Developing a model for spatial indicators of experimental learning and its application in designing learning environments

The experience of designing educational spaces, or more generally, learning environments, has always been challenging for architects; since this type of design has had some different ways of thinking in the field of education and philosophy of education. Studies show that designing such spaces can promote or hinder learning. Accordingly, one of the most fun-damental issues of modern education is clarifying the role of education through the scientific cogni-tion of the individuals, which relies on children’s psychology. The study of the historical evolution of teaching and learning theories shows that psychologists have changed their view of observing the behavioral reactions from paying attention to environmental stimuli (similar to some animals) in the form of a behaviorist approach to paying attention and contemplating in mental learning processes in the form of the cognitive approach. They try to produce personal knowledge in the real envi-ronment and in the form of a constructivist approach. In this article, one of the latest and more popular learning theories among researchers is the theory of experiential learning that has been se-lected to provide optimal and appropriate design solutions. The theory of experiential learning is consistent with the new approach to learning, emphasizing the important and active role of the learner in teaching. It shows the specific importance of practical work and experience. In this new view, learning in its most effective form is achieved through objective experience. In Iran, too, most individuals and children spend a significant amount of their lives in educational places; how-ever, the lack of efficient educational environments that can create a good context for achieving the right educational goals is very evident. Searching for architectural design solutions and creating a suitable space for radical and successful educational theories is one of the significant issues in this field. Among the studies conducted in this regard, some studies have been conducted in the field of experiential learning and its impact on the learners. There are other studies that have investigated the quality of architectural educational environments with an emphasis on specific factors. Still, neither of them deals with the relationship between experiential learning and the qualitative compo-nents of architecture. This article aims to achieve a model of spatial indicators affecting experiential learning that could act as a conceptual framework in planning and designing learning spaces for the builders. The main question of the research is how the educational space provides the necessary opportunities for the most effective form of learning achieved through objective experience.

In this article, the spatial indicators of experiential learning have been developed and re-fined, and an appropriate model is proposed using the “Delphi” method. This method is a struc-tured process for collecting and classifying the knowledge available to a group of experts conduct-ed through interviews and distribution of questionnaires among individuals and by the control of feedback on the answers and the comments received. Also, in this study, in order to determine the importance and weighting of the data obtained from the Delphi method, the (Shannon entropy) technique has been used, which is one of the multi-criteria decision-making methods, and its pur-pose is to weigh and prioritize criteria and indicators. This method, which is also used in content analysis, is the development of a mathematical formula to be used in data analysis and has more credibility and power to analyze and prioritize indicators in comparison to the traditional method of frequency and average.

Based on the findings of Shannon algorithm, the indicators of “nature and places of ex-perience and touch of water, soil, plant” and “group learning spaces” and then the index of “school design pattern as a house” have the greatest impact on experiential learning. Accordingly, the cate-gory of indicator of “naturalism and self-discovery” has the greatest impact on experiential learn-ing, followed by the indicator of “identity”. The indicators of “diversity and flexibility”, “social-ism” and “collectivism” are next in this category, respectively, with a slight difference in terms of the average weight of the category. Finally, the model of the spatial indicators of experiential learn-ing with 23 indicators in 5 thematic categories is explained in Figure 3. In these indices, the order of the indicators in each category is significant and classified based on their importance. The priority of each category is also seen in the extent of its impact on experiential learning.

Children’s environment can act as a deterrent or facilitator of their learning, develop-ment, and upbringing. Creating a suitable environment can pave the way for children’s effective learning and increase their desire to be in the environment. According to the research literature, ex-periential learning theory is one of the most successful and latest theories of learning among re-searchers and is effective in the academic achievement and creativity of learners. Data collection and analysis by Delphi research method showed that the index of “naturalism and self-exploration” has the greatest impact on the promotion of experiential learning in learning spaces, followed by the index of “identity”, “diversity and flexibility”, “socialism” and “collectivism”. These five catego-ries of indicators are presented in the proposed model as spatial indicators effective in promoting experiential learning in order of priority. In line with the practical components of this model in de-signing learning environments and in response to the research question on the quiddity and the way of space architecture for the realization of experiential learning, it can be noted that among the sin-gle indicators, two indicators had been the most effective. These indicators were “nature and the places of experiencing and touching water, soil, plants “, and “group learning spaces”. After that, the index of” school design pattern as a house “had the greatest impact on experiential learning. In addition, other architectural solutions, in order of the indicator weight, include spaces and opportu-nities for practical and experimental work, the flexibility of space and furniture, and the ability of children to create their own learning environments, the use of indigenous patterns and local and familiar forms, less crowded classrooms, proximity to important urban centers, and community-based learning.