The CREST Partners are very happy to announce the launch of the first output of the Creative Repurposing of Educational Spaces for Innovative Student-centred Environments (CREST) project – a comprehensive research and analysis of existing practices and models which will serve as a framework for upcoming project outcomes, namely the Model for HE institutions, Manual for implementation and Policy recommendations.
The work of the output, fully titled IO1: Mapping the existing participatory practice and models of re-purposing of educational buildings and spaces, has been split into the following tasks:
1) In-depth analysis and evaluation of the existing SCL environments in the field of HE;
2) Identifying, grouping and describing existing good practices of repurposing educational buildings and spaces;
3) Literature review on the training and methodological models regarding enabling SCL environments;
4) Analysis of the best digital tools that support this process and adaptation of the selected ones to suit the needs of the project. A part of this pillar is the analysis of the limited findings available so far regarding comparative approaches and the utilization of ICT within this field.
5) Assessing the learning environment from the user’s perspective, evaluating students’ needs by using participatory methods and empowering them to provide insights for the creation of relevant CSL environments.
6) Data analysis, sense-making and providing suggestions, recommendations, and guidelines for the development of a user-friendly, adaptable and widely accessible model.
The improvement of the learning environments is usually addressed in isolation – not taking into account general context and actual needs of all stakeholders. Focusing on quantitative aspects and ignoring a problem’s context often leads to opposite results. In contrast, personalized information and deep contextual understanding deliver more than anonymous metrics and standardized demographics. University community participation tools are fundamental in developing appropriate and effective solutions. The community is the ultimate client and beneficiary of quality places. Therefore, this part of the project is founded on a solid understanding of the local knowledge, values and needs, creating opportunities for community involvement in the design process and incorporating community concerns in decision-making.
The CREST project is implemented by 6 partners from 5 countries: Slovenia (University of Ljubljana), Lithuania (MB HOMO EMINENS, VDU), Croatia (Culture Hub), Poland (UBC) and Belgium (OTB).
The project is co-financed by the Erasmus+ KA2 Programme of the European Commission.