A call for co-working – users’ expectations regarding learning spaces in higher education

Abstract

Purpose Today, academic work includes increasingly informal and collaborative activities. This research attempts to determine whether stakeholders in the development of learning spaces in higher education could benefit from the principles of co-working space. This paper aims to determine whether a need exists for co-working space as a learning space solution from the viewpoint of academic space users. This determination will be made by examining the following research question: How does the co-working space concept meet user expectations regarding academic space? Design/methodology/approach The research question is answered by investigating users’ experiences of existing learning spaces in higher education in light of future workplace needs. Users’ requirements are examined by analysing user experience survey and interviews. The results are confirmed by focus group interviews and examined in the light of co-working space characteristics that are identified in the literature from the viewpoint of workplace management by searching for similarities between descriptions in the literature and the empirical data. Findings This research suggests that academic space users would appreciate it if the spaces they use would reflect some of the co-working space characteristics. These characteristics are community, multipurpose office, high accessibility and attractive workplace. A less applicable co-working space characteristic is space as service. Research limitations/implications The results of this study are based on one case, which limits the generalisability of the results. Practical implications The results provide suggestions for corporate real estate management and stakeholders in academic institutions to consider when renovating outdated spaces. Originality/value The paper expands the literature on learning spaces in higher education and related practices by linking it with co-working spaces, thereby contributing to a field that has not yet been explored in depth.

Exploring Opportunities for Community Building in Atlas – the World’s Most Sustainable Education Building

“…Likewise, Sankari, Peltokorpi and Nenonen [9] investigate user experiences in higher education learning spaces to understand whether these could benefit from co-working principles. The results suggest that characteristics typically found in coworking spaces are positively experienced by users of academic spaces.…”

“…Despite the large adoption of ICT services by knowledge workers, universities require now (more than ever) the physical presence of both students and staff: while knowledge exchange can happen virtually, face to face communication and social interaction are vital to knowledge creation and innovative thinking [8]. By working together, learning from one another and engaging in creative and social activities within a shared place, university knowledge workers contribute to a knowledge space that is attractive, flexible, versatile and fosters trust, community and awareness [9].…”

Supporting strategic decision-making on the future campus with space utilisation studies: a case study

“…First, universities are faced with an increasingly uncertain demand (both qualitatively and quantitatively) for facilities. An increasing share of international students results in a more uncertain student influx (OECD, 2019) and a more diverse demand for student facilities and services on-campus (Sankari et al, 2018;TU Delft, 2016). Furthermore, as securing research funding from public or private sources is increasingly competitive in "academic capitalism" (Lepori and Reale, 2019;Schulze-Cleven and Olson, 2017), there is competition for resources.…”

Towards a smart campus: supporting campus decisions with Internet of Things applications

“…Firstly, universities are faced with an increasingly uncertain demand (both qualitatively and quantitatively) for facilities. An increasing share of international students results in a more uncertain student influx (OECD, 2019) and a more diverse demand for student facilities and services on campus (Sankari et al, 2018;TU Delft, 2016). Furthermore, as securing research funding from public or private sources is increasingly competitive in 'academic capitalism' (Lepori & Reale, 2019;Schulze-Cleven & Olson, 2017), there is competition for resources.…”