Designing learning spaces to meet the changing learning needs and expectations of staff and students

Designing learning spaces to meet the changing learning
needs and expectations of students and staff

University of Canberra
Dec 2011

INFORMA - Learning Space Design Summit | Dec 2011 | Presented by helen.carter@mq.edu.au and danny.munnerley@canberra.edu.au

staff and student commons"
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA"
CASE STUDY

•  project overview
•  the objectives
•  hothousing ideas
•  design principles
•  evaluation
•  lessons learnt


staff & student
commons"
project overview

• EIF Funded, ($3.7million)

• 1 of 3 campus development
projects

• Collaboration between the
University Architect, Teaching and
Learning Centre, Jackson
Architecture and Manteena project
management

• 16 month project


project timeline

JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV

2009
Project Timeline
Teaching & Learning Centre activity
2010

UC context


Student Commons

Staff Commons
Teaching & Learning


Staff Commons"
ﬂoor plan

The idea is for a conceptual space in
which communities of educators
committed to inquiry and innovation
come together to exchange ideas
about teaching and learning, and use
them to meet the challenges of
educating students for personal,
professional and civic life. "
(Carter, 2009)


Student Commons
ﬂoor plan

The student commons will expand facilities for informal, formal and self-directed
learning and provide access to collaborative learning spaces for students.


Teaching & Learning Centre
ﬂoor plan

Ensuring the TLC is outward focused by integrating academic (core business) and
support with social and community components.


the objectives
Provide a space that

•  encourages active learning¹, inter-disciplinary
study and collaboration
•  supports both students and staff as learners
•  encourages learner centredness² as opposed
to teacher focussed
•  can be accessed informally and booked when
required
•  can be used independently, as a group or for
events, (including clubs & societies³)
•  supports learners who bring your own
device (BYOD)
•  has considered space and light and order
•  provides for the basic levels of human need
(coffee)

1 .(McLennan and Keating, 2005; p.5 ), 2. (Dewey, Vygotsky, Piaget), 3. (Lave & Wenger),
4. (Corbusier), 5. (Maslow)


objectives | provide a space that..."
encourages active learning, inter-disciplinary study and collaboration

Active learning requires students to take responsibility for their learning in both collaborative and
independent learning situations, and is dependant on students developing and employing generic skills
and attributes. (McLennan and Keating, 2005; p. 5)


supports both students and staff as learners


encourages learner centredness as opposed to teacher focussed


can be accessed informally and booked when required


objectives | provide a space that...
can be used independently, as a group or for events, (including clubs & societies)


supports learners who bring your own device (BYOD)


has considered space and light and order

‘Space, and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to
sleep’ (Corbusier, 1923)


provides for the basic levels of human need (coffee)


coming up next….

•  focus on staff commons

•  engagement (hothouse project)

•  principles

•  evaluation


innovation & development projects

Develop a community of practice (ITaLLs)
•  encourage ideas exchange
•  academic project development
•  disseminate ideas through leadership

Experiment with new spaces, pedagogies &
technologies

Micro-funded innovation projects

Aligned strategically to support the
introduction of a new trimester and
blended learning strategy


principles

•  agile spaces (easily reconﬁgurable)
•  lighten the space (brightness and
weight)
•  user-centred (let staff and students
shape the space)
•  maximise the active surfaces
(writeable and presentable)
•  sustainable (materials and
operational)
•  currators of space (not manage or
supervise)


principles"
maximise writing surfaces


principles"
lighten the space


principles"
easily re-conﬁgurable


principles"
let staff & students shape the space


evaluation"
so far…

•  Review of usage data, captured via
•  online booking system (name, area, event title, date/time/duration)
•  student sign up sheets (room, ID, date/time/duration)
•  observation (head counts)"

•  post-it polls
•  whiteboard surveys
•  email feedback"

•  Yr1 Survey, (awaiting ethics approval)
•  Formal users (via booking system & ID’s)
•  Informal user (general survey via Moodle)
•  Interviews


evaluation"
post-it…

al
more le I’m a session
too bright
,
fortab with no ofﬁce
com a se…
a locker would
cha irs ple
be good

it locates
events aroun
d giving up my w hy are we writ
ing
people whic ofﬁce!
on post-it not
es
h
alls
really makes when all the w
ds
sense
are whiteboar


evaluation"
teaching commons quantitative

•  formal usage (booked via calendar)
•  923 individual bookings in 12 months
•  average meeting size x6.7 persons
•  preferred time of day 9-11am"

•  informal usage (drop-in, ad-hoc use)
•  647 uses recorded during 3 month observation
•  average group size x2.3 persons


evaluation"
who uses the teaching commons?

40x UNITS, CENTRES, OFFICES, FACULTIES, INSTITUTES

Academic Skills Centre, Accessability, Audit & Governance, Campus Living, Campus
Planning and Development Unit, Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor of Education, Deputy
Vice Chancellor of Research, Early Career Academic Program, Faculty of Applied
Science, Faculty of Art & Design, Faculty of Business and Government, Faculty of
Education, Faculty of Health, Faculty of Information Sciences and Engineering, Faculty
of Law, Human Resources Unit, Information Technology Management, INSPIRE centre,
Library, Marketing and International, Media & Communication, National Security
Institute, Office of Dean of Students, Office of Innovation and Advancement, Office of
Registrar, Planning & Quality, Office of Pro Vice Chancellor of Development, Research
Services, Research Services Office, Student Administration, Student Centre, Student
Equity and Support Unit, Students, Teaching and Learning Centre, Timetable, UC
English Language Institute, UC Events, UC Fit, UC Union, University of Canberra
College


evaluation"
what do they do?

meetings, discussions, workshops, forums, seminars, summits, planning
days, working parties, steering groups, policy review groups, focus
groups, roundtables, network luncheons, receptions, video conferences,
un-conferences, training, industry advisories, interviews, panels,
consultations, poster sessions, open days, camps, brown bags,
longnecks, writing cycles, writing groups, write-in's and of course
Keith Lyons ’exciting meetings'


evaluation"
usage analytics

More bookings in the mornings, 9.00-12.00
Hothouse Studio accounts for 40% of bookings


3.  DVC(E)

5.  UC Union
Top Ten Users"

10.  UC College
usage analytics

9.  Student Equity
8.  Applied Science
evaluation"

2.  Faculty of Health

6.  Human Resources
1.  Teaching & Learning

4.  Faculty of Art & Design

7.  Marketing & International

0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180

Academic Skills Centre
Accessability
Audit & Governance
Campus Living
Campus Planning and
Deputy Vice Chancellor of
Deputy Vice Chancellor of
Early Career Academic Program
Faculty of Applied Science
Faculty of Art & Design
Faculty of Business and
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Health
Faculty of Information Sciences
Faculty of Law
Human Resources Unit
Information Technology
INSPIRE
Library
Marketing and International
Media & Communication
National Security Institute
Office of Dean of Students
Office of Innovation and
Office of Registrar
Planning & Quality
Pro Vice Chancellor of
Research Services
Research Services Office
Student Administration
Student Centre
Student Equity and Support Unit
Students
Teaching and Learning Centre
Timetable
UC English Language Institute
UC Events

UC Fit
UC Union
University of Canberra College
Unknown

feedback

•  My initial impression is of a amazingly technically-supported range of flexible spaces for working
away from the office. Amidst the latest in learning technologies, I loved the write-on wall. No white
boards, but especially painted walls (those that have a sticker on) that give space to 'spread your mind'. "
Faculty of Education

•  Its magical what a combination of technology, design and thoughtful planning can do. I am sure the
staff and students will use it well."
Research Office

•  The Nursing & Midwifery staff were so impressed with the teaching commons that our new Head
of Disciplines has asked if we can use the space for all our Research and Scholarship workshops."
Faculty of Health

•  Surrounded by whiteboard walls, any individual, regardless of where they were in the room, could be put
in the position of group leader. The students were encouraged to turn around and jot ideas down
whenever they felt so inclined – and they did. With no one at ‘the front’ designated as the
authority figure, there was much more spontaneous input than I have experienced in a
standard classroom.
Academic Skills


"

thankyou
canberra.edu.au/tlc/teachingcommons

ﬂickr.com/photos/munnerley/collections

CONTACTS

danny.munnerley@canberra.edu.au
helen.carter@mq.edu.au


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