The Reimagining Learning Spaces project was inspired by a call for expressions of interest proposed by the Queensland Centre for Social Science Innovation (QCSSI). The three lead researchers, all members of the QUT Faculty of Education, pooled their ideas and successfully submitted for a grant that investigated the question:
How does the physical environment of school libraries influence pedagogic practices and learning outcomes?
The concept of “built pedagogy” (Mäkitalo-Siegl, Zottmann, Kaplan & Fischer, 2010) emphasises the close relationship between learning environments and learning outcomes. Little research has been done, however, to understand the teaching and learning practices that emerge in new learning spaces and their impact on learning outcomes (Blackburn et.al., 2011). As sites that have the potential to inspire creative and engaging pedagogy, libraries offer a key context to investigate that relationship.