Background

Transforming spaces for learning 

In 2019, the Office of the Vice Provost for Technology & Learning (VPTL) was charged by the University to develop a master plan for classrooms and informal learning spaces to inform learning space planning and design for the next decade. VPTL’s Learning Technologies & Spaces (LTS) unit became part of the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Affairs (VPSA) on September 1, 2020 and continues to lead the Stanford Classrooms Reimagined initiative.

Overview

We live in a globally-connected and rapidly changing world. Research shows that students today learn differently, and they increasingly expect to be actively engaged in learning both in the classroom and throughout campus. To best prepare and educate our diverse student body, Stanford is committed to adapting our teaching and learning environment, adopting research-based teaching pedagogies and creating flexible and dynamic learning spaces. Most Stanford classrooms were originally designed to support traditional teaching approaches. Those classrooms that are state-of-the-art, flexible, and technology-rich are consistently oversubscribed. Other classrooms and learning spaces are underutilized.

To meet the changing needs of our students, to address the growing gap between classroom supply and demand, and to optimize the use of existing spaces and resources, LTS has commissioned a Classroom and Informal Learning Space Master Plan Project.

Faculty, students, administrators and all major stakeholders in learning space master planning were involved in interviews, focus groups, and surveys.

Key Objectives

• Conduct a comprehensive analysis of formal and informal learning spaces.
• Create new, updated guiding principles for campus learning spaces.
• Develop a 10-year roadmap and capital plan for updating, retrofitting, and/or newly constructing learning spaces.
• Create a foundation for an ongoing technology and provisioning roadmap.
• Create a learning space advisory committee.
• Create opportunities for ongoing feedback from students, instructors, and departments.
• Conduct continual research on new models developed elsewhere.

Report Timeline

The shelter-in-place orders of early 2020 and a return to in-person instruction in the future provide new opportunities to reimagine Stanford Classrooms and informal learning spaces both in the short term and over the next ten years.

This strategic plan and its recommendations incorporate strategic opportunities to lay a strong foundation going forward.