Creating Effective Learning Environments: The Power of Stakeholder Involvement

Abstract

While the importance of stakeholder involvement in creating new learning environments in universities is well established, limited research has been conducted on the stakeholder process within learning environments as a distinct field or on optimizing this process. It remains unclear how stakeholder contributions are managed and whether these inputs effectively translate into spaces that meet the expectations and requirements of end-users. This research aims to map out the stakeholder involvement process and explore how it can be optimized. The central research question is: 'How can stakeholder involvement be optimized in the creation of effective learning environments in university real estate?'"

To answer this question, a mixed-methods study will be conducted, consisting of three components. First, a literature review will provide a theoretical foundation on stakeholder involvement and the effectiveness of learning environments. Following this, a case study will be conducted on selected cases of newly implemented learning environments developed with stakeholder involvement. The case studies will map out the stakeholder involvement process in the creation of these environments. Next, interviews will be held with the stakeholders involved in the process, assessing their perspectives on the process and their views on the effectiveness of the resulting learning environments. Lastly, surveys will be conducted with end-users of the learning environments to evaluate their perceptions of the environment's effectiveness. The goal of this research is to assess whether there is alignment between stakeholder expectations and end-user experiences, and to explore how the effectiveness of the learning environments can be traced back to the stakeholder involvement process. This will ultimately help identify areas for optimization in stakeholder involvement.