"The project has provided important insights into what the need for hybridity actually looks like and how this in turn affects room design and technology. Insights that will be important to us as property owners, as we develop campuses around the country together with our customers," says Kajsa Winnes, project manager for Learning Lab Umeå at Akademiska Hus.
How do we create learning environments where everyone can participate with equal conditions, regardless of where they are? This question has been at the centre of a four-year development project at Umeå University in collaboration with Akademiska Hus.
The results clearly show that hybrid teaching, where students participate both on-site and digitally, holds fantastic opportunities but also great challenges. In order for hybrid teaching to be good and equal for everyone who participates, it places high demands on how the physical environment is designed. Perhaps one of the most important conclusions of the project is that it is not the technology itself that determines the quality, but how pedagogy, space and technology interact.
"We see that well-functioning hybrid learning environments require a holistic perspective. Technology makes it possible, but it is the pedagogy and the room design that determine whether everyone can really participate," says Åse Tieva, educational developer and operations manager for the Learning Lab at Umeå University.
Scale down to scale up
The physical space in Learning Lab Umeå was created in an ordinary classroom at the university. There, new spatial and technical solutions have been developed and tested in close dialogue with teachers and students
The work has been conducted iteratively. Solutions have been tested, evaluated and improved over time. An important lesson is that a high level of hybridity with seamless interaction between students is not in high demand. The opportunity for all participants to see and hear each other in a whole group is often enough. Complex technical solutions do not always provide better teaching. On the contrary, the results point to the value of simplifying to meet the need for hybridity where it is greatest.
"Scaling down to be able to scale up is a key insight. Robust, standardised technology and clear learning environments make it easier for more people to use hybrid teaching in practice. It is also easier to spread solutions that are not based on special technology or very special rooms," says Åse Tieva.
Flexibility – but not at the expense of participation
Hybrid teaching creates new opportunities for flexibility and accessibility. Students can participate regardless of geographical location, life situation or other obstacles. At the same time, the report shows that participation does not come automatically.
Challenges such as sound quality, interaction between students and the need for clear structure recur throughout the study. In particular, group work with participants both on-site and online turned out to be complex to carry out with high quality. Hybrid learning environments must be designed with a focus on social interaction and equal conditions, not just technical connectivity.
Why we collaborate with Umeå University
The collaboration between Akademiska Hus and Umeå University is an example of how we can develop the campus environments of the future together.
Through Learning Lab Umeå, Akademiska Hus has created a test bed on campus where research, pedagogy and the physical environment meet. This makes it possible to develop knowledge about how premises are actually used and how they should be designed to support learning.
"For us, it's about understanding how learning environments work in practice and not just focusing on how many students can fit in a classroom. Through close collaboration with the university, we can develop solutions that are both research-based and relevant in reality," says Kajsa Winnes.
The investment also shows the value of long-term partnerships. When property owners and universities work together, we can more quickly test ideas, learn lessons and translate them into more educational environments.
A foundation for the campus of the future
The final report points out several ways forward. The need for standardized hybrid solutions, continued pedagogical support and more test environments where new ways of working can be developed.
Overall, the work in Umeå shows that the learning environments of the future are not about either digitally or physically, but about creating well-thought-out hybrid environments where both perspectives interact.
