Flexibility and predictability: change, furniture arrangements and pedagogical communication

Abstract

Non-traditional learning spaces have been a trending topic and investment opportunity during the last decade. Ostensibly their novel material settings promote active and flexible learning. This article traces the furniture layouts used in curricular teaching during three semesters across the first five years of an 80 seat non-traditional learning space in University of Helsinki, Finland.  We examine space and pedagogical communication as a deleuzoguattarian arrangement and present a tension between social, organic and physiochemical predictability and a limited yet observable drive to change furniture layouts to promote particular kinds of pedagogical communication in curricular teaching.