Identification of Social and Physical Dimension Factors Affecting Students’ Performances in Informal Learning Spaces

The informal learning spaces (ILSs), as the core carrier supporting students’ autonomous learning and social interaction, has become an indispensable component of modern campuses. However, the existing researches still have limitations in terms of the ambiguous concept of ILSs, and the lack of analysis of the synergy effect of social and physical dimension factors on students’ performances. To further explore the above problems, this review conducts a systematic literature review and retrieved 33 empirical studies in the fields of education, architecture and library science from 2000 to 2025. The results of this review show that ILSs can be defined as a dynamic ecosystem that integrate technological infrastructure, flexible layouts, and social interaction to accommodate diverse learning needs. Meanwhile, ILSs design needs to coordinate and balance the multiple influencing factors of the social dimension and the physical dimension. This review can provide design guidelines for educators, architects and policymakers that take into account both students’ needs and adaptive functional configurations, thereby providing a practical path for achieving inclusive learning environments and sustainable campus development.