The Thistle - An E-Newsletter of Scotch College, Perth, Western Australia

Impact of secondary school learning spaces on teaching and learning

As we continue to work towards delivering the new teaching and learning building in the Senior School Campus by 2020, it is important to recognise the impact that learning spaces can have on the actual learning outcomes of the boys. This is the purpose behind our development; to improve the teaching and learning for our boys.

new t&l building

As part of a nationwide study, led by Professor Wesley Imms from the University of Melbourne, the Innovative Learning Environments and Teacher Change project has investigated the impact of contemporary learning spaces on student and teacher performance.

In a newly released longitudinal study; New Generation Learning Spaces, the evidence does suggest that a well-designed learning space can:

  • Significantly influence how technologies, both digital and physical, are used, and therefore, are perceived by the students.
  • Increase the instance of active, collaborative, and multiplictious nature of student-centred learning experiences.
  • Affect statistically significant enhancement of student engagement in their learning.
  • On average, when students transition from a conventional classroom to an innovative learning environment, their academic achievement increases by 15 per cent.

The design of the new building is nearing completion and we are working to imagine how the new spaces can be brought to life in line with research-based decisions on how boys learn. An example of a potential layout of our flexible learning space can be seen in the picture below.

t&l internal layout

Later in 2018 the College Community will be able to see construction begin. As a community we are very excited as to the potential that this building has to continue to drive innovative teaching and learning at Scotch College.

Mr Peter Allen
Director of Teaching and Learning