One of the most advanced learning spaces in the southern hemisphere will be officially opened today, May 20 at The University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus.
The Collaborative Learning Centre (CLC) within the $24 million Sir James Foots Building recognises that learning does not only happen in the classroom.
The two-level centre extends learning as a total concept through formal and informal spaces using the latest teaching technologies. Students can relax and continue the learning experience beyond formal teaching areas.
Learning is designed to take place on different floors and in flexible ways. The latest wireless network technologies extend to adjoining outdoor areas and a coffee shop, and into wide external corridors equipped with datapoints, plasma screens and connections for student and teacher interaction.
Comfortable chairs, data projectors which can be used individually by students, or in a group fashion by teachers, study pods, flexible furniture arrangements, videoconferencing, and touch screen kiosks and display areas for student messages are all part of the concept.
The Centre has been equipped with more than $2 million in Audio-Visual teaching equipment. It consists of a series of spaces, not just a room full of computers. It allows spaces for group work, teaching, photocopying, printing and social areas for all students. There are hybrid areas where computers could be placed around the perimeter of the room but also tables in the centre where groups could come back together for discussion.
“We’ve learned from the way people use learning spaces at our high-tech and heritage UQ Ipswich campus to create a unique facility for Queensland,” Teaching and Education Development Institute (TEDI) Director Ms Denise Chalmers said.
“A key feature of the Collaborative Learning Centre is to provide an environment which facilitates the learning and socialisation of students.”
Ms Chalmers said the bold new approach to learning was championed by former University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Margaret Gardner. It was strongly supported by UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay who wanted students to have greater freedom and opportunities to learn at a pace appropriate to them.
She said the Centre was not a lecture theatre, not a seminar room, not a traditional computer room but a different way of student learning either with or without teachers.
“Teachers may have to change their style of teaching,” she said.
“We’re encouraging our academics to ‘go play’ in the CLC this semester and think about how they can creatively use the spaces before it formally opens for business next semester.”
Ms Chalmers and Associate Professor Peter Jamieson of TEDI are conducting two studies to capture the process of how the CLC was built and how people are working together to use the Centre — how teaching and learning is actually occurring in practice.
“In days gone back buildings often appeared after the designs had been dreamt up by architects, and user groups provided subsequent feedback that this or that aspect didn’t work,” she said.
“In this case there has been a true collaboration between Wilson Architects and University user groups including the Teaching and Learning Space Committee, academic faculty, students, TEDI, our Information Technology Services staff, Property and Facilities division who were the project managers and Student and Academic Services to design the most useful concept from scratch.”
UQ Manager, Academic Facilities Phil Taylor said students could work productively independently, projecting work to their own screens, or collaboratively.
The Centre has two large areas for group teaching of up to 100 students, but allows for small group work for 20-30 students and independent learning in other areas.
“The concept of collaborative learning is driven by the real world where people don’t work in isolation but work in groups,” he said.
“The way people learn best in group dynamics has been added to the teaching experience.”
He said many thoughtful touches had been incorporated to assist users. For example, rather than leaving backpacks at their feet during learning sessions, students and staff had separate storage for these items, and there was an assignment support area for printers, photocopiers and scanners. Bright colours and textures were used to define areas.
“We plan to extend hours of operations to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have conference workshop areas for external clients,” he said.
“To ensure safety of staff and students at all times, an extensive security system has been installed.”
Media: Further information, Ms Denise Chalmers, telephone 3365 1075 or Mr Phil Taylor, telephone 3365 3140.
