ABSTRACT
Social learning spaces can provide the environment for students to interact with each other and develop transformative student–staff partnerships for learning. However, despite the rise of social learning spaces, both within our Higher Education (HE) institutions and their prominence within HE literature, further exploration of what makes them transformative is necessary. Simply providing ‘social learning space’ is not enough, and we must consider their pedagogic possibilities. This chapter explores how transformative social learning emerges as individuals interact with their environments and spaces are imagined, perceived, defined, and articulated by their community. A social approach to thinking and learning about HE in partnership with students is a powerful way of interrupting the dominant approach of considering students in deficit. Recognising the challenges as well as the opportunities is key to supporting student sense of belonging and transformative educational experiences.
