Integral collaboration for activating learning spaces: how does it work?

Within Future Learning Spaces (FLS), activating learning spaces are being set up. From 1 January 2024, FLS has transitioned into the existing organisation. The four departments involved (FSC, ITS, SO&O, V&C) are now working together structurally in an integral way to realise the activating learning spaces. How did this collaboration come about? And what does the integral collaboration yield?

For the article below, a conversation was held with Elzelien van Buuren, Division Head Audiovisual and Media (FSC), Leon van Helden, Process Coordinator IT (ITS), Jan-Willem Moerkerk, Strategic Housing Advisor (V&C), Nanda van Rijn-Koppers, Programme Manager Educational environment (FSC), and Jasper van Winden, Manager Future Learning Spaces (SO&O), to answer those questions, among others.

How did the integral collaboration come about?

Initially, Future Learning Spaces was a project born partly out of the frustration of (then) teacher Jasper van Winden. Jasper: I wanted to design my teaching in a more activating way, but the classrooms were not yet equipped for that.

From a chance meeting at a conference, several colleagues came together, all of whom saw the need to design learning spaces in such a way as to enable activating teaching. This led to the formation of a working group consisting of colleagues from the Facilities Service Centre (FSC), Corporate Real Estate & Campus (V&C), Information and Technology Services (ITS), and Student & Academic Affairs Office (SO&O). So the need for more activating learning spaces turned out to be more widely shared, but more people from various departments were needed to actually get to work on it. This is how the integral collaboration for Future Learning Spaces started.

We started as cowboys who wanted to bring about change outside of the rules and guidelines.

In what ways do you really gain something by addressing this in an integral manner?

A major gain is the growth of understanding for each other within the other departments, Elzelien appoints. It sometimes takes a while to understand each other. Jasper says of this, for example: You all speak the same language, but what is meant by it can differ. For housing, for example, short-term means two years, while short-term in education is about the next block. Apart from each other, you work within your own frameworks which can be contradictory. With this integral collaboration, understanding of each other's frameworks grows.

In the process, you also learn that you need each other. Elzelien: When you work together integrally for a long time, you start to understand each other and each other's perspectives. You then start to see that you also need each other. For example, if we set up something great at AV, but it is not included in the timetables, it is nothing. Together, you become better than you could have become by yourself.

Another benefit is that the solutions you come up with together are also effective for each party. By coming up with solutions that include all the necessary perspectives, they are solutions that really work for everyone, says Nanda. Because everyone is involved in the entire process, no one trails behind and you don't run the risk of someone joining too late, Elzelien adds.

I am especially glad that we are close to the action with ITS in this way, at the front end of all developments. This also allows us to think along directly about the IT aspects and concerns of possible new initiatives.

Each department also has its own connections with the faculties, which all come together here. From FSC and V&C, the knowledge and experience from the discussions with the faculties is brought in, for example, from the Education Logistics Working Group, Nanda says. The integral collaboration therefore also ensures that the lines of communication between the faculties, for whom the learning spaces are after all designed, and the FLS team remain short.

What is it like to work integrally with other departments in the line organisation, compared to shorter-term projects?

Within a shorter-term project, things tend to be framed and are therefore usually easier and clearer. For example, you have a set budget and number of hours of people appointed for a certain time to work on the project. When you work together in this integral way for a long time, that has not yet been established and you have to set it up together, says Nanda. It is important to determine the working method together and set it up in such a way that it can be sustained. It can happen that rules and procedures that have been established turn out not to be practical after all, after which you have to be able to go back to the drawing board to work it out again, Jasper adds.

It is important in long-term collaboration to continue to ensure that the goal is clear to all parties. Jan-Willem: When you see that the rules are not getting you there, you can jointly look for a solution that does achieve the goal.

It's nice that you can sit down with all kinds of disciplines and think about a solution.

What are challenges you have encountered?

It is a challenge that integral working is more labour-intensive because the university is not yet set up for it. Setting up the financial processes across departments, for example, was complicated; the budget lies with FSC, but the manager is from SO&O. The university's financial processes are not set up to work from multiple departments, Jasper appoints.

In addition to the financial processes already in place, departments also have their own established practices that need to be aligned. Integral collaboration was particularly difficult within ITS because FLS did not fit according to our regular portfolio management, as it does not fall under any of the ITS control groups, says Leon. The solution was to align with our new way of working, where we aim to make our portfolio management more agile and plan ahead on a quarterly basis each time. This turned out to be an ideal horizon for FLS. Time needs to be invested in getting to know each other's ways of working in order to engage in (long-term) collaboration.

How do you match the different interests?

Of course, each department has different interests. Understanding each other proves to be an important factor here too. You have to get to know each other to start understanding each other's perspectives and build trust. That leads to being able to look beyond your own perspective and it then automatically becomes easier to give something back, says Elzelien.

In the process, there is ultimately one common interest that is viewed from other perspectives. If you can put yourself in someone else's shoes, you will also understand that side of the story and see the need to include it in the search for solutions to work towards the common goal, says Jan-Willem.

With the different frameworks, you can make a new framework together.

I do feel proud

The team feels proud for what they have collectively achieved with Future Learning Spaces. Despite still struggling at times, the collaboration has also brought a lot of joy to their work. So the integral approach is one that is worth investing time and effort in, according to the FLS team.

Would you like to know more?

Are you interested to know more about Future Learning Spaces or about the integral collaboration? Please take a look at the Future Learning Spaces webpage or contact Jasper van Winden.