The chapter “Democratic Governance and Innovative Learning Environments: The Case of Participatory Budgeting in Uruguayan Secondary Schools,” co-authored by Dr. Paula Cardellino, Architect, a faculty member and researcher at the School of Architecture at Universidad ORT Uruguay in Universidad ORT Uruguay, and Andrés Riva, M.A., a professor in the School of Business Administration and Social Sciences, was accepted for inclusion in the International Handbook of Research on Learning Environments, an academic work to be published by Springer.
The book is edited by Marian Mahat of the University of Melbourne; Jill Aldridge of Curtin University; and Kenn Fisher of the University of Melbourne. According to Springer’s official description, the handbook will bring together international perspectives on learning environments and will address debates related to their conceptual foundations, design criteria, and effects on various variables associated with teachers and students.
Physical learning environments
The topic is directly related to the line of research Physical Learning Environments, carried out at the School of Architecture under the direction of Dr. Cardellino, which studies the relationship between educational space, its uses, and its conditions of habitability and teaching and learning experiences.
In Uruguay, the Participatory Programme in Schools is an initiative developed by ANEP and Ceibal, aimed at promoting the participation of students and school communities in decision-making regarding resources allocated to improving schools.
The proposal includes a key component for educational architecture: the possibility of approaching the use, design, and equipping of school spaces through participatory processes.
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Acceptance of the chapter represents academic recognition of the work carried out in Uruguay regarding the links between space, pedagogy, and participation. Furthermore, it strengthens the presence of ORT’s School of Architecture in international debates on learning environments, educational design, and research aimed at improving school infrastructure.
The International Handbook of Research on Learning Environments serves as a reference for researchers, professionals, and educators interested in understanding how physical, pedagogical, and social environments influence the contemporary educational experience.