2019 EduTECH International Congress & Expo

The education landscape is one of continual evolution in an ever-changing world.  There is no “set and forget” when it comes to educating the youth of today for the challenges of tomorrow.  I had the opportunity to attend the 2019 EduTECH International Congress & Expo at Sydney’s International Convention and Exhibition Centre in June this year.  The event explored how students and educators can flourish in a time of technological and social disruption. EduTECH is Australasia’s largest annual education event, bringing together all of education including pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.  It is an event for those involved in education to come together to exchange ideas and consider future directions.  Attendees, including educators and those facilitating education through infrastructure and services like ourselves, have the opportunity to interact and learn from each other. Schools used to be more akin to prisons and, historically, the architects for both typologies were often one and the same. The reality is that they are now transforming into places where students come to learn to live.  Such a transformation requires flexible spaces to facilitate new and evolving learning regimes. Key education principles discussed at the forum that inform the design of these spaces include:

• Student centred learning capability with the ability to revert to teacher led learning when required
• Flexibility in student groupings and space configuration. Appropriate furniture selections and storage are essential here
• Student access to supervisor – visible and open. The teacher is seen as a facilitator for student learning
• Student agency in how the space is used. The ability to modify the environment as required in a variety of ways for formal, informal, group and individual work
• Unthemed spaces with neutral colour palette to enable students to make it their own by proudly displaying their work and achievements
• Technology, thoughtfully and practically applied

Education stands at a crossroads in a time of change.  This presents opportunities and the future is positive for both students and educators.  We at Edmiston Jones are playing our part in this revolution, providing the sustainable and sensible spaces required to inspire creativity and a life of learning.