An ecological approach to understanding transitions and tensions in complex learning contexts

The study investigates how students navigate transitions between formal, timetabled learning in a traditional lecture theatre and adjacent informal breakout spaces in a UK STEM university. Motivated by institutional efforts to advance active learning within existing transmission-oriented infrastructures, the research asks how spatial configurations, pedagogic intentions, and student/teacher agency interact to shape learning during transitions (before and after lectures and between scheduled sessions). Framed by ecological thinking, the work aims to reveal transitions and tensions—spatial, pedagogic, and agentic—that influence active learning and to inform more sustainable, inclusive, and productive learning ecologies across the institution.

Prior work establishes that active learning outperforms traditional transmission lecturing in STEM and aligns with social constructivist perspectives. Research also links learning activity to physical space, noting constraints posed by lecture theatres and the emergence of active learning classrooms. However, most studies focus on timetabled contexts, often assuming students self-manage transitions to informal learning. Ecological perspectives (ecological systems theory, ecological leadership, and the ecological university) emphasize interconnectedness, systems thinking, resilience, and the co-evolution of people and environments. Ethnography is advocated to uncover an institution’s natural history. Concepts such as common-pool resource theory and participatory design highlight shared ownership, agency, and distributed leadership in learning spaces. The paper draws on these strands to conceptualize the lecture theatre and adjacent breakout space as interconnected ecological zones, foregrounding transitions and tensions and introducing the ecotone metaphor (zones of overlap and tension) as a lens for understanding pedagogic and spatial dynamics.

Design: Mixed-methods ecological approach combining quantitative occupancy monitoring with qualitative ethnographic observations and brief field interviews. Setting: A traditional 160-seat lecture theatre (row-by-row seating) and an adjacent informal public breakout space in the chemical engineering department of a UK STEM institution. The theatre serves mainly 1st- and 2nd-year cohorts (30–150 students). The site was selected due to tensions between transmission-oriented pedagogy and informal, multi-user space usage, and the availability of occupancy sensing technology. Quantitative data: Anonymous automated space occupancy data collected 24/7/365 across campus. For this study, approximately 120 hours of granular occupancy data spanning two academic years were analysed for the focal theatre and breakout space. Occupancy traces were examined across six weeks, with 14 days (about 120 hours) studied in detail to characterize recurring timetable configurations (Type 1 and Type 2) and identify on-ramp (pre-lecture) and off-ramp (post-lecture) transitions. Meaningful engagement in a transition was defined as members of the relevant lecture cohort remaining in the breakout space for more than 5 minutes. Occupancy profiles visualized inflows/outflows and breakouts, supporting the identification of ‘bridge’ periods (e.g., a 1-hour gap between two lectures) in Type 2 configurations. Qualitative data: Naturalistic, non-participant ethnographic observations (30 observations on 29 weekdays within 22 weeks over 11 months; 30–90 minutes each, totaling ~24 hours) during term time (09:00–17:00), often aligned with identified transition periods. Observations were documented as field notes and supplemented with floorplan-based sociograms (10-minute snapshots) to capture person-person and person-space interactions during transitions. Brief field interviews (21 interviews; 25 student participants) were conducted immediately after observations with purposive sampling based on observed behaviors. Interviews gathered degree and year, frequency and purpose of space use, reasons for choosing the space, and alternative locations for similar activities. Verbal consent procedures were approved by Imperial College’s Education Ethics Review Process (EERP1718-021 and EERP1819-012) given the low-risk, brief, in situ nature of the interviews. Analysis: Occupancy data identified patterns of cohort-level transitions and informed targeted qualitative data collection. Observation and interview data were thematically analysed in NVivo, using inductive coding to develop themes reflecting spatial, pedagogic, and agentic transitions and tensions. Reflexive practices and triangulation between occupancy patterns, ethnographic notes, sociograms, and interviews were used to mitigate bias and contextualize findings. Operational constructs: Two recurring timetable configurations were defined—Type 1 and Type 2—differing in how lectures for 1st- and 2nd-year cohorts align and create transition opportunities. On-ramp and off-ramp transitions were operationalized around lecture start and end times, respectively; the Type 2 configuration created a ‘bridge’ off-ramp/on-ramp hour between two lectures. Sociograms documented group formation, device use, and conversational dynamics in the breakout during transitions.

Spatial transitions and tensions: - Occupancy analyses revealed predictable inflows/outflows between the lecture theatre and adjacent breakout space that correspond to on-ramp and off-ramp periods. The breakout area functioned as a proximal zone of pedagogic potential. - Quantitative percentages (arithmetic means) of meaningful engagement (remaining >5 minutes in the breakout): - Off-ramp (Type 2 ‘bridge’ following 1st-year lecture): 43% of the cohort engaged. - Off-ramp (Type 1): 19% engaged. - On-ramp: 20% (Type 1, prior to 2nd-year lecture) vs 52% (Type 2, 1st-year on-ramp). - Type 2 configurations created a ‘bridge’ hour with increased self-directed activity potential between formal sessions, supporting more sustained use of adjacent space for review, clarification, and planning. Pedagogic transitions and tensions: - The lecture theatre’s transmission-based norms and power dynamics produced ‘failed’ (unasked), hidden (peer whispers or personal device checking), and postponed (after-class) pedagogic interactions, suppressing active engagement during class. - During off-ramp periods, students often pursued postponed interactions, moving into the breakout to discuss lecture content, form groups, and consult peers/teachers. Sociograms documented groupings (e.g., an eight-student work-focused discussion immediately after a 2nd-year lecture) and resource use. Agentic transitions and tensions: - Students reported lower ownership of the lecture theatre (teacher-controlled) and higher perceived agency in the breakout (more democratic, comfortable, and flexible). Quotes indicated the breakout as a place to “talk” and “make some noise” and to feel “free to do anything.” Teachers also found it helpful for one-on-one queries in informal settings. - Ownership and usage varied across user groups and over the academic year. Early-year undergraduates developed cohort familiarity and a sense of place; later-year undergraduates and postgraduates perceived shifting access/ownership as schedules and occupancy changed (e.g., postgraduates feeling greater ownership in summer; crowding during term). Conceptual synthesis: - Viewing the lecture theatre and breakout as interconnected ecological zones highlighted spatial, pedagogic, and agentic ‘ecotones’—in-between spaces/times where tensions are negotiated and innovative pedagogic interactions can emerge. This framing informed subsequent space modifications institution-wide.

The ecological framing clarified how space, pedagogy, and agency co-produce transitions and tensions across formal and adjacent informal zones. By identifying on-ramp/off-ramp periods and the ‘bridge’ hour, the study shows how timetable structures and spatial affordances shape opportunities for active learning and agency recovery after transmission-heavy sessions. Recognizing ‘failed’, hidden, and postponed interactions reveals how students manage understanding outside the constraints of lecture-hall norms, with the breakout enabling risk-taking, peer dialogue, and teacher access. Conceptualizing the in-between as an ecotone reframes transitions as generative sites for learning, offering a lens to plan timetables, spaces, and instructional strategies that leverage these periods. The discussion extends the metaphor to diverse learner groups, resilience through ‘biodiversity’ of people and ideas, and to emerging ‘onlife’ spaces that blend physical and digital realms, where similar tensions between realities may be navigated productively.

The study contributes an ecological approach to understanding complex transitions and tensions between formal lecture theatres and adjacent informal breakout spaces. Empirically, it shows that timetable configurations (especially Type 2 ‘bridge’ periods) and proximate amenities enable higher rates of meaningful transition engagement (e.g., 43% off-ramp vs 19% in Type 1; 52% vs 20% on-ramp). Conceptually, it identifies spatial, pedagogic, and agentic tensions, detailing ‘failed’, hidden, and postponed interactions and the shift in perceived ownership from teacher-led theatres to student-led breakout spaces. Practically, the findings informed redesigns of lecture theatres and, more cost-effectively, transitional spaces just outside theatres, supporting more flexible pedagogic and agentic transitions. Future directions include applying ecotone thinking to timetable and instructional design, extending to hybrid/onlife spaces, and supporting institutional shifts from industrial to ecological models that better equip lifelong learners to navigate change and complexity.

- Anonymized occupancy data prevented direct identification of users; identities and intents were inferred and then clarified via ethnographic observation and field interviews. - Language and traditional conceptual frames initially limited interpretation of complex dynamics; ecological framing was adopted to overcome this limitation. - Findings are based on a single institutional setting (chemical engineering department) and specific adjacent spaces, which may limit generalizability to other contexts. - Redesigning lecture theatres is time- and cost-intensive, constraining broad implementation; thus, changes focused on transitional spaces. - Data availability is limited by ethical approvals; only some data can be requested from the corresponding author. - Applying the ecotone metaphor from natural systems to social contexts has acknowledged challenges, which may affect interpretation.