"What We Have Learned about Space"
THE LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY SCHOLARS LEARNING EXPERIENCE
September 15, 1999
The purpose of this essay is to share what we have learned about ‘space and place’--its location, configuration, and use--in conjunction with the evolution of the Bailey Scholars Program at Michigan State University. We start by describing three important and interrelated characteristics of our program--our approach to learning (self-directed learning in a learning community environment); our organizational structure (matrix), and our organizational form (loosely-coupled system). Given these characteristics, we then describe how we planned for and configured space at the physical location of the Bailey Scholars Program, Agriculture Hall, on the MSU campus. The final section of the essay includes reflections on our space experience. We see space as a critical--and often overlooked--dimension of a complex, interconnected, and fragile learning ecosystem. Space attributes that seem to be especially important in this ecosystem include how space is perceived by members (its ambiance and 'feel') and how well space configuration-use aligns with espoused program values and outcomes. We conclude that an appropriately configured and designed 'home base' is necessary for sustaining and advancing a program like ours.
THE BAILEY APPROACH TO LEARNING
The Bailey Scholars Program affords opportunities for our students and faculty to learn and grow as whole persons, connecting the mind and the spirit. Collaborative learning is the learning pathway--together, we decide what to learn and how. Dialogue is the primary means for planning and engaging in collaborative learning.
In this connective and collaborative approach, we organize our time and efforts around mutual learning interests. Students and faculty envision, organize, and undertake learning experiences in constantly changing learning groups. Groups undertake their work in two forms--curricular (for credit in conjunction with our 21-credit specialization for undergraduate students) and non-curricular (e.g., community service). Learning initiatives occur in university classroom and in off-campus settings. In all cases and settings, we strive to learn responsibly and accountably--taking individual responsibility for completing agreed-to tasks and paying attention to the issues of learning quality and impact.
By the outcomes we seek and with the approach we take, we demonstrate the value of learning 'in community,' that is, learning with, from, and through others. We also respect and affirm each person's unique journey of personal and professional development. Each learner comes to the table with the goal of developing in ways that makes sense for who she is and where she seeks to go, personally and professionally.
We describe our form of learning as 'self-directed learning in a learning community environment.' This intention and approach is expressed in The Declaration of Bailey, the
statement of our shared ethos, created jointly by students and faculty. The Declaration hangs in bold letters around the ceiling in largest room in the home of the Bailey program, Agriculture Hall:
The Bailey Scholars Program seeks to be a community of scholars dedicated to lifelong learning. All members of the community work toward providing a respectful, trusting, environment where we acknowledge our interdependence and encourage personal growth.
THE BAILEY STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL FORM
The success of our approach to learning hinges fundamentally on the capacity to sustain a culture of connectedness. A challenge under any circumstances, it is especially significant in our case given the way that our program is structured. Seeking to avoid becoming disconnected from the rest of the University, we designed Bailey as a matrix structure--all students matriculate in academic majors and almost all of the faculty & staff have primary appointments in other University units. Students and faculty participate in Bailey because it enhances their personal and/or professional development. Participating in our program is a discretionary activity, much like joining a voluntary organization, and it is a second-order academic and/or position responsibility for just about everybody in the program.
Bailey's organizational form is that of a loosely-coupled system. This is in sharp contrast to organizing as a tightly-coupled system, a more typical organization form. In tightly-coupled systems, members know each other well, invest time in debating issues and deciding directions, and develop a 'we feeling' based on interpersonal understanding, confidence, and trust. Bailey, as a loosely-coupled system, follows a different path. The fundamental tie that binds members is commitment to The Declaration of Bailey. With emphasis on participating in learning initiatives that are appropriate for each person, most activities take place in small groups (not in the group as a whole) as members organize around mutual learning interests. There are relatively few times when all members meet face-to-face. That is because members decide how they will participate in Bailey and when. Members create many and different vehicles for connecting (e.g., weekly soup and bread gathering), but any vehicle is likely to appeal to some members and not to others. In addition, a limited amount of time is spent by the membership 'managing Bailey.' A communication and decision making system has been created through technology so that members can engage in virtual dialogue prior to coming to the table to make decisions. While it is important for members to have voice, it is not necessary for them to spend face-to-face time with others debating options and decisions--unless they choose to spend their time that way.
IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR PHYSICAL SETTING
Bailey's home base--Agriculture Hall--has been configured to support the Bailey form of learning, our matrix structure, and our organizational form as a loosely-coupled system. It is a GATHERING PLACE for our nearly 60 Bailey students and faculty. Agriculture Hall is a converted
facility (former residence), built in the 1920s. Located on MSU's North campus in a tree-lined area, it is a shared-use facility. Bailey shares Wills with a unit of the MSU Grounds Department
(basement area) and MSU Extension staff (second floor). Our program is situated on the first floor with approximately 1700 square feet of usable space.
Long before we knew that the program would be located at Agriculture Hall, we recognized the importance of physical setting in the equation of overall program success and included it in the overall Bailey program planning process. That process included reading contemporary literature from the business field on workplace design, consulting with professionals in the workplace design business, making field visits to see various models in action, and gathering input from MSU undergraduates and alumni during focus group interviews.
Following the decision by the University in October 1997 to locate our program in Agriculture Hall, the initial class of Bailey students and the faculty engaged in a formal space design process. The notion of Agriculture Hall as a gathering place devoted to 'learning in community' drove the process. Refinements, but no major changes, have been made in that design since moving into the facility in January 1998. The largest space--The Commons--is the primary assembly area, used extensively for learning and connecting through dialogue. It is both the centerpiece and dominant feature of our space configuration. Most of the rest of the space at Agriculture Hall supports related learning and connecting functions--a room for small group meetings; a technology room; a lounge for one-on-one conversations, reading, and reflecting; a food storage (refrigerator) and preparation (microwave) room; and storage space in the basement. There is also a personal-size lavatory on the first floor. The secretary is positioned at the intersection of the two ways of entering the first floor--to greet those who come into the program. Faculty and other staff who play administrative and program support roles are located in two shared, 'off to the side,' spaces that flank the technology room.
Our space vision, which reinforces and sustains our program ethos, has led us to
· Devote the best and most space to learning functions. (Only one staff member--the secretary--is housed at Wills during the 8 a.m-5 p.m., M-F, work week. There are no faculty offices at Agriculture Hall.)
· Provide all students and faculty with 24-hour access to the facility. (There is a key box at the front entrance to the building.)
· Evolve as a non-residential program for undergraduate students. (Although we affirm the value of 'living and learning' programs, they are arrangements designed to support and enhance tightly-coupled systems. Agriculture Hall is not a residential facility.)
EXPERIENCE IN AGRICULTURE HALL
Called by one faculty member as 'a crossroads,' almost all of the curricular (class sessions) and non-curricular learning efforts (e.g., reading circles, technology training) have been planned and
most have taken place at Agriculture Hall. You will find students and faculty at Agriculture Hall at literally all times of the day and night. It is a place that draws them to work on Bailey and non-
Bailey efforts. Students, especially, often bring family and friends to show them Wills. Some friends join them in studying there. Newcomers and guests arrive at Wills frequently. They find it a hospitable place, and some of them choose to become formally affiliated with the program.
As a reflection of what we call, 'Wills ways,' each person takes responsibility for using this shared space respectfully. During our time at Wills, there has never been a reported theft, the house has been maintained appropriately, and the facility is used constantly for multiple, simultaneous purposes (e.g., students studying individually and students planning a Bailey event) without complaint.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED--UNDERSTANDING BAILEY AS A ‘LEARNING ECOSYSTEM’
Because of their voluntary commitment to enter and maintain their involvement in Bailey, there are probably differences between Bailey participants and the general population of MSU students and faculty. The answer to the question of 'what makes Bailey work' may be a function of the type of people who are drawn to a program with our ethos and approach. However, our experience suggests that the formula for success is more complex. Over time, we have come to understand the importance of thinking about our program as a ‘learning ecosystem.'
As is the case with all ecosystems, ours is complex, interconnected, and fragile. It includes these dimensions:
· a diverse, growing, and changing group of learners (the who)
· the program ethos (the why)
· self-directed learning and learning in community (the how)
· the subjects of learning (the what)
· the physical setting of Agriculture Hall (the where), and
· the university environment and beyond.
We have come to recognize that engaging successfully in Bailey efforts requires healthy (vibrant) ecosystem dimensions. We have also come to recognize that the ecosystem dimensions need to connect in mutually supportive and reinforcing ways. Otherwise, breakdowns will occur.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LOCATING AND CONFIGURING A 'HOME BASE'
In some ways, the challenge is to 'make Bailey happen anywhere and in any place.' We see that happening when Bailey students and faculty engage in activities away from Agriculture Hall (e.g., in community outreach or when a learning session is held elsewhere on campus). There is virtually no difference in the look, 'feel,' and outcomes in comparison to what happens daily at Agriculture Hall. But can 'Bailey happen anywhere' without having an appropriately located and configured 'home base'? We think not. In our way of thinking, the home base is a critical and often overlooked factor in program success. For example, an inviting home base makes it easier (other things being equal) for newcomers to enter and become part of a program like ours.
Based on our experience, we offer the following recommendations for locating and configuring a home base that supports and advances efforts associated with a program like ours.
First and foremost, we emphasize a cluster of attributes that are related to the admittedly elusive--although very real--'ambiance of a place,' that is, how 'it feels' to people and whether or not it is perceived as 'a special place.' The ‘feel of a place’ is the product of what people do, personally and interpersonally, to make a place more or less appealing; where the space is physically located; and how space is configured and used. At one point, we thought that ambiance and feel might be more important at the launch and incubation stages, and less important as a program gains maturity. In this way of thinking, it would be possible for a program to migrate at some point to less personalized space. Today, we view the attributes of ambiance and feel as enduring and vital--requiring constant attention.
A program like ours is sustained if we have
1. an inviting space
Serves as a magnate--drawing learners to a place where they want to spend time. The space must have a positive image in learners' minds. The surrounding area must support this positive mental image.
2. a hospitable space
A place where all people, including newcomers and guests, feel welcome. Contributing to this is a ‘sense of warmth' (the 'hearth factor') that encourages connectedness. Having kitchen facilities, making it easy to prepare and share meals, contributes significantly to nourishing the mind and spirit.
3. a personal space
Demonstrates that this is a place of 'me and we.' This is accomplished by having the place decorated with items that reflect the ethos, most especially items created by members of the community. Being in a place that 'feels personal' makes stretch learning more possible. Learners are more likely 'to stretch' (e.g., take risks, express vulnerability) in an environment that feels comfortable to them. It helps expand their comfort zone.
4. an inclusive space
Declare, emphatically, that we are all partners in a joint endeavor. For example, as much space and equipment as possible should be available for shared (not restricted) use and access.
We also recommend deploying space in ways that make it possible for a variety of tasks and activities to be undertaken--all at the same time--by diverse and busy people. This means relying less on fixed use and more on convertible uses. It is important that the space configuration align with the program's expressed values and outcomes.
5. an accessible space
Must be conveniently located and open to learners, day and night. This makes the space learner-driven, not schedule-driven.
6. some dedicated spaces
Ensures that appropriate amounts of space are allocated to core program features.
7. some flexible spaces
Makes it possible for some space to be re-configured easily and quickly to accommodate different experiences--even multiple experiences in the same place and in the same day.
8. working 'large and small' spaces
Must support small and large groups, both planned and unplanned, with tools for collaboration and production readily available.
9. a reflective space
Because reflecting on experience (individual and collective) is a critical feature of our program, space must accommodate private, small group, and large group learning with emphasis on personal and professional meaning-making.
Finally, we suggest that space must accommodate three time-frames--the present, the past, and the future.
10. a looking around, back, and ahead space
Allocate space to support current and active endeavors, to reflect program heritage (honoring the past involvements and contributions), and to accommodate future growth and development.
ADDENDUM 1:
Voice of the Bailey Student Scholars
(from a roundtable discussion sponsored by The Bailey Student Learners Organization)
Important characteristics of space and place….
1. Open and safe, 24 hrs. a day
2. A place where everyone knows your name
3. Availability of parking for scholars and guests
4. A feeling of a ‘home away from home’ vs office space
5. A space that provides a sense of ownership, a sense of identity and recognition by community members
6. Tech Room Resources readily available and accessible
7. Simultaneously facilitates large-group interactions, break-out groups from the larger group, other smaller groups meeting and private spaces for individual use. Also important….informal lounge space.
8. Spaces that can be reconfigured at a moments notice - both large-group space and breakout rooms (space to store/put unused furniture when open space needed), a kitchen, and for administrative functions.
9. Space that says, "This is different!" A space that facilitates practice being and functioning in a new and different way.
10. Being physically located on the fringe helps with developing a sense of special-ness.
11. A space that allows you to escape from ‘traditional academia.’
12. Easy contact with fresh air, nature, a garden, picnic tables, and other outside activities, such as grilling for picnics.
13. Accessible and convenient contact with the community outside the university, including visual contact.
14. Wall space for writing and newsprint sheets
15. Self-maintained responsibility - responsibility is ‘a gift,’ an indicator/expression of respect
ADDENDUM 2:
Community in Learning . . . Learning in Community"
from the Morrill Scholars Program Design Team
College of Arts and Letters
The Morrill Scholars Program (MSP) is an undergraduate specialization planned for the College of Arts and Letters. The program seeks to combine a learning community ethos with a curriculum that engages students and faculty in direct service to the communities of greater Lansing.
"Space" and "place" carry deep and obvious significance to an arts and humanities program designed to bridge the university and the community and to serve as a crossroads of interdisciplinary inquiry and insight. The Morrill Scholars Design Team feels that our experiences and on-going struggles in developing the specialization may contribute to current discussions about space and learning communities taking place among our Bailey Program colleagues.
Launched in December, 1998, the Morrill Scholars Program design process is now moving through the problematic "launch and incubation" stages of early program development that the Bailey Scholars Program experienced in 1995. The "Recommendations for Locating and Configuring a 'Home Base'" addressed above are equally important, if not more important, we believe, to the early design and deliberation phases of program development than to continuing program improvement and success. The MSP Design Team members are constantly struggling against centrifugal forces that frustrate our efforts to build community among faculty, students, and citizen groups-not the least of which are the daunting challenges to community-building faced by our Design Team members housed in departments scattered throughout more than a dozen buildings on campus.
We have charged one of our "Working Groups" with finding ways to enrich collegiality and community among Design Team members. We have tried to find hospitable places to do our common work. We rent rooms for Saturday meetings in the International Center and the MSU Student Union. We are planning retreats. One of our Working Groups spent a weekend in a dormitory at Kalamazoo College drafting a grant proposal. During the summer we reserved the Dean's conference room for Wednesday soup and bread lunches. We launched a List Serve that functions as a "virtual commons."
In truth, however, we have no real "hearth" or "magnet" that can ground our community-building endeavors. We operate without a physical center that can anchor our evolving learning ecology. Without a "home base" we have found it difficult to implement centripetal strategies, as our Bailey colleagues note, critical to the "ambience and feel," "warmth," and "hospitality" that are necessary for nourishing and sustaining connectedness, trust-building, familiarity, and endurance of commitment-all critical requisites of community. Sometimes we feel like we are raising a barn on rented land.
We strongly concur, then, that a place on campus needs to be set aside for developing special learning communities such as the Bailey and Morrill Scholars programs that offer new approaches to teaching and learning and for whom space and place are organic expressions of program values and goals: "home," in other words, not "office" or "property." We endorse the ten characteristics of space spelled out by our Bailey colleagues. Our experience has shown us that such learning places must be set aside, dedicated, and maintained apart from the spaces that occupy and, as such, shape conventional institutional practices and expectations at MSU. In short, a place like Agriculture Hall.
With Wendell Berry, Morrill Scholars believe that "because a community is, by definition, placed, its success cannot be divided from the success of its place, its . . . setting and surroundings . . . . The two economies, the [spatial] and the human, support each other; each is the other's hope of a durable and a livable life."
TEACHING AND LEARNING #3—SPACE AND LEARNING ECOLOGY