Mobility in Learning Spaces for the 21st Century
Thinking about an ideal place where learning can take place nowadays, is not as easy as it seems… It implies taking into account so many factors such as special features and values: culture, needs, interests, capacity of investment, responsibility, autonomy, and mainly, risk-taker people with real sense of community and critical thinking. This means that the setting of those virtual spaces must be ‘multipurpose’ (Reynards, 2009). Assuring this characteristic may make educational institutions to really get involved and participate in their construction.
The urgent need to have this type of virtual spaces for learning has its basis on how to meet the new generations’ desire for mobility. ‘Fixed’ classrooms are not appealing anymore, although sometimes F2F sessions bring about impact in the students if teachers/tutors know how to lead them towards the expected goals. Flexibility, capacity of interacting by exchanging ideas and negotiating, promotion of collaborative work, networking among the group members, are some of the gains that can also be achieved through the setting of a ‘virtual learning space,’ not necessarily physical. “With new technology, students can be connected anytime and anywhere, and any space can become a learning environment. So a formal structure is unnecessary, and meeting points, points of input, connection points, and application points become more important.” (Reynards, 2009).
Before trying to set up a virtual space to become the ‘classroom’ for the 21st Century, it is necessary to understand and keep in mind that there is a concept that brings out basic elements to make this task possible: “The Psychology of learning environments.” Through activating attention, analyzing and understanding how the brain works, and choosing the most appropriate tech tools to apply in class, teachers would be finally empowered to design their lessons effectively (Obringer, 2001). Therefore, some tips for successful e-learning are (Obringer, 2001, combined with Kaplan & Kaplan’s 4 Cognitive determinants of environmental preference, n.d. cited by Oblinger & Oblinger, 2006): setting clear and organized objectives, providing an appropriate delivery method that includes ease of navigation and different modes of showing content in chunks such as images, color, design, sound, and various media easy to navigate; allowing games or other similar activities such as the creation of challenging learning objects, explained step by step, demanding the development of higher order thinking skills; promote interactivity (tutor-students and among peers) gaining attention, of course, making closer follow-up of learners’ development through constant feedback; eliciting interaction among students and between them and the tutor (by means of forums, discussion boards; respecting own work pace; updating in the current trends, by providing real examples that evidence the great amount of possibilities they have to explore their own capacity for creation. Again, all these aspects are covered under the tem ‘mobility,’ term chosen to represent the way classrooms have to be today.
Turning now to informal and formal settings, the former spaces (outside the classrooms) are solid ground in which new teaching and learning practices can be grow. These spaces are suitable for academic tasks that surely meet most of the students’ needs and learning styles. On the other hand, there are some ‘distractors’ that affect the dynamics in this moveable learning environment, especially in the formal settings. Instant messaging, for example, makes learners be absent-minded while communicating with their peers, friends, etc, deviating their attention. Although they are net geners and are characterized to be ‘multi-taskers,’ it is advisable to be aware of this obstacle. In this sense, developing autonomous critical thinkers is a must, to change perspectives and set priorities through the creation of more collaborative environments that increase interaction within the learning space. In this way, learners will have to wait or even stop at distracting, but better concentrate in the tasks assigned.
In sum, an ideal classroom for the 21st century would be the one that offers technology to foster learning by building community, as well as creating and sharing knowledge within the group while allowing interaction to take place in and outside the formal classroom setting (Brown 2005). Students must feel engaged and challenged in our classes, at schools, universities, etc., but the investment to be made, both economical and motivational is great. However, it will not be a waste of time, energy and money. This task could be carried out with the support from very well-trained staff, who can be students’ partners, tutors, consultants, and other people with critical perspectives, deeply committed with the effective use the great amount of technological resources, for the benefit of the global community.
Then, these learning spaces will provide more opportunities for knowledge, culture, global cooperation, and for different skills’ development (self- assessment, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making) to arise… In only one concept, or better, in only one learning theory, designing appropriate modern learning spaces and environments will surely develop ‘active learning.’ Brown, M. (2005). And this active learning is definitely ‘mobile.’
References
Brown, M. (2005). Learning Spaces. In Educating the Net Generation, Chapter 12. Educause. Retrieved on March 2nd, 2010 from www.educause.edu/educatingthenet gen/
Oblinger, D., & Oblinger, J. (Eds.) (2006). Learning Spaces. Chapter 6. Educause. Retrieved on March 13th, 2010 from http://www.educause.edu/learningspaces
Obringer, L. (2001) "The Psychology of Learning." Retrieved from http://communication.howstuffworks.com/elearning2.htm
Obringer, L. (2001) "Interactive and Motivating E-learning." Retrieved from http://communication.howstuffworks.com/elearning3.htm
Reynard, R. (2009). Designing Learning Spaces for Instruction, not control. Campus Technology. Retrieved from http://www.campustechnology.com/Article/2009/04/29/Designing-Learning-Spaces-for-Instruction-not-Control.aspx
