UTS’s School of Education has developed a range of purpose-built learning spaces that enable teaching students to effectively work across a range of platforms
UTS students using the experimental learning space
The ‘environment facilitating teaching’ is exactly the kind of thinking that’s led to the School of Education’s purpose-built learning spaces in building 10. The revamp of these and other spaces in building 10 took out a 2016 Learning Environments Award (NSW Chapter) last December.
“We’re moving away from ‘there’s a place where you go to learn’, and ‘a place where you go to work’, and ‘a place where you go for recreation’,” says Aubusson.
It is now about “creating spaces that allow students to do those sorts of things that don’t just happen in the classroom. Things that happen in the informal spaces and when we network online; we don’t want to see those things as separate.”
That’s why level 4 of building 10 is now home to light, airy, state-of-the-art classrooms for visual arts, science and music, as well as a space (complete with squashy beanbags and touchscreen devices) that’s designed purely for experimental learning. They’re flanked by relaxed breakout areas with open plan desks and pods for quiet study or group work.