Learning space development and management in higher education: enactivist perspectives and embodied practices. A study from Norway

This study explores the development and management of campus learning spaces at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), focusing on the experiences and perspectives of the technical administrative staff at the Education Division's Unit for Learning Environment and Scheduling. While recent pedagogical paradigms emphasise flexibility, student-centred design, and the active role of materiality in learning spaces, implementation often falls short due to structural, financial, and organisational constraints. Drawing on enactivist cognition and phenomenological inquiry, this research investigates how these staff members navigate complex stakeholder cooperation to align spatial and technological infrastructure with NTNU's educational objectives. Data collected through focus groups and semi-structured interviews were analysed thematically to reveal how learning spaces are shaped by ongoing human-technology interactions and institutional decision-making processes. Findings highlight the pivotal yet underrecognised role of support staff in transforming physical learning spaces into dynamic places of learning, while also identifying systemic barriers to achieving pedagogically responsive campus environments. The study contributes to educational research by offering practice-based recommendations for more integrated and inclusive approaches to learning space development.