While the interior design of classroom spaces has evolved to support active learning methods, few studies have isolated environment changes from curriculum changes to understand the impact of space on behavior (Brooks, Walker, & Baepler, 2014). Adapting an observation instrument from the Brooks (2012) study, "Space and Consequences",…

Funded by the Association of College & Research Libraries through a 2018 Academic Library Impact Research Grant, the Activating Library Classrooms: Evaluating Formal Learning Spaces for Active Learning and Student Engagement project endeavored to evaluate the design and use of formal learning spaces situated within Penn State University…

Active learning classrooms (ALCs) support teaching approaches that foster greater interaction and student engagement. However, a common challenge for instructors who teach in ALCs is to provide adequate assistance to students while implementing collaborative activities. This study examined the impact of teaching assistants in a large ALC. The…

The Decibel Analysis for Research in Teaching (DART; Owens et al., 2017), a sound-based metric of learner-centeredness, is highly accessible, requires no training, and can be conducted with minimal classroom observations; yet, DART has not been evaluated in comparison with other validated metrics or in consideration of potentially confounding…

Determining ways to help retain students in higher education institutions is becoming an issue with greater urgency with each passing year. This study looked at the possibility of learning environments as one way to influence student course attrition and student perception of engagement, using the theoretical lens of sociocultural theory…

During this research, the author attempted to locate institutions and background information about spaces that would be similar in scope to a digital scholarship lab (or scholar's lab being proposed in a university library. The information is meant to serve as a guide for the space design project, but it will be an important benchmarking tool for…

This is a report of the third phase of a research study on students' groupwork. The two earlier phases of the research focused on the assessment and outcome of students' groupwork in general, but at this phase the focus is on Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs). At this phase the author surveyed faculty and students about the effectiveness of…

This paper compares the longitudinal results of three LibQUAL+ studies conducted at the University of Idaho Library. In particular, the most recent survey follows a major renovation that prioritized study space and a collaborative learning environment. The impact upon patron satisfaction across categories was examined and the highest satisfaction…

The shift from specialised studio environments to standardized classroom learning has changed the shape of Communication Design education today. As networked learning and augmented digital classrooms continue to dominate higher education, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a repertoire of learning spaces on students' engagement…

This study investigates the role of space, material, and affect in undergraduate and graduate students' lived experiences within an open Future Learning Space. Future Learning Spaces (FLSs) blend the latest in architectural advances for space design (e.g., modern, flexible furniture within collaborative environments that provide…

The impact of space and furniture on children starts to be taken into consideration in the mid 19th century, in France. New legislation changes the face of the school and the reflection around architecture and learning spaces. Nowadays, learning spaces are an important part of the school design: numerous studies have demonstrated the impact of…

The tension between cultivating inclusive library makerspaces and the gender biases rooted in the spatial configurations of makerspaces are examined in this article. This case study outlines a pilot study that investigated the relationship between gender identity and the decisions that study participants made regarding how and why they navigated a…

The focus of this study was to look at how the seating layout effects participation and assessment performance overall as a class. The participants were 23 fourth grade students at a Louisiana elementary school. Three layouts were tested: small groups, horseshoe, and pairs. This study included three, two-week rounds of research. The collection…

Active learning spaces form an important part of university learning environments and have the potential to enhance student learning, yet studies on student and faculty perceptions of collaborative learning pedagogies indicate that many remain resistant. To overcome this resistance, an academic department developed and implemented an active…

We describe four design principles that guide the Mosaic Fellows Program at Indiana University, a program focused on supporting faculty pedagogy in active learning spaces. The design principles focus on exploring a variety of classrooms with faculty Fellows, engaging Fellows' individual goals, creating shared learning experiences, and encouraging…