Designing values-based Learning Development spaces

Learning Development is emerging as a transformative force in the constantly evolving landscape of Higher Education (HE) requiring LD to adapt to the technological, cultural and pedagogical changes while embracing cultural diversity and weaving values into their pedagogical practices in the physical and virtual spaces that are available to them. Learning spaces play a crucial role in education, impacting student engagement, comfort and overall learning outcomes and therefore, it is crucial for LD to thoughtfully design diverse spaces for “Working in partnership with students and staff to make sense and get the most out of HE” one of ALDinHE’s (2024) Five Values of Learning Development and “promote engagement in learning and equity of opportunity for all to reach their potential” (PSF 2023). The poster illustrates how the campus-based LD office and ClassCollaborate for 1:1 and group tutorials in one UKHEI were intentionally designed to develop agentic, empowered learners who engage in meaningful conversations with the tutor and/or their peers, co-construct knowledge and navigate HE through respectful dialogue to make sense of their academic journey, thrive and achieve their goals. These dynamic, sustainable spaces are underpinned by Vygotsky's Social Constructivism (1978) and Laurillard's Conversational Framework (2002) demonstrating Teaching Presence (TP) and Social Presence (SP) fostering critical thinking essential for learning and Cognitive Presence (CP). LD spaces where TP, SP and CP, the interrelated elements of Garrison, Anderson, and Archer’s (2001) Community of Inquiry (CoI) theoretical framework interact, are inclusive places for creating deep and meaningful (collaborative-constructivist) learning experiences taking into account diverse learning needs including social justice issues. It is noteworthy that spaces influence how learning developers facilitate learning and how students learn on a case by case basis and the CoI can be a blueprint for designing future physical and virtual spaces for LD promotion.