Create an optimal learning environment!

How can we best support our students' learning processes and design innovative teaching and learning spaces? This was the central question of the Teaching Day, which took place on May 10, 2023 at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences in Zittau.

Under the motto "Campus 4 You - Designing innovative teaching and learning spaces together", Professor Sophia Keil, Vice-Rector for Education and International Affairs, invited the university public to discuss ideas and concepts for designing modern teaching and learning spaces on the Zittau and Görlitz campuses.

The Teaching Day offered participants inspiring presentations by our students and renowned experts on the topic of modern teaching and learning space design.

The students' wishes were presented by the Student Council, represented by Ms. Miriam Meyer and Mr. Johann Scheffel. They showed the great interest of our students in the future design of seminar rooms, makerspaces and open spaces. The students want open and friendly learning spaces for projects as well as places to retreat to for personal exchange. In particular, modular seminar rooms with individually adaptable furnishings for different teaching and learning situations were discussed. It was emphasized that it is not just the latest technology that is important. A modern and friendly campus also includes low-threshold projects such as the planting of fruit trees and shrubs, covered bicycle parking spaces and lockers for teaching materials in all buildings. "The HSZG campus should be a campus of the future, offering an inspiring and inclusive environment in which students from different departments can come together, exchange ideas and develop innovative solutions together," the students emphasized at the end of their presentation. These important impressions were passed on to the Rectorate and it will now be their task to implement the wishes according to the possibilities of the HSZG.

Dr. Dr. Dierk Suhr, Head of Communication & Pedagogy at Hohenloher Spezialmöbelwerk, gave a lecture entitled "The room as the third pedagogue - new didactics also need new room concepts". He gave valuable insights into the learning of tomorrow, which is largely characterized by collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. These elements are significantly influenced by the learning environment. It is therefore important for every educational institution to take this into account in its planning and to find new ways of imparting knowledge.

Prof. Dr. Richard Stang from the Stuttgart Media University presented perspectives for a reorientation in the design of learning spaces under the title "Designing learning spaces for the future". As a long-standing supporter of successful research projects on the topic of "The world of university learning", Professor Stang emphasized in particular the development of teaching and learning arrangements at universities. It became clear that there is a need for action not only in the areas of university organization, university didactics, digital structures and physical teaching and learning spaces. In order to create a student-oriented learning environment at universities, it is also of great importance that university policy actively shapes the change.

Katrin Schillinger, project manager for hybrid learning spaces at HAW Hamburg, shared her experiences and findings on new teaching and learning spaces in her presentation entitled "Acting innovatively and anchoring strategically - campus development at HAW Hamburg". The focus was on the question of how students want to learn best, which led to an open and hybrid space concept. Using the example of HAW Hamburg, it became clear that students want to have the opportunity to work in group projects, to delve into individual work undisturbed or to relax between seminars.

The event was supported by the projects "MINOS - MINT-mach-Region Ostsachsen" and "Zukunftslernort Oberlausitz" (ZukLOS). Among other things, these projects are committed to actively involving children, young people and students in the process of designing future spaces in order to adequately take their needs and requirements into account.

The following video provides a brief insight into the event. We would like to thank Mr. Steffen Cieplik, a lecturer at the Saxon Film Academy in Görlitz, who shot the video.

The Teaching Day at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences was a great success and offered participants valuable insights into current developments and challenges in the design of innovative teaching and learning spaces. The university thus set an example for its pioneering role in modern higher education and underlined its commitment to future-oriented university teaching.