Redesigning Learning Spaces in Higher Institutions for the Post-Pandemic Era: A Systematic Review
Keywords:
Learning space, Higher institutions, Systematic review, PRISMA, Learning experiences,Abstract
Purpose: This systematic review examined how higher education institutions redesigned learning spaces in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on student engagement, institutional challenges, flexibility, and the role of redesigned spaces in fostering community and collaboration.
Methodology: Using PRISMA guidelines, the study systematically searched Scopus and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025. Forty one met the inclusion criteria. A descriptive analysis and cluster-based keyword mapping were used to identify thematic patterns related to learning space redesign.
Result: Findings show that redesigned learning spaces particularly online, hybrid, flexible, and technology-enhanced formats significantly shaped engagement and participation by improving interaction, accessibility, and communication. Institutions, however, faced substantial challenges including digital inequities, limited infrastructure, insufficient faculty training, and uneven student readiness for technologically mediated learning. Flexibility emerged as a core strategy for coping with uncertainty, enabling continuity through blended, asynchronous, and multimodal learning designs. Redesigned spaces also played a central role in rebuilding community and supporting collaboration through digital platforms, hybrid classrooms, and inclusive technologies.
Novelty and contribution: The study provides a comprehensive synthesis that integrates design principles, pedagogical strategies, and technological affordances shaping post-pandemic learning spaces. It contributes a global perspective on how learning spaces physical and virtual can be redesigned to support engagement, equity, and collaborative learning.
Practical and social implications: The review offers actionable insights for policymakers, administrators, and educators seeking to develop adaptive, inclusive, student-centered environments that remain resilient in future disruptions.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Retselisitsoe Lebona, Maboi Zacharia Mphunyane, Mapulane Mochekele, Lipolelo Thamae (Author)
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This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
