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Learning at the Margins: Implications for
Designing Learning Environments
Presented by
Dr. George Copa, Oregon State University
Schools’ long lives require buildings that meet the demands
of the future, said George Copa. We can’t just consider what we’ll need over
the next 10 years; we need a building that will be functional in 2050. It is
also important for school administrators to maintain the facility properly, to
begin necessary renewal programs while the school is at its peak, not after it
has begun its decline.
Copa discussed schools in terms of the six workshop themes
that were offered at the Amsterdam conference: context, location, space, time,
scale, and cost.
Context
Learning methods and situations are many and varied. There
is the typical academic context, which offers a fixed curriculum. There is also
the more innovative context, through which people learn by doing. Such learning
can occur within a school, or within the community, workplace, or family life.
It is in these outside venues that people learn the most and are able to
integrate learning of mind, body, and spirit. A school that embraces this
concept is the Skagit Valley College in Mt. Vernon, Wash.
Location
Learning is very concentrated in classrooms and labs, Copa
said. This is not how it should be; learning should be a decentralized process
that takes place everywhere. Copa listed some schools that were built around
this principal: Southwestern Oregon Community College; the School of
Environmental Studies in Apple Valley, Minn.; San Diego Community College.
Space
Schoolrooms typically are specialized: classrooms, labs,
libraries, playing fields, all are clearly separated. A more innovative
approach, said Copa, is to create mixed-use spaces. For example, the Advanced
Technical Center in Colorado is based on the principle that learning can take
place anywhere and, therefore, the classroom can also be the home, library,
etc.
Time
Classes normally are held five days a week, nine months a
year, one hour per class period. Copa suggests that students learn better when
they’re not forced into such rigid schedules. Instead, allowing them to do as
much as they need when they want to, and spreading out the time barriers to
that of a lifetime is a far more effective method. Kapolei High School in
Honolulu is one school that follows that idea.
Scale
Most schools have a campus divided into programs,
departments, or colleges, with the idea that bigger is better. Not so, said
Copa. Students learn better when they are treated as individuals and are able
to be part of smaller groups, say five to seven people. Schools that have
adopted this concept include the School of Environmental Studies in Apple
Valley, Minn., and the Kapolei High School in Honolulu.
Cost
Costs should not be broken down per student, said Copa. The
emphasis instead should be on sustainability and effectiveness, on forging
alliances and partnerships, and on viewing students as customers. Examples can
be found at the San Diego Community College and the Hong Kong Institute of
Vocation Education.
The big lesson, said Copa, is that strong architecture,
strong community, and strong learning all are intertwined and must have
thoughtful and graceful connections.
Architects should design for coherence, taking into account
elements such as organization, partnerships, technology, finance, and future
expectations. As we move deeper into the 21st century we should turn
our attention toward building smaller schools, creating a global clearinghouse,
boosting public awareness, networking, and experimenting.
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