Modern learning environments that align better with what we know about the brain and student
learning can facilitate traditional pedagogies such as direct instruction if needed, but they typically
offer students and teachers much more:
Flexibility: the ability to combine two classes into one for team-teaching, split a class into
small groups and spread them over a wider area or combine different classes studying
complementary learning areas.
Openness: modern learning environments traditionally have fewer walls, more glass and
often use the idea of a learning common (or hub) which is a central teaching and learning
CORE
Education
White
Paper
©
-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐--‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
Page
4
of
6
space that can be shared by several classes. They provide opportunities to observe and
learn from the teaching of others and be observed in return. They also provide access to
what students in other learning areas and level are learning, so that teaching and learning
can be complemented and enhanced.
● Access to resources (including technology): typically a learning common is surrounded by
breakout spaces allowing a range of different activities, such as reading, group work,
project space, wet areas, reflection, and presenting. There is often a mixture of wireless
and wired technology offering access as and when students need it, within the flow of their
learning.