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The 3 aspects of connectedness in Active Learning Spaces

The Van Lier & Eggink room was the setting for this meeting in which the power of the learning environment was explored. To experience the role of interpersonal interactions, attendees participated in a number of (learning) activities within three diverse learning space setups.

Active Learning Space setup

In an Active Learning Space setup, making visual contact or connectedness through visibility proved easy. Participants experienced this when playing MimiQ, a card game where it is important to look closely at each other's facial expressions. So for learning purposes where it is important to connect with each other, this set-up is ideal.

Carré and U-shaped setup

A Carré or U-shape setups are common in seminar rooms at UU. During the Think-pair-share activity, it turned out that all kinds of learning activities can be devised that a lecturer can use in teaching in these setups. Learning activities that were mentioned were: debate, think-pair-share, presentations, a U version of the . Still, the group was divided on this setup; where one teacher likes to work with students in a carré layout, another prefers to set the tables and chairs aside so as not to experience barriers in social interaction.

For all the learning activities mentioned, connectedness through visibility was an important prerequisite. The group concluded that the proximity of the lecturer, who can walk up to the students within the U-shape, also contributes to the learning process, which we call connectedness through mobility.

Row setup

In the final, traditional row setup, participants were presented with propositions to respond to by standing or remaining seated. Right from the start, the participants experienced obstacles in performing the task. The 'lecturer' had to talk louder to reach the rows in the back, the 'students' sitting in front blocked the view of the 'lecturer' or had to turn around in the limited space they had in order to see/hear their colleagues. It was soon clear that the seating position of 'students' in a row setup affects behaviour, engagement and communication.

The 4E approach to learning

The second part of the session focuses on the 4E approach to learning and teaching. This relatively new area of research assumes that learning is shaped and structured by dynamic interactions between the brain, the body and both the physical and social environment. The 4E framework is thus an approach that explicitly addresses the role of the physical and social environment in learning.

The 4Es stand for: Embodied (not only the brain, but the whole body plays a role in learning), Extended (objects and people in our environment play a role in learning), Embedded (learning is embedded in a social and cultural context), and Enacted (we ourselves play an active role in our learning, learning arises in interaction).

Synchrony

The use of synchrony is an example of how to apply 4E in the educational practice. Synchrony occurs when people align their behaviour, either explicitly or implicitly. In contact, people seek balance and align coordination, tempo and fluidity of their movements accordingly. Because synchrony creates a sense of connection, it can play an important role in collaborative activities.

To promote synchrony in education, you can play with the layout of the physical learning environment. Tom Frijns gives some examples from his teaching practice. For example, he often uses the circle setup. When exchanging personal experiences, the circle can help create a safe environment. The circle shape, compared to the more classic U-shape of tables, creates closeness that makes discussing sensitive issues feel safe. This can partly be explained by the reduced physical distance between participants (greater closeness) and absence of physical obstacles (tables) making visibility of the body greater (greater vulnerability and promotion of synchrony). Here we also see the link with connectedness through visibility and connectedness through mobility mentioned in the first part of the meeting.

The use of objects can also help encourage connectedness. Concrete examples include having a ball or other object thrown around to give someone the floor, or throwing the 'socks of synchrony' to opponents in a debate after which they have to look for shared characteristics or experiences before the debate resumes.