom,but in how successful we are in creating a wide array of educational options for teachers and students within the school environment,and in teaching them how to use those spaces to motivate and inspire learning.

NECESSARY SKlLL SET OF THE 21st CENTURY LEARNER

Preparation for “thinking work” is the new prerequisite for productive engagement in today’s economy and global society.There is now a greater focus on the application of knowledge;students must excel at being able to find and use it.The next section features exemplar projects that demonstrate some of the concepts we have been talking about in this article.

The next section features exemplar projects that demonstrate some of the concepts we have been talking about in this book.

The Environment Supports Learning

In recent years,we have learned that the built environment plays a critical role in supporting students’ opportunities for learning.Academic research and educational theories explain our growing awareness of this relationship from a scholarly perspective,but educators share extremely valuable lessons from their own experience,as well.As stated by Page Dettmann,MeTEOR’s Chief Educational Evangelist,“the environment is never neutral;it either supports or hinders education.”

Supporting a Variety of Learning Activities

Educators are an important source of information revealing social engagement as a crucial component in students’ ability to learn.A study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Social Emotional Learning(SEL) underscores its value to educating the whole child.Results of this study clearly point to the essential connection between social emotional learning and academic success,especially for math and reading.The message for architects is that we need to intensify our efforts in designing spaces that help students form relationships with each other.

Levels of Learning Development

Carl Sandburg Elementary School 卡爾·桑德堡小學

Riverview Elementary School 河景小學

Progressive educators understand that learning occurs on three levels.The first is social and relational.Students need to form relationships with their peers to be able to collaborate and freely exchange ideas on joint projects and learning exercises.When we have well developed student-to-student and student-to-teacher relationships,we have fertile ground for the cognitive development required to master assignments and work on increasingly challenging tasks.The highest level of learning is agentic,where students actively enquire,evaluate,and further their ability to retain and retrieve new knowledge.

Project based activities -spatial composition of a school

School design and spatial composition plays a crucial role to support such learning development.There is a very direct link between the space design and learning activities it can support.Good schools should have a variety of spaces that have high degree of flexibility but are also designed and furnished to provide a variety of experiences. A high-quality school would have a rich fabric of diverse spaces,from programed ones to choice based ones that can accommodate a variety of learning modes of formal and informal character.While there are lessons that especially at younger levels need to be delivered through lecture modes,it is important to plan with the knowledge that project based activities provide critically engaging and collaborative opportunities for deeper learning at all ages.Learning through play,both programmed and spontaneous,has been found significant for kindergarten children,so progressive educators are working to continue that kind of interactive engagement for students entering elementary school.

Addressing Neuropsychology Needs: Spaces for Respite,Relaxation,and Focused Study

Our growing understanding about how students learn has led us to focus attention on additional ways in which thoughtfully planned and designed learning environments can support academic success.Coming out of a pandemic has highlighted students’ neuropsychological requirements even more clearly,showing a greater need for respite.Informal spaces have not been broadly considered before,but now we recognize their value within a spectrum of choices.From student lounges to individual alcoves,students benefit from having a variety of spaces that can accommodate their individual needs for relaxing,recharging,or interacting in small groups.

Understanding of such needs lead us to increase our focus on planning and designing a variety of informal spaces in a manner that has not been broadly considered before.From student lounges type of spaces to individual alcoves,we need to plan for a variety of spaces between those two opposites in scale.

Humanizing Learning Environment -Biophilic Design

In her book “Welcome to Your World” Sarah Williams Goldhagen clearly explains the potential benefits and impact of well-designed built environments on human behavior.As designers of educational environments,we need to synthetize all the knowledge before us,with some key points explained above,and be very cognizant of the experiential quality of being in a school for a good part of the day.We need to use all design tools at our disposal to humanize learning environments so that both students and teachers can thrive in their settings.The environment can and should simply help their health and wellness during the day.Whether by bringing in daylight and views or providing a tactile sense of the landscape or a sensuous materiality,we should create a multi-sensory experience known for having the power to improve user’s inhabitance/wellness.Benefits of connection to nature have been well explained through the principles of biophilic design,and good school designs have many well integrated biophilic principles in their spatial character.

Summary

To summarize this educational design philosophy and approach,we can start from a clear point of reference.We have abundant knowledge enabling us to deliver inspiring,future-orientated learning environments that truly support the success and wellness of students and teachers.As part of an evolving pedagogy of engagement,it is our individual and collective responsibility to design spaces that stimulate all learning modes and give all users an enjoyable spatial experience to strengthen their ability to grow and flourish.

Machias Elementary School 瑪柴雅小學

Cherry Crest elementary School 櫻桃峰小學