Learning Spaces

Although learning can happen anywhere, including on campus or online, most educational researchers and instructors refer to the idea of learning spaces as physical environments that are either formal or informal in nature. Formal learning spaces, such as classrooms, tiered lecture auditoriums, and laboratories, are primarily used for [Page 970]regularly scheduled classes, while informal learning spaces, such as gathering spaces, libraries, and transitional areas, do not typically host courses and frequently maintain a more open schedule. For the most part, research on space as it relates to learning has concentrated on formal spaces simply because educational outcomes can be more directly linked to environments in which teaching and learning are designed to occur. This entry provides an overview of learning spaces, including formal, active learning, ...