New teaching, new classroom. How space can help delivery of new teaching practices.

Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary uses newly designed classrooms to help introduce their innovative teaching programme.

MULTI-STORY-THINKING have been working in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police force to re design the training rooms for their Police Training College at their Middlemoor Headquarters in Exeter. 

The design of teaching spaces has long been recognised as having a positive impact on the learning experience.  Well-designed spaces can improve performance and transform the experience of the learner.

The college had been training both police officers and special constables for over 15 years and teaching methods and the teaching environment have changed little over that period.  Picture a drab and dull classroom with a horseshoe arrangement of desks led by a teacher at the front of the classroom.  It’s hardly inspiring and brings back memories of school days.

The initiative, which fuses teaching approach with changes to the physical space, was prompted by the introduction of extra targets of recruiting an additional 65 new recruits to the 120 already planned for 2013/14. 

To cope with the additional numbers the force’s Learning and Development Department have introduced a new open learning programme, which is similar in format to the Open University.

The importance of changing the physical environment alongside the teaching methods was recognised by Acting Sergeant Tiffany Macedo-Dine, from the Learning and Development team, who worked with us to realise the project.

“As well as changing our teaching approach we wanted to make a
statement with the space to signal a shift in approach.  We wanted a
more professional and grown up space that was modern, flexible and
responsive to the changing methods we were introducing”

A change of environment can trigger a shift in behaviour and expectations and underpin the changes by both enabling the different activities but also creating a change in perception of how the space will be used.

MULTI-STORY-THINKING worked collaboratively with Tiffany to develop the new design that enables the introduction of the more dynamic and responsive teaching methods, which embrace technology, encourage peer learning, improve interaction between tutor and student and create a more professional environment. 

The changes reflect wider trends in the education sector.  In creating the interior we sought inspiration from the revolutionary teaching spaces of the Stanford d. school but also from our recent projects for Plymouth University and ACCA.  The designs create a modern, professional, and more grown up interior with the flexibility to create the range of different teaching modes that will be used.

Selection of flexible furniture creates a ‘toolkit’, which enables a number of different teaching modes, both informal and formal, including presentations, group work and brainstorming/idea generation.  Teaching sessions can be dedicated to one activity or split to create multiple activities and students can move between areas as the nature of their learning changes.

The combination of interior design and new teaching methods is taking the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary forward in terms of technology, accessibility and the learning environment, putting them at the leading edge of police training in terms of innovation and best practice and excellence in learning delivery.