Spatial configuration shapes student social and informal learning activities in educational complexes

Notable gains have been made in understanding the factors that influence student experiences in higher education, particularly in the area of spatial configuration. Indeed, studies have found that spatial configuration affects spatial behaviour and movement patterns (e.g., Hillier et al., 1993). Increasingly physical and spatial supports are provided to ensure the efficacy and efficiency of learning activities in higher education (Higgins et al., 2005; Brown & Long, 2006; Dugdale & Long, 2007; Dugdale, 2009). Consequently, the informal learning spaces became a pivotal architectural design strategy for universities to enhance interior design quality and improve learning environments. It is definitely an effective way to improve learning performance in the higher educational facilities if well-designed informal learning spaces could improve student experiences within them. Even though the development of purpose-built informal learning spaces is a strategy to enhance student experiences, it is becoming more prevalent. The empirical research in this area is still lacking. What appears to be missing in this enquiry is how the built environment, namely the shape of the learning environment, influences student activities. Using Hillier’s (2007) definition of intelligibility as the relationship between local and global configurational factors, this paper aims to examine the impact of spatial configuration upon frequency of student activities in an educational complex based on space syntax theory and behavioural observation. In order to achieve this assumption, we correlated the data between the observation data of the frequencies of six student activities: Focused Informal Learning, Serendipitous Encounter, Intermittent Exchange, Focused Socialising, Dietary Related Activities and Ambient Sociality. The spatial attributes were derived from space syntax theory in an educational complex of the University Park campus in the University of Nottingham: Coates Building - Pope Building - ESLC area. More specifically, there are five informal learning spaces in the educational complex in total. The frequency of the six types of student activities were examined in five informal learning spaces in this educational complex. The findings confirm that spatial configuration and patterns of spatial usage are related to each other. The main finding is that there is a correlation between the degree of connectivity of the area and frequency of student activities. The finding suggests that spatial configuration may play an important role in determining frequencies of students socialising and informal learning activities