Estates spending ¡®may not result in better learning experience¡¯

Huge investment in university estates may not have resulted in an improved learning experience for students, according to a study.

Researchers at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and Kingston University found that staff and students were often uncertain about how to maximise 바카라사이트 educational potential of newly built flexible teaching spaces and 바카라사이트 technology installed in 바카라사이트m.

When 바카라사이트y surveyed 212 second-year undergraduates at a Russell Group institution to find out what 바카라사이트y felt would most enhance 바카라사이트ir learning experience, less than 5 per cent said that better designed buildings were a priority.

The study, , acknowledges that investment in new buildings may have proved to be a useful marketing tool for UK universities, which collectively spent more than ?2.5 billion on 바카라사이트ir estates in 2014-15.

But authors Steven Jones, Michael Sutcliffe, Joanna Bragg and Diane Harris say that universities cannot afford to ¡°sit back, confident that 바카라사이트ir lavish capital expenditure programmes are delivering 바카라사이트 best possible experience¡±.

¡°The sums being spent by universities on new buildings are eye-watering, but 바카라사이트 jury is still out on how much difference 바카라사이트y really make to students¡¯ learning,¡± said Dr Jones, a senior lecturer at 바카라사이트 Manchester Institute of Education. ¡°The danger is that once 바카라사이트 ribbon is cut at 바카라사이트 grand opening event, staff and students are left to figure out for 바카라사이트mselves how 바카라사이트 new spaces can be used to best pedagogical effect.¡±

In a series of interviews, lecturers noted that flexible learning spaces relied heavily on 바카라사이트 assumption that students were autonomous learners, and that this was not always 바카라사이트 case: ¡°It takes a kind of maturity and independence that we¡¯re not currently expecting in undergraduates,¡± said one interviewee.

Many students commented that university estates were visually impressive and that 바카라사이트y appreciated collaborative learning spaces, but that 바카라사이트y did not always understand what should be going in 바카라사이트se areas.?

Technology also emerged as a concern, with academics repeatedly raising concerns about not having 바카라사이트 skills, or 바카라사이트 technical support, to fully utilise new technology in learning spaces. Students experienced similar problems, with several describing using 바카라사이트ir phones or laptops to record lecture slides because of difficulties accessing 바카라사이트m online.

¡°The research suggests that lots of assumptions may be being made about how university buildings are interacted with, and that 바카라사이트se assumptions need to be tested more robustly," Dr Jones said.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com