This article explores the characteristics of a successful transition of a school from traditional classrooms to an innovative learning environment. Many schools today are converting traditional classrooms into spaces which are flexible, supporting a wide array of teaching and learning possibilities (i.e. an 'innovative learning environment').…

The paper explores important issues in today's education, not by analyses and statistics, but by projecting readers into the future and then asking them to look back on today's schools and to act like archaeologists--to surmise from all sorts of things they can observe, what was really important to us, what we really valued, how we treated kids,…

In an increasingly global world, where events in one corner of the world simultaneously affect other remote areas of the planet, global competition is becoming a continuously evolving phenomenon. Competition is also increasingly becoming an individual endeavor. Individual's own knowledge and skills will be the differentiators in a global economy.…

A new pedagogy is emerging, placing students at the centre of the learning process and encouraging teachers to draw from a larger repertoire of strategies and skills to lead interdisciplinary and project-based work. The best learning is authentic--engaging students in their own learning in practical and real-life contexts that demonstrate the…

Public education is one of the central tasks of a democratic society, and the buildings that house this important task not only shape the way one teaches, but provide icons and symbols for the values people hold common as a society. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this context has placed school buildings squarely in a position of debate and innovation…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on schools and address the structural dimensions of the organization as well as the hierarchical design of information flows between stakeholders. The paper highlights current structural barriers to creating learning organizations. Design/methodology/approach: This paper utilizes a conceptual model.…

What does the future hold for educators and facilities professionals when it comes to planning, building, funding, and operating school facilities? No one can absolutely know beforehand. However, there are many, many indicators of where public education in the United States may well be destined. These indicators take the form of already occurring…

This article first investigates historical trends in both the practice and the understanding of consultation, considering the often contrasting perspectives of architects and designers, compared to teachers and educationalists. Differing assumptions held by these two broad groups of professionals can lead to conflicting aims and objectives for…

Adequate school plants are essential to a modern educational program. The school plant that is not properly maintained soon fails to provide the service for which it was intended. The total program of maintenance, including repairs, renovation, remodeling, rehabilitation, and modernization should be carefully planned. Some tasks will recur at…

This study is one of several examining the history and background of instructional technology in American education. The period, 1650 to the end of the 19th century, was chosen rather arbitrarily to cover technological developments other than conventional audio-visual devices involving photography and sound techniques. Material in this report is…

The purpose of the study was to (a) determine the design features of the physical learning environment that support collaborative, project-based learning, and (b) to gain an understanding of the rationale for the selection of the features. The literature review indicated a need for changing learning expectations to prepare learners for rapidly…