The pedagogical dimension of the physical learning environment in the university system

Abstract

Nowadays there are unlimited opportunities to learn anytime and anywhere, in various environments, whether physical or digital, formal, informal, or non-formal. The teaching staff aims to create a learning environment that facilitates, stimulates, and optimizes the students' abilities to learn to easily adapt to the dynamic changes of society. The present paper showcases the learning context as a physical dimension of the learning environment. It is commonly accepted that the physical classroom represents an agent of change. It has also been assumed that each adjustment in the physical learning environment will produce deep transformations in the education system. Moreover, the learning space will reconceptualize the entire educational philosophy. Living in a highly globalized and digitalized era, the learning context has been explored from the perspective of introducing dual education at the university level, both at the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova and the Technical University of Moldova. The dual education framework in professional technical education has been adopted as a platform that enables universities to prepare students fully equipped for their jobs. The dual education approach has also been analysed from the perspective of strengthening student learning since it provides a real-life environment that makes the learners combine theory with practice. While the theoretical courses are carried out at university, in traditional lecture halls or labs, the practical classes are organized in the company. The partnerships between the university and the industry will only contribute to forging a synergy between traditional and modern, theory and practice, classroom and real-life environments. Through this form of learning, our students will be more connected with the labour market, and the academic staff will manage to create a more efficient and more impactful learning process. CZU: [378.147:378.147.88]:005.56(478); JEL: H75, I20, I23, I25; DOI: https://doi.org/10.53486/cike2022.24