Madlove Wellcome

Learning from mental health: innovation in inclusive environmental design

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Madlove wellcome - vacuumcleaner
The Vacuum Cleaner and Hannah Hull’s Madlove – Designer Asylum, 2016, Design by Benjamin Koslowski and James Christian. Image credit – Wellcome.jpg

At the end of 2016, I bumped into an art project that shook up my ideas about how we collaborate with our communities to build inclusive environments.

The project was called Madlove: a designer asylum. It was conceived by artists the Vacuum Cleaner and Hannah Hull who brought together “people with and without mental health experiences, mental health professionals and academics, artists and designers – and everyone else on the spectrum” to dream a new landscape for mental health.

The project resonated with me on many levels. But I particularly loved the innovative way the project leaders:

  • supported people to deeply reflect on needs and aspirations
  • facilitated the sharing of diverse ideas
  • used the arts to convey meaning and build understanding
  • created a design that was informed by an acute sensitivity to individual differences.

For example, here’s an outline of the community workshop process:

How to re-design the asylum
Ist half of workshop process from The Vacuum Cleaner and Hannah Hull’s Madlove – Designer Asylum, 2016, Design by Benjamin Koslowski and James Christian. Image credit – Wellcome.jpg
  1. Find experts by experience: Search out people to participate in the workshops with diverse first-hand experiences and diverse perspectives. Also welcome their friends and supporters.
  2. Remove barriers to these people sharing their ideas: Seek to remove barriers both to participation and barriers in mindset; offer flexible options and supports.
  3. Stimulate imagination: Use real objects, textures to stimulate participants’ senses so that they can think about what supports wellbeing, reduces anxiety, and encourages focus and attention or connection.
  4. Consider emotional qualities: Explore what conditions will impact and influence emotional states.
  5. Create a sensory palette: What does good learning and wellbeing look, smell, taste, sound, feel like?
  6. Decide what personal qualities you need: What people and attributes will you need around you to enable you to thrive?
  7. Find out what activities and facilities help: Brainstorm all the things people would like to do in the space.
  8. Build a team to develop the design: Find an illustrator to visualise all these amazing ideas. Collaborate with a designer and an architect to create the design.
How to re-design the asylum
Second-half of workshop process from The Vacuum Cleaner and Hannah Hull’s Madlove – Designer Asylum, 2016, Design by Benjamin Koslowski and James Christian. Image credit – Wellcome.jpg

When I reflect on the above, I really like the way in which participants are supported to use all their senses to think about the design of a new space. I also like that participants are offered multiple approaches to reflect on what it is they need and what can help. It is much more than an academic exercise or a presentation and discussion. It is an in-depth inquiry into what is needed and provides real guidance for designers around what must be included in a design.

I also really like Step 8, where an illustrator is employed to distill the brainstormed ideas into a graphical representation. These graphics are then used to support the understanding of the architect and the designers and together a prototype model is developed.

Another way an illustrator was usefully employed was in the development of “Day in the Life” graphics. These were developed from interviews with participants and were again used to build the understanding of the designer and architect.

Gary's perfect day
Gary’s Day in the life from The Vacuum Cleaner and Hannah Hull’s Madlove – Designer Asylum, 2016, Design by Benjamin Koslowski and James Christian. Image credit – Wellcome.jpg

I think the “Day in the Life” idea is something we could also explore with students and whānau.

Finally, it is worth taking a close look at the key for the 3-D model which outlines the specific function of each area. Although the model surpasses our budget constraints in an education context, there is something about the way the designers are able to articulate their rationale for the design that makes me wonder if we could do the same in education.

Madlove Key
Madlove key from The Vacuum Cleaner and Hannah Hull’s Madlove – Designer Asylum, 2016, Design by Benjamin Koslowski and James Christian. Image credit – Wellcome.jpg

Example of text from the Madlove key above:

  • Topography: The landscape offers natural changes in levels of privacy, from the vibrant hubbub of the valley floor, to the solitary serenity of the hilltops. The decision of whether to join the action or get away from it all can be made at every busier location – it’s always possible to retreat from an active space, but not miss out on what’s going on”.
  • Library of good mental health: Quiet study and group learning in a library carved into the hillside. A wide selection of books to support or distract. Each book is recommended by a fellow mad person, with a note on how it helped them.
  • Tree houses: Individual ensuite bedrooms that can be adapted and personalised, with views down the valley.

 

I hope there is something in the Madlove story that captures your imagination. Right now in education we are:

Let’s do the best we can to make sure these new spaces are optimised to support the learning and wellbeing of every student. Working with the diverse perspectives of learners and whānau is a strong place to start.

Credits:
Huge thanks to the Madlove team and the Wellcome Collection for their kind permission to share these images and ideas.

Want to learn more about designing inclusive environments?

If you interested in how to design respectful, inclusive environments where everyone is learning and achieving and you want to learn more about how our diversity can be a source of strength, come and join us at:

Changing Spaces

Stonefields School, 81 Tihi Street, Auckland
Friday 28 April 2017
8.30am – 3.00pm

FIND OUT MORE

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tamaki students

Creating an innovative learning environment in a single-cell classroom

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Not all schools have a budget to rebuild or make big changes.

What can you do in a single-cell classroom to develop an innovative learning environment?

An ILE is:

  • learner-focussed
  • emphasises learner valued outcomes
  • flexible – allowing the needs of a diverse range of learners to be met
  • enables collaboration and inquiry

Ministry of Education, ILE website

Recently, I visited Noelene Dunn’s classroom at Tamaki College and talked to her and some of her students about:

  • the changes they had made in their classroom
  • the reason for those changes
  • the difference it made for student learning.

Noelene began with her students’ comfort. She thought about how her students preferred to learn, what furniture was needed to create a comfortable environment that enabled flexibility and collaboration, and what she could do in her room on a tight budget.

She then involved her students in creating a flexible space that worked for them.

“You do more work when you’re comfortable”
Taylor, Year 10 student Tamaki College

Creating a physical space that enabled collaboration was the first step. Noelene then developed systems to encourage and facilitate collaboration. Students in her classes can collaborate physically and virtually. They can sit and work together, or use the online tools available, such as Google docs, to work together.

Noelene developed a Google site, Mrs Dunn maths, to flip the learning in her classroom. It provides flexibility for when and how students learn. Students can personalise their learning and work at their own pace. There are a wide variety of resources to meet the different learning needs of each student.

These changes may look small from the outside, but they have made a significant difference to the students and to Noelene’s teaching approach. I saw three different classes of students who were all very focused, experiencing success, and had complete control of their learning.

You can create a successful ILE on a small budget!

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spaces

Taking a fresh look at your learning space

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At this time of year, we tend to be spending more time inside so it is a perfect time to take a fresh look at your physical classroom or learning space to make sure it is supporting students to feel engaged, safe and ready to learn.

When reviewing your learning space, you will get the best results if you include your students at every stage so that you all do the thinking and build the environment together. If you work in the secondary context, you may need to collaborate with other teachers as well as different student groups.

Having a safe and welcoming learning space is a priority for many learners. When presented with the voting wall below adults typically vote for a range of options while results from groups of students have consistently favoured Manaakitanga — when I feel safe, welcomed, and cared for. Reviewing your physical spaces can play a part by removing unintended barriers and creating welcoming spaces that support a range of learners.

voting wallImage: Voting Wall – Ministry of Education resource developed for Festival of Education 1. See catalogue of all of the resources

Reflecting on your physical space

When looking at the physical space, think of how it works for a range of learners. Consider those with vision or hearing difficulties (including temporary issues such as bouts of glue ear), those who suffer from sensory overload and people with physical disabilities. Seemingly small background noises, smells, or discomforts can affect different people in different ways and can drive some students to distraction, prompting unwelcome behaviours.

Start by taking a dispassionate look at your classroom or learning space from multiple perspectives. Sit in different places around the room so that you can see, hear, smell, and feel it from multiple viewpoints. It can also be useful to have input from someone from outside your class to give fresh perspectives.

Some things to take particular note of:

  • Noise: Listen for humming heaters, lights, and computers, road noise, other noises. Consider changing seating arrangements, masking noise with physical barriers and insulation systems to reduce problems. In more extreme cases you may need to approach your school leadership to consider more complex solutions such as installing acoustic ceiling tiles and acoustic wall linings or classroom sound field systems.
  • Lighting: Look for spaces that are visually difficult because of poor lighting or glare, and consider replacing bulbs to increase or decrease strength, or change the colour temperature, placing lamps and using curtains and blinds.
  • Warmth and air quality: Feel whether spaces are cold or hot, drafty or stuffy, and consider a range of draft stop and fresh air options.
  • Navigation and layout: Move through the space to check the physical layout of furniture is accessible with clear pathways to and from most used areas
  • Furniture:
    • Sit at desks or tables to review the furniture for comfort, practicality, and appropriateness for a range of students of different shapes, sizes, and activity levels.
    • Review your seating arrangements and ask — is the arrangement supporting the type of learning we want to happen (e.g., grouping for collaboration) and the range of activities we are doing?
  • Visuals: Look for spaces that might be visually overwhelming or dull. You might like to consider building areas that feel different to cater for a range of preferences.
  • Resources: Access the classroom resources such as book shelves and classroom materials to make sure they are easy to navigate for all your learners.
  • Emotions: Reflect on the ways that the space may make your learners feel.
    • Think about options for different types of tasks — e.g., noisy collaborative tasks versus quiet independent tasks, and consider how you can cater for them.
    • As part of a wider, inclusive approach, artwork and culturally appropriate images and text can help a range of students feel welcome and valued.
  • Organisation: Look at organisational supports such as labels, colour coding, and visuals that support students to be independent, complete tasks, and find the resources they need.

For more ideas see, A Place for Learning: The Physical Environment of Classrooms. The Ministry of Education’s Designing quality learning spaces in schools encourages boards of trustees to self-assess classrooms and judge whether their performance (in terms of acoustics, air quality, heating, temperature, insulation, and lighting) needs to be improved.

Creating your unique learning space

For inspiration, see the following EDtalk where Anne Kenneally profiles the review of her learning space in collaboration with her students: Anne Kenneally: Creating learning spaces.

Anne Kenneally: Creating learning spaces from EDtalks.

Just as every teacher and group of learners is unique, each learning space will be unique. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for you, but, by having a fresh look at how your physical space works for you and your students you can help to create an environment where students feel welcome and ready to learn.

1 See the Ministry of Education’s catalogue of all of the resources for more information about using the voting wall in your school.

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collaboration

Encouraging collaboration among educators

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collaboration

Before education, I was employed in the wholesale industry. As part of a small team, I played my part in ensuring customers — retailers in this case — were achieving the best they possibly could with our product. I wasn’t, however, on my own. I wasn’t allocated a certain number of customers who I was responsible for from start to finish. What did happen is each of my colleagues played their particular role, be that order processing, marketing, sales etc. Each of these roles came together to create the overall customer experience and business functionally. We couldn't have operated without one of them, and one of them could not have operated on their own. We worked collaboratively with one another.

Fast forward to my introduction to Education. A world where it seemed like my constant communication and contact with colleagues was drastically reduced, and all of a sudden, it was required that I perform all the roles needed to ensure the customers — students in this case — achieved the best they possibly could with our product: education.

I have since, however, found joy in developing my collaborative practice more and more to a point where I feel like all those wonderful things I missed from business were back. I have had the pleasure along the way of meeting some wonderfully brilliant educators who possess incredibly high-level collaborative skills. These individuals don’t see themselves as individuals alone, but rather, a vital part of a high-functioning supportive team.

So, what changed for me? How did I begin to collaborate as an educator?

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students working at standing desks

‘My brain is in my bum’

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students working at standing desks

It is funny, but the most powerful statement I have ever heard about Innovative learning spaces was from a year 8 boy at an intermediate school, who, when I asked why he was standing to do his maths, told me, “For reading, I like to sit, but when I do maths, it is like my brain is in my bum, and when I sit on my brain I cannot do my maths”.

I have been lucky enough to experience a number of new innovative learning environment’s over the last few months. it was great to see the Cultural Aspect of CORE Education’s five areas of changereflected continually in the development of these spaces. This cultural aspect was evident in how these teachers and learners set the purpose and expectations for the learning areas and culture within the learning space. This was done through a number of activities and exercises to develop a collaborative culture that would ensure student engagement, wellbeing, and achievement was high.

The activities involved working with the learners to name the spaces, define and describe the space, and set the expectations and behaviours for the area. A great example of this and one of the Seven Principles of Learning from the OECD 1 is in the Year 7/8 Toroa hub at Marshland School.

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