A Focus on Pedagogy

Abstract

Collaboration among students is reported to improve their learning and academic performance. Academic students spend much time on out-of-class assignments in a variety of different environments. A popular choice is a library that offers designated workspaces for students, either for individual or group work. Studies show that a strong correlation exists between efficient learning spaces and interior space attributes. Spatial design affects human parameters such as behavior, experience, and cognitive functions. So far, it has been a challenge to determine the effectiveness of space on student collaboration. This study demonstrates how advanced sensors can determine the effectiveness of specific space attributes on group collaboration among academic students. Experiments were conducted over 12 days with 396 academic students working in groups. In total, 159 groups were involved, divided into sizes of two, three, or four. Technologically, this research differs from previous studies by significantly reducing or eliminating the need for users to participate in the study actively. Discrete non-invasive depth sensors offer micro-level analysis of all users entering the designated test area. As all measured data are not personally sensitive, the method complies with general data protection regulations, and the need for user consent is avoided. As a result, the study demonstrates a novel method to be used by both environmental psychologists and architects to understand and quantify the level of group collaboration as well as to correlate it with different space attributes. In addition, the case study presents statistically significant findings of specific space attributes that enable group collaboration. Two different approaches were used to validate the outcome of the method, 1: 19 hours of ethnographic monitoring of the group’s collaboration level, 2: 142 group members’ assessment of internal collaboration level.