LEVERAGING THE LEARNING SPACE

Changes in the way people work, coupled with the explosion in technology and a mind-boggling amount of new knowledge, demand changes in the way people learn at work.

The good news is that corporations have put a lot of effort into developing quality learning programs, ensuring facilitator excellence, and using technology when possible. The bad news is that the same 100-year-old grid of desks facing the instructor still dominates today’s learning spaces.

Steelcase University has put many years and significant resources into researching how space is used. Under the guidance of CEO Jim Hackett, the company that built its reputation as a leading office furniture manufacturer has spent the last decade making the transition into a knowledge company with cutting-edge expertise in work environments.

Using ethnographic and observational methods known as user-centered design, Steelcase researchers study groups of people as they solve problems, share ideas, and engage in work. The research is conducted in the space where participants actually work and learn, not in a separate research facility. At Steelcase, cameras and contextual interviewing techniques are used to gather data.

The diversity of teaching and learning styles today demands a range of learning environments for individual and organizational growth. For corporations, there is still a place for traditional classrooms and conventional lecture halls, but new learning environments can propel thinking to new levels.