Professor Jill Willis
Chief Investigator and Professor in Education
The interdisciplinary research team from the Centre for Inclusive Education was inspired:
New educational ideas. Innovative design.
The opportunity to collaborate with leaders in design, education and from students was not to be missed. We started out with a simple research question:
How can urban vertical learning spaces support students' capability and wellbeing?
We gathered data from over 700 students in 3 vertical schools in Australia. The stories and ideas from students in vertical schools shine a light on spaces for thriving for all schools.
Thriving is the kind of wellbeing where young people have agency to choose to live a life they value to be people that matter, and to create a world that matters, and in doing so, to be a 'well' being.
why is it important to know about thriving in vertical schools right now?
Young people are growing up in a complex and changing world. They are more digitally on-show, more hyperconnected to world events, and more anxious than any other previous generation. Wellbeing is both an immediate and long term priority for young people, their peers, families and communities. Learning to think about and co-create purposeful lives in this complex world is also an individual and community priority. Schools are the place where learning and wellbeing come together to support thriving individuals and communities.
New vertical schools are an opportunity to design the spaces and kind of learning that will provide opportunities to thrive now and in the future.
As they are a new physical form, established design principles need to be reconsidered. Being different allows for new ideas, both spatial and social.
What we have learned from the young people in vertical schools about what helps them thrive is relevant to all schools, to...
- Be focused
- Feel a sense of belonging
- Do things that matter and have voice & choice
the small footprint of a vertical school introduces paradoxes
close but far
Everything looks close but it takes a lot of time and effort to get places.
read the stairs storyspacious yet compact
There is flexibility and choice of spaces but few places for privacy or to escape crowds.
read the toilets storypermeable yet contained
There is a pleasure in the community coming together in these spaces, yet also an urge to find ways to get away from everyone and to get energy out
read the focus story
What happens when the things that support student wellbeing - being seen, togetherness, belonging - also present challenges to their wellbeing, namely surveillance, sustained proximity, and needing some time for themselves?
Students develop an awareness of one another and make choices to maximise their focus and belonging. Managing paradox and challenge in a supportive environment is essential for growth, development and thriving.
Students were invited to create different kinds of stories to explain why and how school is meaningful, manageable and comprehensible.
meet our team...
Professor Jill Franz
Chief Investigator and Professor in Architecture
Professor Jenna Gillett-Swan
Chief Investigator and Professor in Education
Associate Professor Nick Kelly
Chief Investigator and Associate Professor in Interaction Design
Dr Prue Miles
Chief Investigator and Senior Lecturer in Digital Pedagogies, QUT Relationships Manager Fortitude Valley State Secondary College.
Senior Lecturer Andrew Gibson
Chief Investigator and Lecturer in Information Science.
Professor Stuart Poyntz
International Partner Investigator, Director of the Community Engaged Research Institute at Simon Fraser University
Associate Professor Kylie Boltin
Chief Investigator, multiple Walkley award-winning producer/director in the categories of Innovation and Digital storytelling
Narges Farahnak Majd
PhD Researcher
Anita Newell
PhD Researcher
...and the creatives who help tell our stories
Jess Greentree
Designer & website developer
Cameron Armstrong
Cinematographer & documentary creator
with thanks to those who provided support
funding
This research was funded by the Australian Research Council's Linkage Project funding scheme (LP200301274) and through partner contributions. The views expressed are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian Government or Australian Research Council.
compliance with ethical standards
This research was conducted in compliance with the Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. There were no potential conflicts of interest. As the research involved human participants, ethical approval was granted by the Queensland University of Technology Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval number: 5510), and multijurisdictional National research approval from the State Departments of Education.