Perspectives

Tag: VLK Scholarly Research
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Not Your Grandpa’s Courtyard

THE EVOLUTION OF OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS RICHARD HUNT | SENIOR ASSOCIATE, DESIGN ARCHITECT Throughout the 20th century, outdoor learning became integrated into educational models as an increased interest in the natural sciences arose. However, as the 21st century approached, the priority of outdoor learning was lost to an increased preparation for standardized testing and increased […]
News

VLK joins PBTISD for Ribbon Cutting of New CTE and Science Wing at Pecos High School

On Wednesday, December 4, VLK Architects gathered with Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD students, administrators, and community members to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science Wing at Pecos High School. Today, we celebrate a vision of the future for our students and our community. This CTE facility is a testament […]
News

Construction Begins on Waxahachie ISD’s Second High School

On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, VLK joined Waxahachie ISD students and administration, community members, and Pogue Construction to break ground on the district’s second comprehensive high school, to be named Waxahachie Creek High School. Located near Lake Waxahachie and Highway 77, this 520,000 sf campus will serve up to 3,200 students, providing essential space for […]
News

VLK | EDGE® presents at the UCEA Annual Convention in Los Angeles

On Saturday, November 23, 2024, the VLK | EDGE® team partnered with Dr. Yanira Oliveras, Associate Professor from The University of Texas at Tyler to present groundbreaking research at the University Council for Education Administration (UCEA) Annual Convention. The study, titled Collaboration Spaces and Middle School Students’ Engagement in Learning, explored the relationship between open […]
Research

Social Emotional Learning Practices and Learning Spaces

Recently, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) has become a hot topic in communities across Texas. For us educators, we know SEL as best practices that promote the soft skills that contribute to well-rounded students and productive citizens. For others, it has become a political platform. Because the process is crucial to teaching and learning, we […]
Research

Teacher Efficacy and Intentionally Designed Learning Spaces

Our partnership with The University of Texas at Tyler continues to develop, providing insightful information to direct our practice of architecture. Teacher efficacy is interesting to me, as those who perceive themselves as difference makers have the ability to instill a strong sense of the same in their students. Beliefs that guide students to learn […]
Research

Teachers’ Instructional Decisions and Student Agency in New Purposefully Designed Learning Spaces

The manuscript that follows, Teachers’ Instructional Decisions and Student Agency in New Purposefully Designed Learning Spaces, is the second scholarly study from the broader research conducted at a high school of choice in Houston Independent School District in Houston, Texas, in partnership with The University of Texas at Tyler. The authors designed this study to understand further how student […]
Research

Original Research – The Impact of Learning Environments on Student Engagement

VLK Architects partnered with the University of Texas at Tyler to conduct a study resulting in original research titled, The Impact of Learning Environments on Student Engagement. Uniquely, VLK Architects was awarded the design assignment for two replacement elementary schools that, while located in separate districts, would be rebuilt on their same sites; thereby, serving the same student […]