Learning environment evaluation and the development of school facility design guidelines

Abstract

Australia has been the site of significant school facility design innovation during the past decade. This innovation was showcased in 2013 in a report released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) titled Innovative Learning Environments, Educational Research and Innovation. It featured case studies of forty exemplary schools from around the world. Of these, seven were from Australia, including six from Victoria.While international attention directed towards the designs of Australian schools is nice, there remains little empirical evidence to attest to the effectiveness of these and other innovative school facilities in supporting desired and emerging pedagogies..