I am pleased to introduce you to the latest scholarly research, commissioned by VLK, and conducted by Dr. Oliveras, Professor at The University of Texas at Tyler, which delves into the intricate dynamics of stakeholder preferences regarding learning spaces. This research is a testament to our ongoing commitment to understanding and addressing the diverse needs and expectations of our clients as well as informing and continuously improving our designs. Our recent study explores the multifaceted nature of stakeholder preferences, providing valuable insights into their evolving priorities and concerns. Important for school leaders, we have been able to identify key trends and patterns that are shaping stakeholder expectations in today’s rapidly changing environment.

The findings of this research are not only academically rigorous but also practically relevant. They offer actionable recommendations that can help organizations better align their strategies with stakeholder preferences, thereby fostering stronger relationships and enhancing student performance. We invite you to explore the full report and consider how its insights can be applied to your own work. We are confident that you will find it both informative and thought-provoking.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in our research.

Sincerely,

Dalane E. Bouillion, Ed.D.
Chief Development Officer
VLK

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Explore the full document here: Original Research Document No. 7

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Dear Reader,

Our commitment at VLK to studying design and its impact on the end user is unwavering. I am pleased to share our sixth study, focused on seventh and eighth grade students’ perceptions regarding the renovated middle school where they attend. In this research, we deliberately focused on open collaboration spaces, as we wanted to better understand their use and students’ opinions about their own learning in this type of space.

We continue to appreciate the partnership we sustain with Dr. Oliveras and The University of Texas at Tyler. Her interest in learning environments, and her dedication to improving educator preparation by better understanding the use of modernized spaces, continues to offer hope for enhancing teaching and learning. The students’ voices in this study spoke to the importance of open collaboration spaces, and they clearly articulated why they place value on this type of learning space.

Please enjoy our latest work.

Sincerely,

VLK Architects

Dalane E. Bouillion, Ed.D.

Chief Development Officer

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Explore the full document here: Original Research Document No.6

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Recently, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) has become a hot topic in communities across Texas. For us educators, we know SEL as best practices that promote the soft skills that contribute to well-rounded students and productive citizens. For others, it has become a political platform. Because the process is crucial to teaching and learning, we decided to study what teachers might say about SEL strategies when considering the built environment, specifically flexible spaces as an intentional part of school design. We wanted to know if these types of spaces made a difference, or not, in the way teachers facilitated age-appropriate strategies that result in the intended soft skills that SEL purports. We found the results to be insightful, both to the design audience, and the educational leader audience.

Please enjoy our latest original research study, in conjunction with The University of Texas at Tyler. We continue to be proud of the work of VLK│EDGE®, remaining steadfast in contributing to the educational discourse about best practices, as well as to our design professionals. Ensuring the inclusion of design in the canon of educational literature continues to highlight the importance of the curricula and learning environment intersection, regardless of political rhetoric.

Sincerely,

VLK Architects

Dalane E. Bouillion, Ed.D., Chief Development Officer

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Explore the full document here: Original Research Document No. 5

Additional Resources: https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/education_fac/36/

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Our partnership with The University of Texas at Tyler continues to develop, providing insightful information to direct our practice of architecture. Teacher efficacy is interesting to me, as those who perceive themselves as difference makers have the ability to instill a strong sense of the same in their students. Beliefs that guide students to learn at deep levels, accept challenges, and think at the most critical levels make strong classroom teachers.

Because teachers’ perceptions are so valuable in our work, we wanted to understand the reasons why they chose to teach at a STEAM-specialized campus. We wanted to know if our designed spaces made a difference in their teaching, and if their own behaviors differed from their previous behaviors in their comprehensive high school. Interestingly, the outcomes of this research centered around the behaviors and actions of students, based on teachers’ experiences.

To provide balance, we chose to also include the campus leader’s perceptions, which affirmed the opinions of the teachers. In many cases, his interview provided reasoning behind their actions. I found it fascinating!

Enjoy!

Dalane E. Bouillion, Ed.D., Chief Development Officer

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Explore the full document here: Original Research Document

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Sara Koprowski | Educational Planner

Designing purposeful learning environments that fulfill the academic, as well as the social emotional needs of learners, has become of increasing interest to educational stakeholders. Studies have shown that intentional design for a learning space can promote a sense of belonging, foster the development of self, provide outlets for individual learning preferences, and promote collaboration (Oliveras-Ortiz, Bouillion, & Asbury, 2020). According to Asiyai (2011), an appropriate learning environment is key to effective learning and development. She maintains that “such an environment is supportive and productive for functional training of head, heart, and hand” (p. 716).

In addition to educators’ efforts to ensure that all students have access to a rigorous curriculum and highly qualified teachers, the condition of the physical environment within which teaching, and learning occurs is also a priority.

VLK Architects believes that all students deserve to feel a sense of well-being in their learning environment and be allowed individual autonomy in reaching their social-emotional learning goals. CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) defines social and emotional learning as:

The processes through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. (CASEL. “Fundamentals of SEL.” CASEL, 11 Mar. 2022, https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/)

Social and emotional learning involves five core competencies that, with intentional design collaboration, can be promoted throughout the physical learning environment. These five core competencies are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and making responsible decisions. VLK Architects collaborates with clients to not only understand their vision to move the learning environment beyond supporting daily needs; but also, how to enhance the impact of purposeful design on students’ overall social and emotional well-being. Students’ impressions about their school can have a positive or negative impact on learning, achievement, and overall social-emotional well-being. One elementary student validated this idea during the VLK | CURATION® Student Voice discussion at Midlothian ISD indicating,

The old school barely had any windows. It was dark and gloomy, and it did not make you want to go to school. The new school makes me feel happy, relaxed, and calm to have all this natural light. Now, I am actually excited about going to school.

VLK Architects understands creating effective learning spaces that promote well-being cannot occur without input from teachers and students – the main end users. An integral part of the VLK | CURATION® process allows students to provide their perspective of their current learning environments. During this process of gathering student voice, we gain student insight, their likes and dislikes, and their perception on how the spaces in which they learn may or may not foster the CASEL five core competencies. Recently, the overarching themes students revealed include opportunities to build relationships through collaborative workspaces, self-awareness of the physical conditions of space, environments that promote a sense of calm, self-selection of preferred space to accommodate individual learning preferences, and environments that foster exploration and curiosity. For a school to provide a dynamic and supportive physical learning environment, there needs to be a detectable shift from the traditional way schools have been designed and developed.

A recent trend in educational design has been the intentional placement of flexible and scaled
spaces for students to have choice and decision in their preference in learning. Exchange spaces allow for large groups to gather and learn together, hear a speaker, or extend the learning environment to use large materials or separate groups. Our Impact spaces are midsized collaboration areas providing flexibility for about ten students to work together. These spaces provide for group independent time, or areas where pull-out programs may be accomplished. This extension of the learning environment provides for endless opportunities based on curricular needs.

At Energy Institute High School in Houston, one student shared, “The way we collaborate is different at the new school. There is more opportunity to work with one another since we have larger tables, space, and options to all sit together, comfortably. It really helps you.”

Flexible learning spaces and purposefully designed environments provide more opportunities for students to practice working as teams and building relationships that lead to a sense of overall well-being. Student selfselection of preferred space accommodates individual learning preferences and allows for self-awareness between the task at hand and what type of environment will result in personal achievement. When asked, students can explain their thoughts and decision making on the personal selection of learning spaces due to the emotions that are provoked in each.

During VLK | CURATION®, a Sanger ISD student connected his sense of well-being and learning preference to the environment,“a large open space makes you feel freer and more relaxed because there is a sense of anxiety and claustrophobia when you’re in a small room that is cramped.”

Having a balance of large collaboration areas such as Exchange spaces, as well as smaller areas, such as our Think spaces, within the overall environment is important when considering student self-management and choice in spatial preference.

Think spaces are small learning environments that allow for autonomy and small group work. These areas are heavily supported with technology for students to have a quiet space for individual study, small group presentation planning, brainstorming, or other small group needs based on district curricular expectations.

During the VLK design process, deep discussion with our clients is of the utmost importance as we continue to connect well-being and the impact of student emotions in their learning environments, knowing how to provide a balance of appropriately sized spaces for instruction variety. When students feel a sense of calm and happiness in environments that promote curiosity and exploration, authentic engagement and a “love of learning to learn” occurs.

Natural lighting and outdoor learning spaces provide positive psychological and physical benefits to both teachers and students.

Throughout the VLK | CURATION® Student Voice conversations, “windows and outside” are themes that are consistently noted as students’ preference in the learning environment due to feelings of happiness, calm, focus, and joy.

An Energy Institute High School student validated the recurring themes when stating,
“In our new science lab, we have a balcony that is connected and opens to the outside. We can choose to do our work on the balcony so we can be in the outdoor environment but still connected to our science classroom. It helps me focus because I like the sun and fresh air.”

VLK designed outdoor learning areas provide space that extends the learning environment to support Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that are best taught in the sunlight, or with conditions that are difficult or impossible to create indoors. Writable surfaces, water sources, and shade can be provided to best meet instructional intentionality. It is easy to agree with a student from Perry Middle School when she stated, “Sunshine is a big factor in keeping morale up. It just makes you feel good.”

VLK Architects listens to clients in order to connect research, voice, and design to benefit students’ well-being within learning environments. Our spaces are designed to allow for student self-awareness, promote a sense of belonging, and instill a sense of pride and happiness for the overall community of users. Student well-being has never been more important than it is now, and our intentional design supports all aspects of learning.

References
ASIYAI, ROMINA. “Students’ Perception of the Condition of Their Classroom Physical Learning Environment and Its Impact on Their Learning and Motivation.” College Student Journal, vol. 48, no. 4, Winter 2014, pp. 716–726.
CASEL. “Fundamentals of SEL.” CASEL, 11 Mar. 2022, https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/.
Oliveras-Ortiz, Y., Bouillion, D. E., & Asbury, L. (2020). Research Paper Commissioned by VLK Architects. Teachers’ instructional decisions and student agency in new purposefully designed learning spaces. Houston, TX: VLK Architects. https://vlkarchitects.com/insights/teachers-instructional-decisions-and-student-agency-in-new-purposefully-designed-learning-spaces

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Explore the full document here: Original Research Document

Additional Sources: https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/education_fac/28/

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As a part of our continued partnership with The University of Texas at Tyler, VLK Architects was interested in studying the perceptions of students who moved from a repurposed school into a newly designed high school. This study was of particular interest to the firm, as purposeful design was employed to support the intended curricula focus and instructional methodology of the academic program. Explore the full manuscript in the link below.

Explore the full document here: Original Research Document No. 2

The post Listening to High School Students: Purposefully-Designed Spaces and the Impact on Students’ Engagement in Learning appeared first on VLK.

VLK Architects partnered with the University of Texas at Tyler to conduct a study resulting in original research titled, The Impact of Learning Environments on Student Engagement. Uniquely, VLK Architects was awarded the design assignment for two replacement elementary schools that, while located in separate districts, would be rebuilt on their same sites; thereby, serving the same student population, community demographics, teaching, and administrative staff. The following manuscript explores the impact of architectural design on student engagement.

Explore the full document below: Original Research Document No. 1

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