I work in an open-plan office... and for the most part, it works absolutely fine. I have my colleagues nearby if I want to chat about a particular issue and there's a buzz of general activity which is kinda nice. Unplanned opportunities to share things in an informal way are readily available and it can be really productive...
But...
And you knew there was a but...
When I need to really concentrate. To shut everything out, get my head down and do some writing or research, then the bubble of activity around me is horribly distracting. It's a struggle to be productive when I just think quietly about something. My only means of shutting it out is to go find a quiet space to work in, or plug myself into iPod land.
I wonder to myself if the collaborative, constructive spaces in which we increasingly expect students to learn don't offer enough of those quiet places to work. Sometimes the buzz which is all around is hard to shut out and though it's really important to be able to tune in, it's also really important to tune out occasionally. It's one of the reasons I like Twitter, I think. I love that it's there if I need it... but that it doesn't matter if I don't use it for a little bit because it's a kind of involvement without attachment.
I guess that we live in an open plan world these days. We're potentially connected every second of every day. Quiet spaces are still necessary though. Here's to switching off, guilt-free. Here's to people designing courses and recognising the value of not always 'doing'. Here's to a little time and space, once in a while.
