Conceptions of the learning process have varied over time, from seeing learners as "blank slates" for a teacher to fill to the view that, unless a learner is engaged in actively constructing knowledge, little will be learned or retained. As research on the physiological aspects of learning has revealed, active engagement with the learning object--whether a lecture, laboratory process, text, or creative medium--increases the likelihood that the learner will both retain and be able to use information and skills later. While the realities of instructional spaces on most campuses fall closer to the sage-on-the-stage paradigm than the guide-by-the-side, more campuses are seeking to create facilities that encourage collaboration and active participation in learning activities. As it turns out, spaces that are created to engage students in active, collaborative learning are best designed by facilitating similar processes with users to identify their learning space needs. A recent survey by the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) and Herman Miller, Inc., indicated that respondents believed users should be the key drivers in learning space design. In fact, the people who manage the space are most likely to determine the design of learning spaces. A challenge for designers and planners, then, is how to most effectively bring the user's voice into the design process and, ultimately, deliver the richest use of spaces for learning. The author contends that engaging future users in designing learning spaces increases the likelihood that those spaces will accomplish the mission of achieving student learning outcomes. (Contains 1 figure and 7 endnotes.)