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Privacy and interaction preferences of students in informal learning spaces on university campus

Jia Zhang (School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia)
Ding Ding (School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Xihua University, Chengdu, China)
Chunlu Liu (School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia)
Mark Luther (School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia)
Jilong Zhao (School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, China)
Changan Liu (School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, China)

Facilities

ISSN: 0263-2772

Article publication date: 11 May 2022

Issue publication date: 1 June 2022

534

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse privacy and interaction preferences in the social dimension of individual learning students and how the spatial configuration affects individual learners’ choices of learning spaces.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical survey study was conducted in an Australian university’s informal learning spaces. Space syntax theories are applied to construct a four-quadrant theoretical framework.

Findings

The research findings indicate that based on the differences between students in their individual characteristics, there are significant differences in their needs for privacy and interaction. This study reveals that the spatial configuration affects individual learners’ choices of learning spaces.

Originality/value

This study could assist universities in providing students with more effective and diverse informal learning spaces.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the anonymous referees for their insightful comments and valuable suggestions on an earlier version of the paper.

The first author is grateful to the China Scholarship Council (CSC) for a PhD scholarship (No. 201708370147).

Citation

Zhang, J., Ding, D., Liu, C., Luther, M., Zhao, J. and Liu, C. (2022), "Privacy and interaction preferences of students in informal learning spaces on university campus", Facilities, Vol. 40 No. 9/10, pp. 638-655. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-11-2021-0119

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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