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Does the physical environment affect learning outcomes? What do we expect from today’s schools?

Does the physical environment affect learning outcomes? What do we expect from today’s schools?

January 22, 2025

Are the spaces dedicated to education adequate and adaptable to the changing needs of learners? Can the walls of old schools withstand the changes that contemporary education requires? Can the environment in which we learn influence learning outcomes? The community of the Faculty of Architecture of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH) invites you to seek answers together in an open discussion "Educational Space", which will take place at the National Martynas Mažvydas Library on 24 January at 14:00.

Educational needs and challenges are changing as fast as everyone's daily life in an innovation-driven world. General education no longer fits into the framework of the classical sciences. Critical thinking, creativity, community, sustainable living skills, a culture of tolerance and democracy, and emotional intelligence are just the beginning. What kind of environment could enrich the educational process and make it more effective? What is the role of the city, society, public institutions and business in a young person's development?

VILNIUS TECH researchers have been studying the potential of schools to adapt their existing spaces to changing needs for ten years. The process involves not only researchers and architects from different countries, but also students, schools and local communities. Since 2015, researchers Liutauras Nekrošius, Edita Riaubienė and Dolf Broekhuizen (The Netherlands) have been inviting the public to open talks, conferences, initiating activities in schools, presenting a travelling exhibition dedicated to the school communities, producing publications, and engaging the students in their creative explorations.

Today, the results of VILNIUS TECH's research are being integrated into the Architecture Studies process. One example is the intensive course on school architecture that has been running since 2015 (becoming an international course from 2023). It is run in cooperation with the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts and Brno Technical University. In 2024, the course took place in Dortmund, Germany, and this year it will be held in Brno, Czech Republic.

According to the initiator of the discussion "Educational Space", L. Nekrošius, the aim of the event is to promote cooperation between school founders, communities, educators and architects: "In the process of education, the expectations and needs of all the participants are important, as well as their ability to not only communicate, but also to cooperate. Teachers and educational researchers are best placed to know the most appropriate educational methods. Families have different expectations of schools: some want high academic achievement, while others value attention to a child's emotional well-being or special needs. School founders, municipalities, public bodies and businesses, also have their own ambitions."

L. Nekrošius notes that some municipalities, in order to make efficient use of their infrastructure, are trying to open up the inside and outside of schools to local communities, making it even easier for students to access laboratory or sports facilities after school. "This makes schools unique, even if they are buildings that were once standard designs. It is therefore very important that when schools are renovated, we pay attention to adapting the physical spaces of the school to the changed needs. And I believe that methodological support based on international experience is essential for the architects who will assist in this process," says the researcher.

During the event, educator Unė Kaunaitė will share EDU Vilnius' experience on how the education process can go beyond the physical boundaries of the school, and how the city's communities, professionals and institutions can become full participants in the education process. School leaders and architects will also share their experiences and challenges. Architect Barbara Pampe will present her experience of working on initiatives that promote cooperation between school communities and architects.  Architects Gilma Teodora Gylytė and Rokas Kilčiauskas will take part in the discussion, joined by school leaders Inga Vargalienė and Rūta Krasauskienė. The meeting will be moderated by Dalia Stabrauskaitė, who coordinates the UNESCO Associated Schools Network in Lithuania.

The discussion "Educational Space" will take place on 24 January 2025 at 14:00 at the National Martynas Mažvydas Library, in the space of the Valstybingumo centras. The event will feature the exhibition "Lithuania Goes to School" (curators: Liutauras Nekrošius, Edita Riaubienė, VILNIUS TECH Faculty of Architecture). Event will be in Lithuanian, Barbara Pampe will present in English.

Organisers: VILNIUS TECH Faculty of Architecture, Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO, Martynas Mažvydas National Library. 
Partner: Goethe Institute Lithuania.

Photos: Creative workshop of students in Dortmund, 2024. L. Nekrošius