The Learning Lab – Transforming a Learning Experience
Professor Peter Tregloan
University of Melbourne
On-campus large-group lecture and laboratory programs and a wide range of web-based support resources remain central elements in first-year Chemistry subjects at Melbourne. However, in February 2007, over 1000 chemistry students each week began taking their chemistry tutorial classes in the Learning Lab - a radical new learning space. The environment is designed to support active group and collaborative approaches to teaching and learning, integrated with seamless access to information and presentation technologies in class.
· The Learning Lab is an open and flexible space for a class of up to 40, built in 5 group work zones.
· Using a range of hardware, access to databases, e-journals and resources, as well as to specialist simulation or computation software, can become part of students' classroom experience.
· The Learning Lab incorporates six projection screens that can be coordinated in a teacher presentation, or used by student groups in each zone to display resources they are developing in class.
· The project enables us to bring 'live' chemical demonstrations back to our teaching, by employing modern macro-video and projection technology. 'Clicker' personal response systems provide yet another layer of engagement and active reflection.
Beginning in parallel with the design and construction of the space in 2006, but as importantly, in an ongoing way since then, we have carried out a full revision and content review of the tutorial program and our approaches to it. By adjusting workloads to provide two staff in class, we have created a much more fluid and adaptable learning environment. Group work and 'moderated' peer explanation is a feature of the approach; a major objective is to build students' confidence to 'talk chemistry' in describing what they are seeing and learning.
This presentation will present the background to the learning space design project, but will concentrate on the use of the Learning Lab in the chemistry program at Melbourne, to achieve significant changes in practice for both teaching staff and students that can now contribute to the spectrum of experience that is necessary for individual discipline skills and learning to develop.
While first year chemistry classes are the major users of the Learning Lab, experience is developing in using the space for research workshops, professional development programs and undergraduate classes in a range of disciplines. Sharing these experiences is an important element in understanding and exploiting the potential of the space.