Jos draws our attention to the value of higher education as a critical experience where students learn, not just their subject, but also how to position themselves in the world. Jos suggests that a connection between student-centred research methods and integrative conceptual frameworks is needed to address complex relationships between the learning experience and learning environments. She unpacks the debates around academic staff offices drawing from her own experiences of working at UCL’s HereEast Campus. She alludes to how the digital transition propelled by the pandemic has prompted us to rethink the value of learning spaces. In particular, the role of space in enabling copresence and the experiential nature of learning. Jos calls for a shift from silo thinking within university institutions and a move towards evidence-based design and operation of university estates.
About Dr Jos Boys
Jos Boys is an architect, activist, educator, and writer. She was a founder member of Matrix Feminist Design Co-operative and co-author of their 1984 book Making Space: Women and the Man-Made Environment. Jos is also an expert in instructional design and academic development. For many years she has developed and validated digital and hybrid courses, including MOOCs for the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia.