Abi Mawhirt, Senior Learning & Information Assistant – Dundee College

1. Learning Hubs:
Breaking Down Barriers with
New Models of Working
Abigail Mawhirt: Senior Learning Hub Assistant

2. Challenges
• Impending sector restructure: Regionalisation of 42
colleges down to 13, funding 13 regions, not 42 colleges
• Internal restructure to absorb funding cuts to FE
• Job role changes for academic and support staff
• Continuing curriculum reform in Scotland (CfE)
• Move from five campuses to two
In 2010, Dundee College was facing:

3. Challenges
• Managing significant change, including cultural
• Working with less staff overall
• Removal of traditional, comfortable job roles
• Still to improve retention and achievement
• Decision to be made: Sink or swim as libraries face
uncertainty and can be seen as obsolete
In reality this meant:

4. Melrose
Kingsway
Graham Street
N
Constitution Road
Gardyne
Overgate
© Google
Dundee College: Old Estate

5. Kingsway
N
Gardyne
© Google
Dundee College: New Estate

6. Dundee College: Old Buildings

7. Dundee College: Old Buildings

8. Dundee College: Gardyne Campus

9. Dundee College: Gardyne Campus

10. Dundee College: Gardyne Library

11. Dundee College: Gardyne Learning Hub

12. • New location, new building, new working styles
• New systems developed and purchased:
CELCAT central timetabling system
New LMS and move to RFID security
Bespoke student dashboard developed
Online applications and matriculation
Moodle replaces Blackboard VLE
• New job roles for Hub staff and many academic staff
Changes Presenting Challenges

13. • Two significant things brought change:
• Internal financial savings proposals created new
Learning Hub Assistant posts
• Opportunity presented by new building
Impetus for Changes to Library Service

14. • Library staff roles were completely reinvented
• Team recruited with a variety of backgrounds and skills
• Opportunity to redefine model of working
• Staff redeployed to areas outside the library
New Job Role and Staff Team

15. • Library teams have the skills to deliver study skills
• Libraries have always offered referencing sessions, IT
drop-ins and support using resources
• We’ve never had such a good opportunity to promote
our skills and diversify methods of delivery and our role
• Formalisation of library’s role in learning and teaching
• Curriculum staff are being given an opportunity to utilise
library skills properly
Learning Hub Rationale

16. • Three open plan IT suites each split into two class areas
• Formally timetabled sessions, organised by lecturer
• Hub staff responsible for register, behaviour management
• Hub staff support tasks, demo websites, deliver sessions
What is a Learning Hub?

17. • Key partners to fulfil the Hub vision are:
• Buildings and Estates team
• IT Services
• Curriculum staff
Working with other Departments

18. • Creating suitable learning spaces which can also be social
• Close liaison when plans did not translate to reality
• Repurposing furniture and changing layouts
• Coordinated move and library stock merge
Working with Buildings and Estates

19. • Selecting an LMS which could be hosted internally
• Ongoing support for LMS and RFID solutions
• Significant work supporting online matriculation
• Facing front line issues, persuading IT they exist!
Working with IT

20. • Financial climate led to reduction in PT lecturing hours
• Lecturers being encouraged to utilise Hubs
• Less teaching hours yet support staff numbers increase
• Mindset had to change to embrace new library service
Working with Curriculum Staff

21. • Concerns from curriculum that Hub staff replace them
• Worries Hub team are moving into ‘teaching’
• Hub team growing whilst academic teams are shrinking
• New ways of working not always embraced
Challenge 1: Suspicion

22. • Academic staff not realising potential of model
• Hubs considered ‘babysitting’ / place to leave class
• No liaison with Hub staff, disengaging students
• Students unsure of value of Hub sessions
Challenge 2: Misunderstanding

23. • Hubs are new and sold as a great innovation to staff
• Academic staff overlooking Hub staff abilities
• Purposeful learning not always taking place
• Success a little too hit and miss, demoralising staff
Challenge 3: Motivating Hub Staff

24. • Full buy in from curriculum staff required for success
• Students understand value of what they are doing
• Time is productively spent by all involved
• Service worthwhile for students and staff
Buy In

25. Breaking Down Barriers
• Focussing on the support aspect of our role
• Securing buy in from heads of teaching areas
• Liaising with staff regarding under-utilised Hub sessions
• Removing bookings from staff expecting babysitting

26. Year One: Outcomes
• Some areas bought in, others still sceptical
• Service had changed, but not fulfilling potential
• Hubs successful on paper in terms of bookings
• Keen to deliver more but sensitive to climate of change

27. Year Two: More Challenges
• Working harder to develop & deliver high quality service
• Building relationships with key curriculum areas
• Delivering 100+ hours of Hub sessions weekly
• Looking for ways to expand and ensure validity

28. Students said:
 they feel involved in the learning process (91.7%)
 the level of materials is good /correct for them (91.7%)
 Learning Hub staff support their learning
 Only 8.5% of students claimed they did not feel more
confident in the aspects of independent learning after
having attended the Learning Hubs
Breaking down barriers to learning
Impact Assessment

29. Impact Assessment
Staff said:
 The students really got a lot out of the [Hub] session.
Internet research is increasingly important to
cooperative study so these sessions give them a good
foundation for future independent study.
 My history students (particularly the ones who are
moving on to university) have really benefited from the
“how to learn” type of skills Hub staff deliver.
 My students are much more capable of working
together and sourcing information for their projects.
This year the project work has been of a much higher
standard with evidence of wider reading.

30. • Always open to new ideas for service delivery
• Focussing on information literacy levels and support
• Working to reach entire curriculum, focus is on Kingsway
• Piloting new sessions and fundable course
Moving Forward

31. Learning Hubs:
New Models of Working
Abigail Mawhirt: a.mawhirt@dundeecollege.ac.uk
Any questions?