How does the space we learn in amplify the sense of belonging we might all feel? And how does it accidentally diminish or quash a sense of inclusion and social justice, or eliminate the joy of the diversity that exists in almost every community today?
The team at NoTosh facilitated an intense three days of Learning Environments Australasia’s “Mayfield Project”. Some online prework saw twenty architects, designers and educators reunite in person in Hayball’s Sydney studio, ready to exchange their differing perspectives and understanding of what the jargon of “diversity / inclusion / justice / equity” might mean in practice for learning design, and the design of spaces in which learning happens.
We got them out of their heads and into the city to see how everyday design can unintentionally exclude so many people in so many ways. The “moments” they spotted showed that physical space, unwritten rules and information posted left, right and centre can, in spite of good intentions, leave a space lacking clarity, function or any sense of belonging.
Applying their insight back to what happens in schools, they were able to develop design principles that were neither so loose as to make any idea seem “DEIJ-friendly”, or so tight as to make creative ideas unfeasible.
And finally, with brains buzzing, ideas brewing for live projects and next week’s classes, we prompted them to think about rather story they want to tell, the experiments they want to undertake, the questions they need to ask.
In Christchurch, May 17-19 2023, the Mayfielders will present their findings and open source products they’ve designed to help any designers – designers of learning and space – to create more equitable experiences of learning that will help everyone feel they belong, that their learning and growth has even greater value than they feel it does today.
Article by: NoTosh (Workshop Facilitators)
