Designing learning spaces for management education: a mixed methods research approach

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on connecting recent conceptualizations of learning space design in management education by examining interior building and classroom design. Design/methodology/approach This study used mixed methods research: external benchmarking with same industry institutions (n=5) and two surveys of students (n=131) and faculty members (n=38). Findings The process helped to envision how a business school could improve by adapting design aspects from industry peers, understanding the needs of students and faculty, and incorporating new teaching methods and instructional technologies to inform learning space solutions. Research limitations/implications The small number of external benchmarking partners may make the findings more applicable to the institutional type examined. Yet, the findings and the mixed methods research have implications for learning space design more broadly. Practical implications With the business school building boom, the external architecture of new buildings appears to garner much of the attention. However, the researchers believe that the real impact of new business schools is the centrality of interior learning space design and technology. Originality/value This paper uses a mixed methods research approach to examine learning space theory and research in relation to a particular business school’s efforts to use this knowledge to design learning spaces in a new building.