Sunset for traditional lecture halls: How polytechnics are rethinking learning and student spaces

SINGAPORE – A giant green screen, professional video and lighting equipment, and a production control room now make up one of Singapore Polytechnic’s (SP) lecture theatres – a space that, until 2025, was a sea of plastic seats.

For Year 3 media, arts and design student Vo Tri Tai, this makeover has reshaped how he learns.

“Previously, we only had one module using a basic green screen where we had to fix everything after production,” said the 21-year-old student. “Now, with the new system, we can replace backgrounds live. What we see on the monitor is the final product.”

The studio features a large, curved green screen and a “technical command centre” where students use virtual production software to project digital worlds in real time.

While Mr Vo admitted feeling “disheartened” initially, given the sentimental memories tied to the old hall, he said the new facility is a significant upgrade that encourages students across different tracks, like sound and music, to collaborate, while allowing him to hone his production skills.

Elsewhere on campus, another lecture theatre has been turned into a bouldering wall used by some 130 students weekly. The wall was completed in February 2023.

These conversions reflect the sunset for the traditional lecture hall across Singapore’s polytechnics. With schools pivoting to “blended learning”, or a mix of online and face-to-face lessons, 500-seat halls have made way for smaller, more agile spaces.

Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) began downsizing its lecture theatres as early as 2010 as it started to implement online learning. These smaller lecture halls, it said, supported purposeful interaction, timely feedback and in-class activities such as questioning and working in groups.

“When combined with digital learning, this ensures that face-to-face time is used for higher-order learning and deeper engagement, which increases learning impact,” said a spokeswoman for the polytechnic.

Republic Polytechnic, since its establishment in 2002, has eschewed the lecture model in favour of problem-based learning, where groups of 25 to 30 students tackle real-world challenges in classrooms.

In 2022, SP and Temasek Polytechnic (TP) shifted towards a model where students watch pre-recorded lectures independently, with face-to-face time reserved for interactive, hands-on tutorials.

Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) has adopted a similar approach, moving all physical lectures online during the Covid-19 pandemic – a practice it has maintained since. This lets students watch lectures at their own pace, with guidance from lecturers during on-campus tutorials.

Now, the school is taking another step, soon turning about half of its 50 lecture theatres into shared spaces for students.

An NYP spokeswoman said these repurposed areas will include quiet zones for deep focus, “maker zones” for students to build and tinker, and active zones for exercise. This transformation is set to be completed over the next five to seven years, with the first of these new spaces ready in February.

NYP said it gathered suggestions from nearly 1,000 students who asked for more social and collaborative areas.

One outcome is a pilot project called “The Hive” – a former function room-turned-social zone complete with study tables, beanbags and even a grass patch. This space opened in November 2025.

For Year 2 pharmaceutical science student Danielle Chong, the shift from lecture halls towards spaces like The Hive is a welcome break from the “mundane” classroom structures of the past.

She recalled how learning in secondary school felt rigid at times, but in polytechnic, working on projects and sharing ideas with her peers more have made learning more enjoyable.

“I’m grateful that polytechnics are changing the traditional way of learning... where now there are social spaces where we get to discuss projects and also rest at the same time,” said the 18-year-old.

In the past, students typically used the library or benches to study and discuss projects, which was not always conducive, she added.

Across the island, TP had converted 12 of its 57 lecture theatres into informal learning spaces in 2021, with beanbags replacing rows of fixed seats, and tables at the front of the hall for discussion.

The polytechnic plans to redesign and repurpose eight more lecture theatres into a mix of collaborative spaces and classrooms, which can support a range of uses from events and exhibitions to workshops and regular lessons.

“The flexibility of these spaces allows them to be adapted to different learning contexts and community uses, contributing to a more vibrant and dynamic campus environment,” said a TP spokesman.

For culinary and catering management TP student Ong Yi Fen, 23, the layouts of these repurposed lecture theatres are useful for brainstorming ideas such as festive desserts or themed menus, as the flexible seating makes it easy to move around and have discussions with peers.

These changes reveal how student needs are evolving towards more flexible and engaging learning environments, Ms Ong said.

However, while she enjoys the informal spaces, Ms Ong added that she still prefers traditional classrooms for note-taking and lessons that require a stronger focus from students.

The polytechnics said lecture theatres still serve a purpose, whether for mass student or staff briefings, examinations, industry talks or large-scale events.

The difference is having a more intentional focus on designing physical learning spaces to better support evolving student needs.

NP recently converted one lecture theatre into a multi-purpose student space for hanging out or working, and also introduced private study pods, which students can use to tune in to their online lessons.

But do not give up on the in-person lecture just yet, said Dr Lee Li Neng, senior lecturer of psychology at the National University of Singapore.

While online delivery works for information-heavy courses, he said physical lectures foster a sense of belonging that is difficult to replicate virtually.

“There are some lectures that require a lot of interaction and require people to experience something together,” Dr Lee said, citing a colleague who turned the lecture theatre into a sky full of stars to teach his students about the sky.

The structure provided by live lectures supports students during the shift from the discipline of traditional secondary school classrooms, he said. While independent learning is the goal, some struggle with the self-regulation needed to manage their time, he added.

In an era of information abundance, the educator’s role has shifted from simply passing on content to helping students make sense of it, said Dr Lee. Watching videos, he cautioned, can create an “illusion of learning” where students feel they understand a concept but struggle to apply it.

The challenge now is not access to information, he said, but how students piece everything together in a way that makes sense.

To address this, he advocates a “blended learning” approach, where physical spaces are used more intentionally as hubs for social interaction and feedback, alongside digital resources.

This makes learning less of an individual cognitive activity where one is absorbing information, and more of a social activity where students learn from one another, he said.

“The underlying philosophy is just about becoming more intentional about how you want to use the space, rather than saying that these lecture halls no longer have a place,” he said.

Correction note: An earlier version of this story misstated Ms Ong’s name. This has been corrected.