Toward Organizational Design Principles

Educational institutions are tasked with reimagining physical spaces and pedagogical methods to align with digitally supported learning environments. This study investigates the first steps of this transformation through a project on pedagogical innovations in a university setting. The research questions examined are as follows: What type of knowledge is gained from an explorative design approach to knowledge generation during educational development? How can this knowledge be presented and operationalized on an organizational level? Using a design-oriented perspective and inspiration from design-based implementation research, this study examines several activities carried out in The Classroom of the Future project. The activities were investigations of both existing classrooms and further possibilities within, for example, the use of active learning spaces, outdoor spaces, XR, and Sony Edge Analytics technologies. The research design incorporates both qualitative and quantitative methods. The analysis shows how strategic and operational considerations interrelate, and the findings emphasize the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration in distilling local design principles. These principles can inform the specific strategy and organization at the local university level and be inspirational for other educational institutions. The findings may be of particular interest to universities and educational programs that work within problem- and project-based learning paradigms.