From Recipient to Explorer: How Spatial Learning Environments Enable Active Engagement in Intangible Cultural Heritage Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 1:45 pm - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Contemporary Discussions in Learning Environments 1

Abstract

Informal learning environments increasingly serve as critical spaces for knowledge transmission, yet traditional approaches confine learners to passive reception that misaligns with active learning principles. This investigation examines how spatial learning environments transform cultural learning from passive reception to active exploration, using Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) education as a representative domain. Through co-design sessions (N=7) and user studies (N=16), analysis reveals two behavioral patterns—Progressive and Adaptive Exploration—and yields three pedagogical principles: Modular Cultural Knowledge Construction, Multi-Sensory Cultural Immersion, and Scaffolded Cultural Exposure. These learning transformations are enabled through Distributed Cognitive Scaffolding, Embodied Meaning Making, and Intrinsic Motivation. Findings contribute pedagogical frameworks for spatial learning environment design that enhance active learning in informal cultural education contexts.

Author

• Yuqi Wang, University of Toronto - OISE