 | 1.5 LU / HSW |
| 1.5 LU / HSW |
With the publication of The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Century Schools nearly two decades ago, Randy Fielding pioneered a systematized way for people to understand and communicate critical spatial concepts for designing environments where all learners thrive. Since that time, Fielding International has conducted hundreds of discovery and visioning sessions with schools and communities throughout the world. Inevitably, one of the questions that consistently comes up is, “I love these ideas, but what does the research say?” In this session, we will explore three critical, yet often overlooked concepts that have a profound impact on learning outcomes–movement, quietness, and hope–to demonstrate how educational and neuroscience research supports the development of design patterns. Taking movement as an example, in one study, students who used movement in their learning process were able to remember 76 percent of the material they were provided compared to 37 percent recall for students who practiced deliberate memorization (Noice & Noice, 2001, pg. 825). This, and other striking research, validate the need for numerous spatial patterns that facilitate movement as an integral part of the learning process. Among the 70+ design patterns at SchoolPatterns.com, there are roughly a dozen related to movement. When thoughtfully combined, these research-informed design patterns help create physical environments that can both facilitate and enhance the learning strategies and best practices revealed in the ever growing body of educational and neuroscience research. This session will provide an opportunity to dive deeply into the research and design patterns related to movement, quietness, and hope. At Fielding International, we practice what we preach, so expect to participate in a little movement and time for quiet as we create space for each individual to explore the power of hope in their own lives! Noice, H., Noice, T. Learning dialogue with and without movement. Memory & Cognition 29, 820–827 (2001).
Learning Objectives:
Randy is the founding partner at Fielding International, an interdisciplinary architecture and education firm that designs schools where learners thrive. He is the co-author of the Language of School Design, the recipient of 15 design awards, including A4LE’s MacConnell Award, and the Creative Director for SchoolPatterns.com, a library of Design Patterns for Creative Learning Environments. Randy has authored more than 50 publications. See recent publications on his Author Page at GettingSmart.com.
Nathan is a Senior Learning Designer at Fielding International, where he works with innovative schools and educators around the world to create environments where learners and communities thrive. In addition to his role at Fielding, Nathan serves as USA Country Lead for the Finnish organization HundrED, globally recognized as a leader in education innovation. Nathan is the founder and board chair of Exploration High School, known as a public school for public good.
This track elevates Research on learning and learning environments and focuses on methodology, findings, and implications for practice. Tangible takeaways are encouraged, including tools and resources that support innovation and improvements to learning environments. There is Art in how we utilize Science to improve our design outcomes and our design and research process. To this end, dissemination of research findings is a priority so that learning environments are re-imagined and enhanced based on evidence and measured impact, not based on trends.
Primary Core Competency
Educational Visioning: Exhibits an understanding of best and next practices related to educational leadership, programming, teaching, learning, planning and facility design. Establishes credibility with educators, community members and design professionals while conceiving and leading a community-based visioning process. Demonstrates the ability to articulate the impact of learning environments on teaching and learning and uses that ability to facilitate a dialogue that uncovers the unique needs and long-range goals of an educational institution and its stakeholders – translating that into an actionable written/graphic program of requirements for the design practitioner.