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Classroom Technology: Response to STEM Integration » Digital Learning Spaces

Digital Learning Spaces

Digital Learning Spaces


What are Learning Spaces?

  • Learning Spaces are any environment, physical or digital, where learning happens. Similar to preferential learning styles (auditory, visual, kinesthetic), students have preferential learning spaces. Some students learn best being alone while others learn best through discussion and collaboration.


Thanks to technology, physical spaces now have cyber-equivalents. Futurist David Thornburg, Ph.D., researches emerging technologies and their effect on the learning process. In his paper, http://tcpd.org/Thornburg/Handouts/Campfires.pdf, Dr. Thornburg categorizes a number of different learning environments, such as the mountaintop, campfire, watering hole, and cave.

Fort Leavenworth has adapted these Learning Spaces for our students and environment.


Mountaintop: One to many.

Oral presentations, live or digital performances, lectures, presentations via web, telephone, or other technology.


mountaintop


Campfire: One to many, but the one rotates.

Circle time, facilitated discussions and meetings, moderated game rooms and online conversations, semi-structured collaborative physical and digital learning spaces.


Campfire


Watering hole: Many to many.

Informal physical and digital gathering spaces, playgrounds, hallways, wikis, breakouts, and collaboration groups.


watering hole


Cave: Personal learning space.

Books, libraries, physical and digital personal learning spaces.

the cave


Why Do Learning Spaces Matter?

At USD 207, the Cyber TEAMS initiative focuses on upgrading technology tools and integrating the Learning Spaces vocabulary, and the pedagogical awareness it brings, into the daily classroom. Students and teachers alike use these terms freely to talk about how and where learning is most effective. A student might recognize that she “needs some cave time now,” in order to absorb some new information. An instructor might later redirect the class, “let’s move to the mountaintop,” so that everyone can view a group’s presentation. By sharing this vocabulary and mindset, we believe that we are becoming better teachers and learners.