Inbetween Spaces for Learning

A teaching and learning conversation with:

Andrew Middleton Sheffield Hallam University

Kathrine Jensen University of Huddersfield

When: Thursday 26th November 12:30-13:30 (60 minutes)

Purpose:

To explore the value of in between spaces for learning and developing a sense of belonging

About this conversation:

In this active webinar we will think about the experience of the learner and the academic in higher education and invite you to consider what inbetween spaces are and how you or your students experience them. Together we will come up with examples of inbetween spaces and discuss their characteristics, benefits and importance to developing a sense of belonging.

We will consider the idea that “The richest space of all is the in between space”

By inbetween spaces we mean spaces that are outside pre-defined boundaries (and where there is the potential for people to step outside/transcend existing roles/identities).

A lecture room or an institutional virtual learning environment are examples of bounded spaces that are well established and where the roles and expected contribution of staff and students are built in. In contrast inbetween spaces are characterised by having less structure and less well defined roles and therefore potentially they are spaces where less formalised interactions and conversations can happen.  Inbetween spaces are thus characterised by boundary crossings. The value of inbetween space is found in the example of having a conversation over a cup of coffee in a cafe or the act of favouriting a tweet.

In-between Learning Spaces

There are many ways of thinking about inbetween spaces and how they are valued. For example, spaces that are not work nor home and sit between notions of public and private spaces have been conceptualised in a number of sometimes overlapping ways: as ‘third space’, ‘third place’ or indeed ‘fourth place’ as well as ‘liminal’ spaces of transition and transformation. The webinar will not cover the extensive literature related to these concepts, however, anyone interested can take a look at the collection of links below.

Links:

A conversation about Third Space, Third Place, and Liminality by Catherine Cronin
https://catherinecronin.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/conversation/

Learning in 3rd Space – a slideshare presentation by Reijo Kupiainen, University Lecturer at University of Tampere. From March 2014 http://www.slideshare.net/rkupiainen/trondheim2014-third-space-kopio

Third Space: Curated Bibliography by Mary Ann Reilly. The bibliography contains links to work by Homi Bhabha, Kris Gutiérrez, Edward Soja, Reijo Kupiainen, and more.
http://maryannreilly.blogspot.ie/2014/07/third-space-curated-bibliography.html

Enhancing teaching and learning through dialogue: a student and staff partnership model Jensen, K. and Bennett, L. (2015). The International Journal of Academic Development, 21 (1). (In Press).

Joining the conversation:

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