The University of Arizona (ILC) - A learner's Guide

Transcription

1 Learning Spaces Diana G. Oblinger, Editor

2 Learning Spaces Diana G. Oblinger, Editor ISBN EDUCAUSE. Available electronically at

3 Learning Spaces Part 1: Principles and Practices Chapter 1. Space as a Change Agent Diana G. Oblinger Chapter 2. Challenging Traditional Assumptions and Rethinking Learning Spaces Nancy Van Note Chism Chapter 3. Seriously Cool Places: The Future of Learning-Centered Built Environments William Dittoe Chapter 4. Community: The Hidden Context for Learning Deborah J. Bickford and David J. Wright Chapter 5. Student Practices and Their Impact on Learning Spaces Cyprien Lomas and Diana G. Oblinger Chapter 6. The Psychology of Learning Environments Ken A. Graetz Chapter 7. Linking the Information Commons to Learning Joan K. Lippincott Chapter 8. Navigating Toward the Next-Generation Computer Lab Alan R. Cattier Chapter 9. Trends in Learning Space Design Malcolm Brown and Philip Long ISBN EDUCAUSE. Available electronically at

4 Chapter 10. Human-Centered Design Guidelines Lori Gee Chapter 11. Designing Blended Learning Space to the Student Experience Andrew J. Milne Chapter 12. Sustaining and Supporting Learning Spaces Christopher Johnson Chapter 13. Assessing Learning Spaces Sawyer Hunley and Molly Schaller Part 2: Case Studies Chapter 14. Learning How to See Diana G. Oblinger Chapter 15. City of London: Sir John Cass Business School Clive Holtham Chapter 16. Denison University: MIX Lab Scott Siddall Chapter 17. Duke University: Perkins Library Marilyn M. Lombardi and Thomas B. Wall Chapter 18. Eckerd College: Peter H. Armacost Library J. Michael Barber

5 Chapter 19. Estrella Mountain Community College: The Learning Studios Project Homero Lopez and Lori Gee Chapter 20. Hamilton College: Science Center Nikki Reynolds and Douglas A. Weldon Chapter 21. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis: The ES Corridor Project Nancy Van Note Chism Chapter 22. Iowa State University: LeBaron Hall Auditorium Jim Twetten Chapter 23. London School of Economics: BOX Andrew Harrison Chapter 24. Messiah College: Boyer Hall Dennis Lynch Chapter 25. Michigan Technological University: Center for Integrated Learning and Information Technology Paul Urbanek Chapter 26. MIT: The Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex Phillip D. Long Chapter 27. MIT: Steam Café Scott Francisco 2006 EDUCAUSE. Available electronically at

6 Chapter 28. North Carolina State University: Flyspace Hal Meeks Chapter 29. North Carolina State University: SCALE-UP Robert Beichner Chapter 30. Northwestern University: The Information Commons Bob Davis and Denise Shorey Chapter 31. The Ohio State University: The Digital Union Victoria Getis, Catherine Gynn, and Susan E. Metros Chapter 32. Olin College of Engineering: Academic and Olin Centers Joanne Kossuth Chapter 33. The Pennsylvania State University: Smeal College of Business Peter Nourjian Chapter 34. St. Lawrence University: Center for Teaching and Learning Sondra Smith and Kim Mooney Chapter 35. Stanford University: GroupSpaces Richard Holeton Chapter 36. Stanford University: Wallenberg Hall Dan Gilbert

7 Chapter 37: The University of Arizona: Manuel Pacheco Integrated Learning Center Christopher Johnson What Is It? What Happens Here? How Is Technology Used? What Makes the Space Successful? What Principles Were Behind the Design? What Is Unique or Noteworthy? About the Author Chapter 38. University of British Columbia: The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Simon Neame and Cyprien Lomas Chapter 39. University of Central Florida: Collaboration and Multimedia Classrooms Ruth Marshall Chapter 40. University of Chicago: The USITE/Crerar Computing Cluster and Cybercafé Shirley Dugdale and Chad Kainz Chapter 41. The University of Georgia: The Student Learning Center William Gray Potter and Florence E. King Chapter 42. Virginia Tech: The Math Emporium Barbara L. Robinson and Anne H. Moore Chapter 43. Virginia Tech: Torgersen Hall J. Thomas Head and Anne H. Moore 2006 EDUCAUSE. Available electronically at

8 Chapter 37 Manuel Pacheco Integrated Learning Center The University of Arizona Christopher Johnson What Is It? The University of Arizona ( in Tucson, Arizona, serves 28,000 undergraduate and 9,000 graduate students. It is a public land-grant Research I institution that boasts a heritage as Arizona s first university with leadership in a variety of research areas. The Manuel Pacheco Integrated Learning Center (ILC) serves as a home to first-year students at the University of Arizona. The 118,000-square-foot facility houses 14 classrooms, a 300-computer information commons, and a variety of other spaces. The ILC is designed to provide first-year students with state-of-theart instructional materials, academic advising and student support services, and access to information resources. When not providing these services to first-year students, the ILC is used by a broad spectrum of classes on campus. The ILC provides students and faculty with the following services: Technology-rich classrooms Study, meeting, and social spaces Wireless networking Midlevel computing for course assignments and high-end computing for multimedia development A variety of information resources such as reference tools, tutorials, guides, and course-related materials ( and a variety of digital exhibits ( In-depth one-on-one multimedia development support Technical and instructional support services Academic advising and exploration of majors for undecided students, and tutoring specifically focused on lower-division math/science courses 2006 Christopher Johnson 37.1 Learning Spaces

9 Classrooms: Each of the 14 classrooms is equipped with technology and projection systems with wired and wireless access for faculty and student laptops. For more information on the four lecture halls (one holding 300 students and three accommodating 150 students), four midsize classrooms (60 students), and six small classrooms (30 students), see < OSCR Underground: The Office of Student Computing Resources main help desk, known as OSCR Underground, provides on-site assistance for studentowned hardware and software ( Information commons: The information commons ( provides access to desktop computing and a variety of library resources. (See Figure 1.) Figure 1. Information Commons Multimedia Zone: The Multimedia Zone, another OSCR support location for students, provides high-end computing for multimedia projects. University College: University College ( is one of the university s 15 degree-granting undergraduate colleges. It is housed in the ILC and provides academic advising, tutoring, and other support for new students, especially transitional, interdisciplinary, and/or exploratory students. Courtyard: The courtyard serves as a meeting place and is often used by faculty for outdoor class activities. (See Figure 2.) Manuel Pacheco Integrated Learning Center, The University of Arizona 37.2

10 Figure 2. Courtyard What Happens Here? The lecture halls and classrooms support instructional activities for a variety of courses. The building primarily supports courses in the university s general education program. When not used by these courses, graduate and upper division courses also use the facility. (See Figure 3.) Figure 3. Lecture Hall 37.3 Learning Spaces

11 The ILC provides access to a 300-student responder system, which can be divided into smaller groupings. In addition, networked laptop computers allow students to respond and interact during classes. A 150-student lecture hall equipped with video capture allows classes taught in this room to be digitized and logged to create a searchable transcript and streamed via the Web ( The information commons provides access to a variety of different information tools from the university s library system (reference material, digital exhibits, tutorials, and so on). It also provides hardware and software to create digital materials to support class work. The information commons is open 24 hours a day, five days a week, with reduced hours on weekends. Group study rooms placed around the periphery of the commons are available for students to use for individual or group study. The commons purposely provides two chairs for every desktop computer to promote group work. These chairs move throughout the commons as students come together to work on projects. In addition, the courtyard is used for a variety of formal and informal gatherings; students congregate in a number of areas. How Is Technology Used? The ILC features wireless high-speed Internet access throughout. It also provides access to a 300-student radio frequency responder system that can be configured for use in the large lecture hall (300 students), the smaller lecture halls (150 students in two halls at a time), or three simultaneous uses in smaller numbers. The Office of Student Computing Resources supports more than 100 laptop computers. Forty-five of these systems are permanently placed in one of the midsize classrooms; the rest are delivered to classrooms in laptop carts. In addition, each classroom has a teaching station that provides access to a desktop computer and connection for a laptop. The stations have a separate touch panel to control computer and video input, audio, and lighting. Each station has a visual presenter (electronic overhead), VCR, and DVD player. The desktop computer is equipped with a screen that doubles as an electronic whiteboard. OSCR also provides highend multimedia workstations for students in the Multimedia Zone. What Makes the Space Successful? Four factors contribute the success of the ILC: a collaborative design process, shared oversight of the facility, technology and instructional support, and ongoing assessment. Manuel Pacheco Integrated Learning Center, The University of Arizona 37.4

12 Collaborative design: The initial design process solicited input from a broad spectrum of users. The design team consulted faculty and students along with experts in teaching and learning, technology-enhanced instruction, information sciences, networking, and facilities design to develop a set of guidelines for the facilities. These guidelines were then communicated to the architect who, in the words of many on the design team, got it in terms of the mission of the facility. These guidelines have been used to monitor the progress of the different types of activities that occur in the building. Shared oversight: The ILC is not associated with an academic college or unit, as is common with other facilities on campus. A management team of representatives from instruction, computing, academic advising/tutoring, and the university library governs the activities in the building. This team communicates regularly with the vice provost for academic affairs, CIO, and dean of the libraries to ensure that the activities in the ILC mesh with other instructional activities. Technology and instructional support: Members of the management team are responsible for equipment services and OSCR Underground. Personnel from each unit are housed in the ILC, providing immediate access to technical and instructional support. Assessment: The management team conducts annual surveys to determine if current resources meet the users instructional needs. This data allows the management team to adjust services and direct resources to maintain and update the infrastructure. What Principles Were Behind the Design? Four principles went into the design: agility, multifunctional use of the spaces, transparency, and seamless access. The systems in the ILC can be easily reconfigured based on data collected from student and faculty surveys, and the different spaces in the ILC support individual, group, and class work in quiet and semi-quiet environments. The technology resources are designed to allow faculty to experiment and implement a variety of different instructional strategies. The design committee, working with the architect, decided that the ILC should provide a level of transparency to permit users of the information commons and courtyard to see what goes on in these spaces. In addition, access to the Internet, library, and other campus resources is designed to be as seamless as possible Learning Spaces 37.5

13 What Is Unique or Noteworthy? The design committee collected input from a variety of campus constituents, architects, and space planners during the design process, and the management team continues to solicit this input through online surveys and a variety of other data collection techniques. The design team chose to locate the ILC completely underground, allowing the facility to be in the center of campus without violating the sacrosanct space of the mall and Old Main, the original campus building. The instructional facilities link to the university library through the information commons. (See links to the courtyard and the mall at < The ILC provides first-year students with a single location for important support services as well as a rich instructional environment. This assists the campus in meeting a prime university goal of increasing student retention by providing the best resources possible to first-year students. The general education courses supported by the ILC are multidisciplinary in nature and provide students with a broad foundation of courses in English, math, foreign languages, natural sciences, individuals and societies, and traditions and cultures. Faculty in general education courses are encouraged to collaborate with instructors of other courses. The ILC provides locations where faculty can meet. While all instructional spaces on campus are controlled through central scheduling, many academic units feel a sense of ownership of the rooms within their buildings. Since the ILC does not belong to any academic unit, it can serve as a university-wide resource. Management of the ILC by the management team provides a broad perspective in its use and maintenance. About the Author Christopher Johnson is a consultant and an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Arizona South

14 ISBN EDUCAUSE. Available electronically at th Street, NW, Suite Walnut Street, Suite 206 Washington, DC Boulder, CO (fax) (fax)