Maddy Burke-Vigeland of global design practice Gensler has posted a thought-provoking new article on university campus design, following up from Gensler’s recent “Changing Course” research publication.

“Once we make sure the settings for higher education are totally wired, what comes next? Educational design that emphasizes connection and collaboration, and also: actual pens and paper.”

The article is very timely for Lincoln as we plan our 2014 summer projects and consider the implementation of the University’s digital education strategy across the physical campus.

It is also reassuring to see that many of the themes identified in the research – the need to design classrooms to support collaboration, and the requirement for intuitive, immediate “low-tech” tools such as large work surfaces and  mobile whiteboards – are the same needs we are responding to in the new teaching and learning spaces we are building all over campus this summer.

You can read the whole article, and the Gensler research report, on Fast Company’s website.