Learning Spaces. Diana G. Oblinger, Editor

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 Chapter 38: University of British Columbia: The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Simon Neame and Cyprien Lomas 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 Authors 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 38 The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre University of British Columbia Simon Neame and Cyprien Lomas What Is It? The Irving Ike K. Barber Learning Centre ( is the newest addition to the University of British Columbia Library system. Located at UBC s Vancouver campus, the Learning Centre provides access to library facilities, learning resources, services, and innovative teaching spaces. Among the services the Learning Centre provides are: Access to print and digital research collections Study, meeting, and social spaces Access to programs that promote knowledge and innovation for students, faculty, staff, and the general public Space for future growth and preservation of collections in an environmentally controlled environment The Learning Centre is not only a focal point of education for students and faculty at UBC but also supports lifelong learning by people throughout British Columbia by providing virtual access to the rich collections and resources of the library and university, using technology to connect British Columbia s geographically diverse population. The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre was designed to provide a variety of learning and study spaces that support new approaches to accessing print and digital resources. The physical facility is a blend of 40,000 square feet of refurbished space and 200,000 square feet of new construction. (See Figure 1.) A 3D walkthrough of the Learning Centre is available at < Simon Neame and Cyprien Lomas 38.1 Learning Spaces

9 Figure 1. Ike Barber Learning Centre UBC ( is a public research institution located in Vancouver, British Columbia, that serves 30,000 undergraduate and 20,000 graduate students. UBC has a long history of excellence in teaching and is continually experimenting with new teaching methodologies and technologies. What Happens Here? The Learning Centre includes a lecture hall, classrooms, and seminar rooms designed to encourage and support innovative teaching and learning activities. A variety of unique spaces provides venues for events such as lectures, concerts, and symposia. Videoconferencing capabilities allow users to connect with others around the globe, including those at UBC s other campuses, such as UBC Okanagan. Web-based and on-site displays and exhibitions make rare books and special materials available to visitors. A café and informal seating areas encourage students and others to use the Learning Centre as a place for informal gatherings and small group work, as well as a place to study in a relaxed atmosphere. (See Figures 2 and 3.) More formal study spaces are also available. (See Figures 4 and 5.) The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia 38.2

10 Figure 2. Comfortable, Portable Furniture Figure 3. Rolling Furniture for Easy Reconfiguration The heart of the Learning Centre s facility is the Chapman Learning Commons, a space that combines academic resources, technology, and expert assistance within a space that offers seating for individual and group study. The learning commons is also home to various special-purpose rooms, including the Dodson Room, where events such as concerts and lectures are hosted Learning Spaces

11 Figure 4. Study Room Figure 5. Study Nook A multimedia room provides innovative space in the Learning Centre that allows students, faculty, and staff to work on multimedia projects, develop presentations, and collaborate on group projects that require shared technologies. The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia 38.4

12 How Is Technology Used? The entire facility is supported with wireless high-speed Internet access. In addition, videoconferencing capabilities allow users to connect with others around the globe using H.323. The Learning Centre is home to a number of digitization projects with a focus on British Columbia history. These projects help showcase the wealth of historical materials in the UBC Library collection and allow people from around the province and beyond to learn more about British Columbia s rich history. The Learning Centre s Webcast program provides free online access to events such as lectures, seminars, and concerts, all of which are archived on the Learning Centre s Web site. The Learning Centre is also working with a number of professional groups to provide online information services to members located throughout the province. The automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) provides high-density, climate-controlled storage for up to 1.8 million items from the UBC Library and other BC library collections. The first of its kind in Canada, the ASRS uses industrial technology to store and retrieve rare and low-use materials. The robotic cranes store and retrieve items in the ASRS and respond to user requests for materials initiated through the library s online catalogue. What Makes the Space Successful? To create traditional quiet study spaces, flexible learning spaces, and storage for an extensive collection, the university adopted an open model with flexible and modular furnishings. These furnishings are playful yet at the same time help to create a new space that also honors the tradition of previous spaces such as the Ridington Reading Room, named after the first university librarian. (See Figure 6.) Lessons learned from the learning commons housed in the previous main library building greatly influenced the design process of the Learning Centre, especially with the goals of blending technology with learning resources and staff assistance. The existing patrons and staff were consulted extensively to help create the design principles. Those most familiar with the library and its activities were surveyed to identify the needs in the existing commons and library. Student workers identified common problems of the existing space and offered suggestions on how to resolve them, such as areas to support collaborative study, quiet, and semi-quiet activities Learning Spaces

13 Figure 6. The Ridington Reading Room The space can be considered successful in that it appears to satisfy the needs and desires of the previous space inhabitants. The space supports transparency and easy movement between different areas of the Learning Centre. Ongoing focus groups are being conducted to determine how to meet the needs of the extended community that will use the space in the future. What Principles Were Behind the Design? The architects and design committee decided that the Learning Centre should provide a level of transparency to permit those outside the building to observe what goes on inside the library. Inside, the study spaces were conceived to support many different types of quiet, semi-quiet, individual, and small group interactions. Access to resources including the Internet and library collections was designed to be as seamless as possible. Multiple modes of activity as well as the rapid and unobtrusive transition from one functional area to another were primary requirements. The Learning Centre achieves this balance of different requirements by introducing transition zones where patrons can quickly and easily move from one region to another. (See Figure 7.) To properly fulfill its role within the community, the Learning Centre must serve a diverse set of constituents whose needs may change depending on the task. The ability to act as a meeting place, study space, or social place required a high degree of flexibility. Different zones within the Learning Centre were set up as The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia 38.6

14 Figure 7. Transition Zone flexible or less flexible spaces to encourage movement to the space appropriate for the desired activity. (See the floor plans at < What Is Unique or Noteworthy? The designers of this space went to great lengths to reconcile traditional library spaces and the activities supported with the changing nature of modern collections and information services. (See Figure 8.) Great effort went into encouraging Figure 8. The Ridington Reading Room 38.7 Learning Spaces

15 and collecting the input from existing, past, and potential users. Rethinking the library and the research services offered in the face of the increasing importance of digital resources was important. The design committee had the difficult task of merging the feedback collected in informal evaluations and comments from those that used the space with new requirements. The space embodies several of the goals of the university, including an ongoing commitment to research and student exposure to primary research, including offering students the best resources available. The importance of multidisciplinary studies is emphasized through the prominence of multiple transition zones built throughout the library and the inclusion of a diverse set of academic programs including Arts One, Science One, and the School of Library, Archival, and Information Studies. Also, the Fine Arts and Science and Engineering Libraries have collections and service points in the building. About the Authors Simon Neame is coordinator of programs and services for the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, and Cyprien Lomas is an ELI scholar in residence and director of the Learning Centre in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia

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