Actual and ideal learning spaces: how diamond ranking images enables the investigation

of current experience and also exploration of desires

and preferences for the learning environment.

Pamela Woolner & Ulrike Thomas

Research Centre for Learning and Teaching

Newcastle University

Challenges of initiating a process of change

in an educational context

Education seems resistant to change

The ‘structural conservatism of education institutions’ is part of their role in transmitting knowledge and culture from generation to generation (Young & Muller 2010: 15)

‘The mysteries of change’ (Fullan 2007:42)

‘Whole school change is elusive in practice and in the literatures’ (Thomson 2007:10)

Participation is central to successful change

‘the direct involvement of staff seemed to have played a part in encouraging school-wide innovation’ (Ouston et al. 1991)

Change can be facilitated or constrained at different levels:

culture, structure, agency (Priestley 2011)

Physical aspects act as part of the existing structure that can help or hinder change

Reflecting on use of physical space provides shared starting point in understanding needs and desires

Diamond ranking

Producing a diamond

Displaying diamonds

Analysis

Drawing conclusions

Relating to existing school space

Relating to possible school space

Sta

ff

Stu

dents

Most liked

Producing a diamond rank of images

Diamond rank the nine photographs:

Good place for learning

Least liked Poor place for learning

Visual mediation to overcome

problems…but also to enhance interaction

Reduces ‘overt privileging’ of verbal interaction (Prosser 2007:15)

‘There is a need...of bridging the gap between the worlds of the researcher and the researched.’ (Harper 2002: 20)

allow participants to ‘set the agenda, to decide what is important, and to work at their pace’ (Prosser 2007:24)

‘photographs can jolt subjects into a new awareness of their social existence’(Harper 2002: 21)

‘the method gave us access to a wider range of voices than might have been obtained through interview alone’ (Bragg & Buckingham, 2008: 121 - teenagers creating scrapbooks)

‘visual materials produced act as “mediating artefacts’ aiding communication between the participants’ (Clark 2010: 151)

How it works in practice

Initial engagement: images have an immediacy

Highly structured activity is easy to start; writing is not required

Provides a focus for a focus group

Same activity works well with children, young people and adults

Spatial aspect to activity seems to help clarify ideas

Diverse ideas conveyed by single image; comments range from specific to abstract

See Woolner & Thomas 2009; Woolner et al. 2010; 2012a&b; 2014; Woolner & Clark 2015; Clark et al 2013

In practice…some challenges

Can be difficult to use photos to talk beyond the ‘here and now’

May be perceived as “childish”

When people “know what they want to say”, they may see ranking activity as a distraction

See Woolner et al. 2010; Woolner & Clark 2015

Displaying diamonds

Completed diamonds can

be used to enable comparison of opinions

generate further discussion

lead to next stage of a collaborative process

Analysis: rankings

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

pictu

re 2

pictu

re 6

pictu

re 7

pictu

re 9

pictu

re 1

0

pictu

re11

pictu

re12

pictu

re13

pictu

re14

fre

qu

en

cy top

top two

bottom two

bottom

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

top

upper

middle

lower

bottom

Staff responses

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

top

upper

middle

lower

bottom

Student responses (Y3/4)

Can show overall preferences or compare responses across groups of participants

Preferences and problems of existing places or ideas about possible spaces

Analysis: comments (existing spaces) Annotations range from very

specific (“no locks on toilet doors”) to more general (see below)

Unexpected views revealed (the dining room was liked)

See Woolner et al. 2010

Analysis: comments (possible spaces)

Annotations make specific points (“too much clutter”) but also enable wider values to be revealed:

Pupil engagement

Group work, collaboration

Independent learning

Discussion

See Woolner et al. 2014; Woolner & Clark 2015

Drawing conclusions: reporting back

Reports/presentations bring together experiences and views to feed into development of space

Diamonds can be revisited in light of new experiences

Reports can include ranks and ideas from diamonds

Drawing conclusions: contributing

to knowledge about school space

Diamond ranking:

can facilitate the involvement of the diverse groups that comprise a school community: ‘the differing views of those with different roles produced a more complete understanding of the complex functioning of the school and the potential influences of this setting on learning’ (Woolner et al. 2010: 19)

complements other methods: ‘the various methods highlighted different aspects…it seems advisable to use a variety’ (Woolner et al. 2010: 20)

can be adapted to research or enagement needs: quantitative analysis reveals preferences and extent of shared views; qualitative analysis reveals values and nuances of understanding

Ref

eren

ces

Bragg, S. And Buckingham, D. (2008) ‘Scrapbooks’ as a resource in media research with young people. In P. Thomson (ed.) Doing Visual Research with Children and Young People. London: Routledge.

Clark, A. (2010). Transforming children’s spaces. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Clark, J., Laing, K., Tiplady, L. and Woolner, P. (2013) Making Connections: Theory and Practice of Using Visual Methods to Aid Participation in Research. Research Centre for Learning and Teaching, Newcastle University

Fullan, M. (2007) The New Meaning of Educational Change (4th Ed) New York/Abingdon: Routledge

Harper, D. (2002). Talking about pictures: a case for photo elicitation. Visual Studies 17(1): 13-26.

Ouston, J., Maughan, B. and Rutter, M. (1991) Can Schools Change? II: Practice in Six London Secondary Schools. School Effectiveness and School Improvement 2(1): 3-13

Priestley, M. (2011) Schools, teachers, and curriculum change: A balancing act? Journal of Educational Change 12:1–23

Prosser, J. (2007). Visual methods and the visual culture of schools. Visual Studies 22(1): 13-30.

Thomson, P.(2007) Whole School Change: a review of the literature London: Creative Partnerships

Woolner, P. (2010) The Design of Learning Spaces London: Continuum

Woolner, P. and Clark,A.(2015) Developing shared understandings of learning environments: interactions with students, teachers and other professionals In P.Woolner (ed) School Design Together. Abingdon: Routledge

Woolner, P., Clark, J., Laing, K., Thomas, U. & Tiplady, L. (2014) A school tries to change: How leaders and teachers understand changes to space and practices in a UK secondary school Improving Schools 17(2):148-162

Woolner P, Clark J, Laing K, Thomas U, Tiplady L. (2012a) Changing spaces: preparing students and teachers for a new learning environment. Children, Youth and Environments 22(1): 52-74

Woolner P, McCarter S, Wall K, Higgins S. (2012b) Changed learning through changed space: When can a participatory approach to the learning environment challenge preconceptions and alter practice? Improving Schools 15(1): 45-60.

Woolner, P., Hall, E., Clark, J., Tiplady, L., Thomas, U. and Wall, K. (2010). Pictures are necessary but not sufficient: using a range of visual methods to engage users about school design Learning Environments Research 13(1): 1-22

Woolner, P. & Thomas, U. (2009): 'How do visually mediated encounters differ from traditional interviews?' Paper presented at 1st International Visual Methods Conference, Sept 2009, Leeds University, UK http://www.ncl.ac.uk/cflat/news/documents/Leeds2009WoolnerThomas.pdf

Young, M & Muller, J. (2010) Three Educational Scenarios for the Future: lessons from the sociology of knowledge European Journal of Education 45(1): 11-27

Your turn…

Diamond rank the nine photographs of UK school space:

ein guter Ort zum lernen

ein schlechter Ort zum lernen

Discussion: benefits and challenges we

have noticed in practice

Immediacy (also limiting: hard to discuss the future or not known)

Inclusivity (but might seem childish to some)

Empowering participants (depends on wider context of the change process)

‘Something to look at’ aids discussion and collaboration

Spatial aspect to clarifying ideas

Iterative aspect is useful in developing ideas, as part of change process