The vocabulary of Learner-Space Interactions Understanding learning spaces experience through the repertory grid method

Abstract

Higher education institutions are facing new educational challenges and are striving for an evolution in pedagogical practices. This evolution is accompanied by the need for innovative learning spaces to support students in the development of “21st century skills”. Designing these spaces requires a deep understanding of learners’ needs and experiences. User-centered design therefore appears as an adequate process to understand learning experiences in relation to spatial design. In this paper, we describe how the repertory grid method has been used to explore students’ perceptions of learning environments (N = 26). We identified 381 personal constructs (contrasted word pairs) associated with learning spaces and grouped them into seven categories (22 subcategories), ranked by number of occurrences. This study provides a basis for the development of a vocabulary of learners-spaces interactions, in support of the design and assessment of learning space experiences.