FLEXspace

EDUCAUSE LEARNING INITIATIVE | APRIL 2016

Scenario

Murray Finn is a professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences. The provost has asked him to join a task force that will oversee the design of a new audiology clinic. This afternoon, Murray will meet with Alice Preston from facilities and David Bell from IT services, who are also working on the project. Alice had suggested that, before the meeting, Murray search the FLEXspace database for images and descriptions of similar projects at other institutions. She has established a collection of FLEXspace images and data for the task force, which Murray reviews, adding options of his own. He searches for terms such as “audiology,” “public outreach,” and “medical clinics.” In the “recent contributions” section, he pauses to read about a university video studio where technicians overcame the problem of multiple students needing to record in the same space.

At the afternoon meeting, Murray shares the images of the video studio. Students and faculty sit in special carrels where they can record lectures and presentations. A console allows them to control the recording process and, if they choose, send the recording to team members, faculty, or others. Murray wonders if the recording carrels could be adapted, becoming testing booths in the children’s lab at the new audiology clinic. The setup would be useful for several purposes, one example being an online “game” in which children say aloud the names of images that appear on a monitor. A video camera in the booth would allow student and faculty observers to see the child remotely, and special microphones could capture sound cleanly without interference from other test subjects. David agrees to use the contact information from the FLEXspace entry to phone the IT director who posted the studio example, after which he will draft a feasibility report. As the meeting ends, Alice exports their collection to PowerPoint so they can easily show their findings to others.

When Murray, Alice, and David present their findings to the provost’s task force, they use the images from FLEXspace to illustrate their points and invite input from the designers and other attendees. The provost enthusiastically asks them to make a similar presentation to donors. As the project evolves, the task force uploads their work, leading to conversations with colleagues from other institutions who are excited about the innovations and execution of the learning space for the clinic.

1 What is it?

FLEXspace is an online resource, free to educational institutions as the result of sponsorship. It is designed for those in higher education who are considering building or renovating classrooms or other learning venues. This repository, known formally as Flexible Learning Environments eXchange, comprises a searchable collection of photographs, line drawings, slide decks, floor plans, spec sheets, case studies, research papers, inventories, and videos that describe physical learning spaces, contributed by people across the globe. FLEXspace thus offers a planning tool and a starting place for those looking to create innovative learning spaces, locate a best-practice model, or gain insight into what is being done on other campuses. FLEXspace was also envisioned as a showcase and point-of-pride tool for campus contributions. Every item in the collection contains contact information for the contributors so that FLEXspace users can follow up with them to get the full story behind the design and implementation of learning spaces.

2 How does it work?

FLEXspace functions as a service for cataloging and managing digital collections of information about learning spaces, enabling groups and individuals to create and share content and to search and browse collections. Users can search the entire database and review details in three areas for each record: learning and assessment strategies, technology and equipment, and facilities and furnishings. Advanced features allow searching over 100 database fields for keywords or particular fields including room capacity or space design type (such as music lab or informal learning). Users can also browse recently posted contributions or designs that are designated as “In the Spotlight.” Favorite records can be bookmarked and organized into image groups, which can then be sorted, exported, and shared with others. Access and security for the FLEXspace project are provided through Shared Shelf, built by ARTstor, an organization that provides art images for use in higher education. As a result of this partnership with ARTstor, contributors to FLEXspace can upload multiple high-resolution photographs, which allow viewers to zoom in to examine important details about the space, such as the type of shelf bracket used or the labels on electronic equipment.

3 Who’s doing it?

FLEXspace emerged from a SUNY-led proof-of-concept project. Today, FLEXspace is a not-for-profit organization, led by a volunteer advisory board and used by nearly 700 educational institutions across 30 countries. The majority are colleges and universities, but other organizations, such as libraries and a few K–12 institutions, have also joined. Many institutions use the repository similarly to SUNY Geneseo. There, a provost-led planning team is using the Learning Space Rating System (LSRS) and the quantifiable criteria it provides to rate and prioritize learning spaces. Then, participants use FLEXspace to review examples from other institutions. This review assists the team with internal conversations with stakeholders prior to involving external architects, planners, and donors. At Iowa State University, a steering committee with members from facilities planning, the provost’s office, IT Services, and the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching is directing a long-term classroom improvement project. The committee uses FLEXspace as one of their key planning tools, taking aim at their first target, 11 classrooms in an aging classroom building. Examples from FLEXspace have served as idea generators and conversation starters.

4 Why is it significant?

For learning space planners, FLEXspace can save time, money, and effort, particularly in travel, as planners and faculty are no longer required to travel to a distant campus to view an innovative learning space. Instead, individuals or teams can quickly build a collection of images, plans, and case studies in FLEXspace and take that collection to an architect’s meeting or a presentation before potential donors. This approach can start discussions that otherwise might either not occur or take place too late. Participants at these meetings can compare different models quickly and efficiently. They can focus on what might or might not work while viewing images and specifications of the types of space under consideration. The result is an overall improvement in the way campuses plan, design, document, and promote physical learning spaces. Those who choose to contribute to FLEXspace can showcase their work, highlight the efforts of their institution, and share ideas and experiences, thus adding to an increasingly valuable resource for the community.

5 What are the downsides?

Uploading a full record to the FLEXspace database is not instantaneous. If all the information is easily available, however, the record upload can generally be completed in 10–30 minutes. Because a full record often requires data from multiple parties, individuals trying to upload a record could be slowed by the need to contact others for necessary data. The character of FLEXspace raises concerns for those who wonder whether the process of brainstorming a solid learning-space solution could be short-circuited by the ready availability of already implemented models. Users who lack training in design and architecture could scan multiple records and pick assorted models, creating a collection of images and specs that are taken out of context or are poorly combined. At present, FLEXspace depends on users’ respect for copyright to ensure that uploaded data are both original and accurate and that downloaded data are used responsibly.

6 Where is it going?

The developers of FLEXspace have a number of changes and updates planned. The collection will eventually contain not only physical learning environments but virtual ones as well. Creation of a mobile version is on ARTstor’s strategic roadmap. The FLEXspace team will also be looking at incentivizing contributions that describe particular kinds of spaces that are currently hot topics, notably makerspaces and simulation labs. Also in development is a peer-review system that would allow users to highlight favorite spaces that they see as most innovative or effective, thus drawing into the spotlight exemplary and leading-edge spaces. Finally, FLEXspace is aligning with the LSRS, having already added a field for recording the LSRS score when uploading classroom spaces to the collection.

7 What are the implications for teaching and learning?

FLEXspace has enormous potential to help planners ensure that new and rebuilt learning spaces inspire teaching through the variety and detail available in its collection of active learning spaces. The collection of exemplars and trends can open conversations about learning space approaches and promote clearer communication between faculty and academic administration. To facilitate that communication, FLEXspace designers and implementers offer architects, designers, faculty, and other members of the higher education community an opportunity to join the conversation and possibly collaborate on the building of innovative classrooms that effectively support teaching and learning.

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