Learning Commons: The In in Cil

TOM IPRI HEAD, MEDIA AND COMPUTER SERVICES LIED LIBRARY [email_address] Learning Commons: The In in CIL

Vegas as Place

This Place

Learning Commons
-or-
Information Commons
-or-
Library Commons
-or-
Learning Spaces

Notes from the Past
“ Staff in the School of Information Systems at the University…say that within five years they will not need a physical library. All their requirements will be met by the Web.”
-David Baker, 1998

Notes from the Past
“ A scenario gaining increasing currency is that the arrival of information superhighways, together with the development of ever more user-friendly software and cheaper hardware spells the end of the need for libraries and librarians. It is an endless debate — unless it eventually happens.”
-Ross Shimmon, 1995

Notes from the Past
“ The library should become less a place and more of a process.”
-William F. Birdsall, 1994
“ it is important not to see a visual image, since we are dealing with a process, not an entity.”
-Patricia Battin, 1984
“ The notion that the library is a place will give way to the recognition that it is a network of information, more a concept than a building, an abstraction.”
-James Govan, 1987

Notes from the Past
“ A library could take shape within a computer where users literally enter through the doors of a virtual building, see stacks and books on the shelves, browse the catalogue, select a volume, open and read a text, converse with a librarian at a remote location and finally check out their chosen material.”
-Jonathan Willson, 1995

Second life

Predictions
Close physical libraries
Become an “abstraction”
Integrate into virtual reality
“ The idea of a learning commons…is pretty mainstream now. But if you had suggested such a thing four or five years ago, people would have said ‘You want to do what with my space?’ Today, you’re in trouble if you don’t have one.”
-Joseph Branin, last week

Common Characteristics
Moveable furniture
Wireless infrastructure
Laptop support
Group workstations
Group study rooms
Multimedia production and editing
Rich application suite
Laptop loans
Large scale printers
White boards
Smart boards
Tutoring services
Writing services
Vending machines
Practice presentation room

Common Concepts
Flexibility, students define space and use of space
Variety of spaces (indoor, outdoor, group, individual, low-tech, high-tech)
Promotion of collaboration
Engaging environment, stimulation
Comfort
User-friendly systems
Human-centered design

Common Concepts
De-centeredness
Brings together technology, content, and services; librarians, IT, and student services

Common Concepts
Emotional attachment to place
Positive emotional experience leads to better learning

Common Concepts
Cognitive theory: emphasis on “active construction of knowledge by the learner”
“ Environments that provide experience, stimulate the senses, encourage the exchange of information, and offer opportunities for rehearsal, feedback, application, and transfer are most likely to support learning.”
-Nancy Van Note Chism, 2006

Common Concepts
Constructivist theory of learning
“ learners construct knowledge by understanding new information building on their current understanding and expertise.”
-Malcolm Brown, 2005

Common Concepts
Four assumptions about educational environments:
Space can facilitate or hinder learning
Effects of environment are moderated by other factors
Space should match teaching objectives, learning styles, and social setting
Space should be treated same as materials and preparation
-Ken A. Graetz, Michael J. Goliber, 2002

Common Concepts
“ In places they see the best support for their way of working, they feel safe and so return frequently, knowing they can move through material and concepts on their own terms. In places where they feel discomfort, a lack of connection to space and infrastructure, they leave.”
-Alan R. Cattier, 2006

Common Concepts
Access is not enough
“ provides users with a seamless work environment so that they may access, manage, and produce information all at the same workstation.”
-Joan K. Lippincott, 2006

Characteristics of Students
“ Digital
Mobile
Independent
Social
Participatory”
-Cyprien Lomas,
Diana G. Oblinger, 2006

Characteristics of Students
ECAR Study (Sept 2007)
98% of students own computers
61% agree that IT in courses improves learning
56% convenience is the primary benefit of IT
26% say they need additional training
18 hours per week online for school, work, and recreation

Characteristics of Students Type of Device Males Females All Simple cell phone 85.3% 86.6% 86.1% Personal desktop 66.3% 57.0% 60.6% Personal laptop 73.1% 74.0% 73.7% Electronic music/video 77.0% 76.1% 76.4% Electronic game 73.5% 45.6% 56.3% PDA 15.9% 9.4% 11.9% Smartphone 14.9% 10.4% 12.0%

Characteristic of Students Almost All Students Engaged Median Frequency Create, read, send e-mail 99.9% Daily Write documents for coursework 98.6% Several times/week Use library on university/college Web site 94.7% Monthly Create presentations 91.7% Monthly

Characteristics of Students Most Students Students Engaged Median Frequency Create spreadsheets or charts 87.9% Monthly Online shopping 86.4% Monthly Create, read, send instant messages 84.1% Daily Use course management system 83.0% Several times/week Online social network 81.6% Daily Play computer games 78.3% Weekly Download Web-based music or videos 77.8% Weekly Create graphics 72.3% Monthly

Characteristics of Students Some Students Students Engaged Median Frequency Access or use wikis 41.7% Weekly Create audio/video 32.6% Once per quarter/semester Create Web pages 29.1% Once per quarter/semester Blogging 27.8% Monthly

References
Baker, David. “The Multimedia Librarian in the Twenty-First Century.” Librarian Career Development 6.10 (1998): 3.
Battin, Patricia. “The Electronic Library–A Vision for the Future.” EDUCOM Bulletin 19.Summer (1984): 17.
Birdsall, William F. The Myth of the Electronic Library: Librarianship and Social Change in America . Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1994.

References
Borreson Caruso, Judith, and Gail Salaway. ECAR Key Findings: The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2007 . EDUCAUSE, 2007.
Cattier, Alan R. “Navigating Toward the Next-Generation Computer Lab.” Learning Spaces . Ed. Diana G. Oblinger.Educause, 2006. 8.1.
Graetz, Ken A., and Michael J. Goliber. “Designing Collaborative Learning Places: Psychological Foundations and New Frontiers.” The Importance of Physical Space in Creating Supportive Learning Environments. Ed. Van Note Chism, Nancy and Deborah J. Bickford. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2002. 13.

References
Shimmon, Ross. “The Librarian at the End of the Galaxy.” New Library World 96.1120 (1995): 43.
Van Note Chism, Nancy. “Challenging Traditional Assumptions and Rethinking Learning Spaces.” Learning Spaces . Ed. Diana G. Oblinger.Educause, 2006. 2.1.
Waters, John K. “The Library Morphs.” Campus Technology .April (2008).
Willson, Jonathan. “Enter the Cyberpunk Librarian: Future Directions in Cyberspace.” Library Review 44.8 (1995): 63.

TOM IPRI HEAD, MEDIA AND COMPUTER SERVICES LIED LIBRARY [email_address] REFERENCES AVAILABLE AT: HTTP://TOMBRARIAN.WORDPRESS.COM Learning Commons: The In in CIL

Learning Commons: The In in Cil

by Tom Ipri on Apr 08, 2008

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