Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces

• Published in: Journal of learning spaces Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 53 - 60
• Main Authors: Scholl, Kathleen G, Gulwadi, Gowri Betrabet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: University Libraries, University of North Carolina at Greensboro 2015
• Subjects: Attention; Campuses; Colleges; Educational History; Holistic Approach; Physical Environment; School Space
• ISSN: 2158-6195; 2158-6195

American higher education institutions face unique twenty-first century changes and challenges in providing good, holistic learning spaces for the diverse and evolving needs of today's college student. Continued enrollment growth, societal and technological changes, financial challenges, and a need for increased universal and open access create ever more diverse, changing and complex US university systems. In 2009, 20.4 million students were enrolled in 2- or 4-year colleges and universities. By 2019, enrollments are expected to rise 9% for students under age 25, and rise 23% for students over the age of 25 (Snyder & Dillow, 2011). Questions of where, when, how, and with whom today's college students learn, confront the traditional notions of how university spaces are designed and used for effectiveness (Hashimshony & Haina, 2006). Therefore, the authors propose that the natural landscape of a university campus is an attentional learning resource for its students. Although university culture places demands on students' cognitive abilities, campus natural open spaces have not been systematically examined for their potential in replenishing cognitive functioning for attentional fatigued students. One way to examine this potential is to consider the entire campus with its buildings, roads and natural open spaces as a well-networked landscape system that supports student learning experiences. In doing so, the authors highlight two concepts that have been addressed in two different domains, bringing them together to help conceptualize future campus planning in relation to student learning. The concepts are: (1) direct and indirect attention and restoration; and (2) a holistic landscape. Herein, they begin by providing a historical perspective of the evolution of campus open space and then outline each concept and propose their integration.