Students and teachers design the classroom of the future through a participative process

The UOC is leading research to adapt classrooms in schools and colleges to the new methodologies and the new needs of teachers and students. One of the key points of the research is the participation of the education community, especially faculty, in a process of co-design and research. The research leaders believe that, through scientific knowledge, it is easier for the "classroom" space to adapt to the needs of teachers and students, and therefore, from them to improve learning conditions and the results of the educational process from a global viewpoint. The research starts from the basis of the evidence that the classrooms in a great many schools are out-of-date.

Guillermo Bautista, researcher at the UOC's eLearn Center, argues that we need to make this effort to look for a space where we can overcome the old dynamics of teachers who are still bound to the traditional school. “The new approaches to school and current educational needs call for new learning spaces”, the researcher claims. “Moreover, we live in a society that has not only incorporated new uses of digital technology, but is advancing towards Internet communication and working and is seeking new forms of organization that are notably different from the present ones. Learning spaces have to be designed to encourage collaborative, creative, social and open learning”.

Impact on teaching and learning

The study proposes impacting on and transforming teaching and learning practices on the basis of the direct participation of teachers. In the initial phase, a survey will be conducted, after which a process of co-design of spaces will be started, with the cooperation of teachers and the education community. This will be followed by the rollout of prototype models of the space in one primary school and one secondary school.  

The conceptual and theoretical bases of the research – which began in March and will last two years – revolve around concepts such as the smart classroom, learning spaces and innovative learning environments.

RecerCaixa Project

The project has received a grant of 78,205.22 euros from the RecerCaixa programme. Guillermo Bautista, who is also a professor in the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, is the principal researcher and is leading a team of researchers from a number of universities: Anna Escofet (UB), Begoña Gros (UB), Adriana Ornellas (UOC), Marta López (UOC), Judith Arrazola (UOC), Marta Marimon (UVIC), Mariella Azzato (Universidad Simón Bolívar), Anna Pujol (UVic-UCC), Ester Castejón (UOC), Maria Jose Rubio (UB) and Angelina Sanchez (UAB).