Till Örebro universitet

In this paper, and in line with mainstream research, we consider a learning environment as an interplay between pedagogical, social, and spatial dimensions and that teaching and learning activities can take place in various types of spatial conditions. The spatial conditions tell both teachers and students something on, for example, what to expect, what will happen in the room, what roles that different actors will play and how a learning activity will materialize (Temple, 2014). However, if a learning environment is changed, this will affect both the actors in the room and the learning itself (Leijon, et al., 2021). Previous research has taken into account the importance of learning environments and provided an array of different perspectives and arrangements for developing learning environments. Still, previous research has been limited in its ability to generate an understanding of how spatial arrangements can enable the development of teachers’ didactical spatial competence. Building upon the outcomes from a university-wide pedagogical development project at Örebro university, where the aim has been to develop physical, digital and hybrid learning environments, we provide a set of room and activity diagrams (RADs) (cf. Hansson, 2022). In contrast to previous research, where the primary focus has been on how to arrange physical artifacts, such as tables, chairs, and technology, these RADs focus on the subjects (e.g., teachers and students), their place and/or movements in the room and communications surfaces (e.g., a tablet, a computer, or a whiteboard). The RADs are as graphical illustrations of various, and a variation of, spatial arrangements for different types of learning activities, such as lectures, seminars, and workshops. In this paper we outline a methodology for inductively developing RADs and reflect how they can serve as enablers for developing teachers’ didactical spatial competence. By doing so, this paper advances our understanding of spatial arrangements and their implications for various types of learning activities in various learning environments (e.g., physical, digital, and hybrid).