ABS439 - Transformative pedagogies, learning places and the fourth blueplan: adapting Vygotsky’s perspectives on the mediating role of the environment into a social and semiotic model of collaborative meaning-making spaces

The Fourth BluePlan presents the structure of a multi-layered social and semiotic design model that allows the transformation of traditional learning places into future-directed collaborative and meaning-making spaces. Vygotsky's (1978) perspectives on the mediating role of the environment and the social and semiotic nature of human development are significant resources for the development of this model. Since Vygotskys era, the global education landscape has witnessed vast changes. Some of the key characteristics of Vygotsky's perspectives allowed adaptations to the four management blueprints (Limerick, Cunninton & Crowther, 1998) and current perspectives on transformative pedagogies that include collaborative learning, management of individual and shared meaning, culturally sensitive engagement and social sustainability. The model emerged out of practice-based evaluative research with creative programs and diverse populations in Singapore. The findings of these studies revealed of how a flexible and adaptive environment nurtured personal emotions about lived experiences, exploration of ideas and self-motivation. With relatively little insights into the effect of social and semiotic influences that include physical conditions of learning places, further development of the design of the model included a critical investigation into the social and semiotic influences of space design. The design model was subsequently implemented within a creative and interactive environment. Visual evidence taken from the interactions within the space reveal not just key ingredients of transformative pedagogies, but also the individual engagement of different audiences. Although more research is needed, the Fourth BluePlan leads directions towards greater sensitivity about the influence of the environment on learning, knowledge and agency.