School Libraries as Pedagogical Spaces: An Evidence-Based Typology of School Library Spaces for 21st-Century Learning for Equitable Education

• In Event: Challenging Formality in Complex Learning Environments

Abstract

The design of learning spaces can constrain or encourage particular forms of learning, yet the research on how to evaluate the effectiveness of learning spaces remain scarce. This presentation draws on a year-long comparative case study of six Singapore school libraries to examine how the design and organization of library spaces can facilitate the development of twenty-first century skills in the school library context. I draw on detailed observations such as time freezes and field narratives, visual data such as spatial layouts, documentary and time-lapse photography and interviews with principals, teachers and students to understand how design and organization of space is effected within particular contexts. A typology of learning spaces for evaluating and designing school libraries is presented.

Author

• Chin Ee Loh, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore