Featherbrook College’s learning community spaces have been designed around universal design principles that promote inclusion and equity for all students. Learners and learning are central to the design.
The college design and masterplan was created through an iterative design process involving principals and students of exemplar Victorian schools and educational design experts. This was ensure the college was designed to provide adaptable learning and teaching spaces that could support a range of pedagogical (teaching) approaches.
Create contemporary learning environments will facilitate a learning and learner-centred approach. Various learning settings and zones will support and enhance a full range of learning and teaching activities for a range of group sizes from individual, one to one, small collaborative groups to larger group learning. These will include:
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direct, explicit teaching, demonstration and presentation
- dialogue, story- telling, community of inquiry
- meetings for discussion, planning and decision-making
- structured and free-form interaction and collaboration
- creative activities with media, general and specialised equipment and materials
- investigative activities with general and specialised equipment and materials
- construction, modelling and simulation through play-based learning and/or authentic settings
- display of learning resources and student work
- quiet reflective activities and/or individual research
- rehearsal and performance
- gatherings, assemblies ceremonies
The learning spaces support learning and teaching models that are based on contemporary knowledge, understanding and research, reflecting the values of collaboration, high expectations with regard to the achievement of learning outcomes, empowerment and respect and diversity.
This means the collaborative approaches used by our teachers will support student learning and will require teachers to build on their professional learning, knowledge sharing and collaboration through team structures, collaborative planning and peer observations. The college’s design supports this approach.
Learners and learning are central to the design where personal agency and empowerment are encourage and the development of a sense of identity through a personalised approach to learning and program provision.
The design of the college reflects the principle of collaboration for both students as well as teaching colleagues. The spaces are designed to make provision for meetings, professional collaboration and planning in small medium and large groups. The designs will enable teacher modelling, mentoring and peer observation by ensuring all teaching is visible and can be observed. The spaces will allow for a seamless flow of students and teachers between integrated learning settings and spaces.
