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Planning Learning Spaces In Practice Report Published An evaluation of the Planning Learning Spaces in Practice (PLSiP) pilot project at Trumpington Park Primary School in Cambridge has been completed, with results showing that the new classroom spaces, designed through the PLSiP design framework, have had positive effects on teachers, pupils and learning. Workplace environment guru Professor Peter Barrett was asked to write an evaluation of the PLSiP project at Trumpington Park after the new classroom had been in use for a year. A comparison of average learning progress in core subjects between Year 4 pupils using the new room and Year 3 students in standard classrooms suggested that it could lead to improved academic outcomes over time. In his summary of findings, Professor Barrett writes: “In almost all cases the increased flexibility and associated choice presented has been a positive opportunity that has resulted in a stronger overall class performance.” Head to page 32 to find out more.
“We need to be able to learn anywhere.” Showcasing the essence of playful learning environments from Beijing to Buenos Aires, Play to Learn – Designing for Uncertainty is the third book by internationally renowned artist and designer Rosan Bosch. The book is a hands-on guide to designing playful learning landscapes that support life-long learning. Bosch argues that learning through play should be one of the key strategies in learning situations because learning spaces that offer diversity and flexibility in ways of interacting, sitting, moving and creating have a strong impact on learners’ self-agency and creative problemsolving skills. “The pandemic has made it very clear that we need to be able to learn anywhere,” Rosan explains.
“By placing the learner at the centre – not only in the built environment but in all learning situations – learners can unleash their natural born curiosity and achieve twenty-first-century skills that prepare them for an unpredictable future”.
