How to find and seize opportunities within learning spaces that you don’t see today. Elliot Felix (brightspot strategy), Alex O'Briant (Ennead Architects), and David Woodbury (North Carolina State University) presented Hack-in-Action at SXSWedu 2017.

1. How to find and seize opportunities within learning spaces
that you don’t see today.
Hack-in-Action

2. Welcome

3. 3Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
about us
DAVID
Head
NC State University Libraries
Learning Spaces & Services
ELLIOT
Founder and CEO
brightspot
Experience Design Strategy
ALEX
Associate Partner
Ennead Architects
K-12 and Higher Ed Design

4. 4Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
Today’s session will help you find
opportunities to:
1. Understand how you arrange the
activities in the room
2. Design how you arrange the room
3. Think about space as more actively
changing rather than static
We’re going to do this using the analogy of
a movie, that has a script, a set, a stage,
and a site. More on this later!
Our goal today: Finding Opportunities!

5. 5Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
Welcome 5mins
Goal Setting 10mins
Introduction to Toolkit 5mins
Introduction to Challenges 5mins
Get into Working Groups 5mins
Hacking Activity 50mins
Groups Share-out 20mins
Debrief and Next Steps 20mins
Our agenda: Awesome.

6. 6Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
Follow these principles so everyone can
have an awesome experience at this
workshop:
1. Actively participate
2. Let others participate and respect
their ideas
3. Defer judgement and let ideas play
out as long as you can stand it
4. Adopt the hacking mindset, have the
courage to try things out!
Groundrules

7. Learning Space Hacker’s Toolkit

8. 8Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
Our Hacker’s Toolkit
STAGE
The space and how
it’s defined
SET
The tools and props
on stage
SCENE
The programs and
activities going on
SCRIPT
The pedagogy
driving activities
SITE
The context and background

9. 9Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
Three challenges to work on
Place Image
Placeholder
CLASSROOM
How can a grid of columns
be an opportunity and not a
limitation? How can students
be actively engaged?
HALLWAY
How can you take
advantage of the
opportunity to be more
than a path from A to B?
LOBBY
How can you define a place
within an open space?
What’s permanent vs.
what’s a pop-up?

10. Learning Space Hacking Roles

11. 11Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
Hacker’s Toolkit Roles
WRITER
Writing the script to create
the scene
DIRECTOR
Setting the goals and
objectives
SET DESIGNER
Arranging the set and the
stage
Barry Jenkins Aaron Sorkin Julie Taymor

12. Hacking Activities

13. 13Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
Three challenges to work on
STAGE: CLASSROOM
How can a grid of columns
be an opportunity and not a
limitation? How can students
be actively engaged?
STAGE: HALLWAY
How can you take
advantage of the
opportunity to be more
than a path from A to B?
STAGE: LOBBY
How can you define a place
within an open space?
What’s permanent vs.
what’s a pop-up?

14. 14Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
Activity 1: Goal Setting
In 5mins, Let’s use Pixar’s madlib for
creating a great story about students
learning:
1. Work in groups to create a Mad Lib
using the handout
2. Turn over the kit on your table to see
what “stage” you’re using – lobby,
hallway, or classroom
3. Make as many drafts as you want
4. Pick the best one. You’ll be using it to
“hack” a learning space in a moment
Once upon a time there was
____. Every day, ____. One
day ___. Because of that,
____. Because of that, ____.
Until finally ____.
Director Leads

15. 15Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
Activity 1: Goal Setting
In 5mins, Let’s use Pixar’s madlib for
creating a great story about students
learning:
1. Work in groups to create a Mad Lib
using the handout
2. Turn over the kit on your table to see
what “stage” you’re using – lobby,
hallway, or classroom
3. Make as many drafts as you want
4. Pick the best one. You’ll be using it to
“hack” a learning space in a moment
Once upon a time there was
[Character]. Every day,
[Context]. One day [Action].
Because of that, [Conflict].
Because of that, [Result]
Until finally [Goal].
Director Leads

16. 16Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
In 15mins, translate the goal / plot from
your madlib into an experience, the
“scene,”and then a space,the “set.”
1. Describe the protagonist(s) in terms of
goals, challenges, and expectations
2. Map her/his activities across the 5 Es
of an experience: Entice, Enter,
Engage, Exit, and Extend
3. Get ready to hack one of the 3
“stages” to make this happen!
Activity 2: Designing the Experience Writer Leads
handout here

17. 17Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
In 30mins, visualize your scene using the
hacking kit provided on your tables. Hint:
not every table has the same tools, so look
around, and collaborate!
1. Using the “wall” component of the kit,
make a collage that expresses the
essence of your scene.
2. Using the “floor” component of the
kit, translate your collage into a stage
set, complete with people and props.
Activity 3: Hacking the Space Set Designer
Leads

18. Let’s share!

19. 19Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
In 90 seconds:
1. Tell us your objectives by reading your
selected Madlib
2. Briefly describe the scene (No need to
walk through all 5 Es...)
3. Describe the how you arranged the
stage and the set to support the scene
4. Share one lesson learned
Let’s share and learn from each other! (20mins)
Workshop Image
Placeholder

20. Let’s Reflect!

21. 21Ennead | brightspot | NC State University SxSW Edu: Learning Spaces Hack-in-Action
● What were your lesson’s learned?
● Where do you still have questions
● What one thing will you do next week
to apply this?
● What one thing will you do next
month to apply this?
Let’s Reflect and Apply

22. Thank you!
Alex aobriant@ennead.com @alexobriant
Elliot elliot@brightspotstrategy.com @elliotfelix
David david_woodbury@ncsu.edu @dnw
Slides are here: go.ncsu.edu/sxswhack

23. Additional Resources:
Pixar MadLib
Handouts and Plans/Elevations