Liberating Structures (LS) are simple and concrete tools that can enhance group performance in diverse organizational settings. They do so by organizing participants in different spatial arrangements and group configurations and by distributing participation and sequencing steps. In this article, we report on a pilot implementation of LS in several classrooms of a business school in a mid-sized Norwegian University. Our research is centred around four guiding research questions to gauge students’ experience of LS, including their sense of inclusion, engagement and LS’ pedagogical effectiveness. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including a quantitative survey, participant observation and debriefing conversations and informal interviews with instructors and students who experienced LS. An exploratory survey instrument was employed to measure the various attributes of LS, and four dimensions were identified and validated. Our findings suggest that LS are easy to implement, help increase participation, have the potential to enhance learning and can represent an effective pedagogical alternative to traditional lecture-centred classrooms. Our pilot study suggests that LS hold the creative potency to enhance both the instructor pedagogical experience and the student learning experience. By identifying the limitations of our pilot study, we call for more rigorous assessments of LS in the future.

中文翻译：

---

解放结构作为包容性学习的教学创新：挪威大学的一项初步研究

Liberational Structures（LS）是简单而具体的工具，可以在不同的组织环境中提高团队绩效。他们通过组织不同空间安排和小组配置的参与者，并通过分配参与和排序步骤来做到这一点。在本文中，我们报告了在中型挪威大学的商学院几个教室中实施LS的试点实施情况。我们的研究围绕四个指导性研究问题进行评估，以评估学生对LS的体验，包括他们的包容感，参与度和LS的教学效果。采用了一种混合方法，包括定量调查，参与者观察和汇报对话，以及与经历过LS的教师和学生的非正式访谈。使用探索性调查工具测量LS的各种属性，并确定并验证了四个维度。我们的发现表明，LS易于实施，有助于增加参与度，具有增强学习的潜力，并且可以代表传统以课堂为中心的课堂的有效教学方法。我们的初步研究表明，LS具有创造力，可以增强教师的教学经验和学生的学习经验。通过确定试点研究的局限性，我们呼吁将来对LS进行更严格的评估。具有增强学习的潜力，并且可以代表传统以讲课为中心的课堂的有效教学方法。我们的初步研究表明，LS具有创造力，可以增强教师的教学经验和学生的学习经验。通过确定试点研究的局限性，我们呼吁将来对LS进行更严格的评估。具有增强学习的潜力，并且可以代表传统以讲课为中心的课堂的有效教学方法。我们的初步研究表明，LS具有创造力，可以增强教师的教学经验和学生的学习经验。通过确定试点研究的局限性，我们呼吁将来对LS进行更严格的评估。