An assessment of the effectiveness of e‐learning on university space planning and design

It is apparent that the world of education has changed over the last ten years. The emergence of newly adopted metaphors such as “virtual university”, “networked campus” and “e‐university” may have yet greater impact on a university’s modus operandi in the twenty‐first century. This, in turn, will require more flexibility to cater for varying learning, managerial and organisational requirements. In terms of space management this will shift the emphasis towards a more time‐flexible, space‐flexible and location‐flexible pattern which will become sine qua non for e‐learning. One of the main questions this paper is seeking to address is “what are the wider implications of these changes on the space design and management of existing university buildings?”. An attempt will be made to examine, speculate and extrapolate the design implications on a selected building at the UCE , Perry Barr Campus in the West Midlands.