Learning environments with Snežana Bačlija, season 3, episode 4

Talking Youth Work

Hello dear listeners,

In this episode, we talked to Snežana Bačlija Knoch, an educational consultant in the European youth field and a facilitator of learning for nearly two decades. She loves to create encouraging and inviting learning environments, facilitate action-oriented value-based learning, and experiment with (and sometimes create) different educational tools and approaches.

We started by trying to understand what creates enriching learning environments. Is it the people? Is it the physical space? It’s a combination, for sure, but it's interesting to explore how the environments influence the group and vice-versa. It’s not the same thing to discuss diversity with a non-diverse group of people in a plain white room or having a diverse group that goes into town to explore and talk to people on the streets.

As mentioned in our episode about learning experience design, it’s important to “start with the learners in mind. Who are they? What do they know already? And how can we help them learn something new?” Now we might add: What environment will this need? What kind of space? What group of people?

Of course, in real life, there are spatial limitations, we don’t always have the training rooms that we would like to create the environment that would best suit the learning experience, but we can always be creative in how we use it, or explore the surroundings, find a park, a library, a coffee shop nearby, that will help facilitate the discussions and the learning that we are aiming towards.

Have you ever thought about the environments that suit your learning the most?

What kind of spaces and people help you learn the best?

Know yourself and bring the others with you. A very insightful episode, have a listen and let’s keep Talking Youth Work.