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Objective: Recently, the interest in spaces for learning in higher education (HE) has grown consider­ably in Sweden and several universities have invested in flexible learning spaces. Much inspiration comes from Australian ideas on innovative learning environments (ILEs) (Imms, 2018). There is a growing body of research that shows how teachers develop their pedagogy in innovative and flexible environments (see for example Byers & Imms, 2016). However, there is still a lack of studies with focus on learning spaces and teaching in higher education. This paper presents an ongoing research project on teacher didactic design in flexible higher education learning spaces. The aim is to describe teacher conceptions of teaching in flexible learning spaces. How do teachers design teaching? Do they experience changes on their beliefs about teaching and learning?

Research methodology: Tentative results from interviews with twenty teachers, new to teaching in flexible spaces at six Swedish Universities, will be presented. A deductive qualitative content analysis was used. The group of researchers coded individually with a high intercoder reliability (Schreier, 2012). The final categories were: teaching, teacher role, students and spatial aspects. The research draws upon a designoriented perspective called ‘Designs for Learning’ (Selander & Kress, 2010; Leijon, 2016). Designs for learning concerns framing and conditions for learning, while designs in learning highlights how a teacher makes use of space during teaching.

Results and findings: Teachers new to teaching in flexible learning spaces concentrates on designs for learning, like technology, support, both technical and pedagogical, booking systems and so on. However, some of the teachers have transformed their pedagogic ideas and didactic design and moved in to new territories. The teachers are beginning to incorporate the flexible learning space as a part of their teaching repertoire, as part of their designs in learning.

Discussion of significance: What prompts the teachers to change their praxis? What hinders them? What part does the flexible learning space play? How can didactic design in flexible learning spaces be a part of a teacher repertoire? Can the tentative concept “spatial didactic design” be used to frame a complex relation between learning spaces and teaching?