via Smart Planet
Vittra, an education company in Sweden have removed the classroom completely – being interested in
“breakdown of physical and metaphorical class divisions as a fundamental step to promoting intellectual curiosity, self-confidence, and communally responsible behavior”
The students are able to wander around using laptops and other technologies in their own learning spaces. With some wonderful photos too:
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/sweden-debuts-first-classroom-less-school/21558
Google’s offices around the world are also legendary in experimenting with physical spaces, this is their Stockholm office from 2009
Both concepts leave me with some doubts. There doesn’t seem to be too much in the Google concept to enable one to ‘set up home’ in one’s own space, or to get ‘outside’ space. Maybe it just didn’t show that part.
I still feel that a part of all school life should be experienced shoulder-to shoulder (literally) with classmates. There should be some direct learning and social interaction.
Col, yes I agree – there was an interesting article by Dan Lockton on Designed Environments as Learning Systems http://architectures.danlockton.co.uk/2009/02/11/designed-environments-as-learning-systems/
I can’t remember anything specific from the design museum right now, but always interesting to browse toohttp://designmuseum.org/design