Students Want a Library Not a Learning Commons

A study by Nicole Kay Peterson at Iowa State University challenges the idea that students was a lively learning commons for group activities. "Role of the university library as a student learning commons: Implications to the interior spaces within" (2013), suggests students want the attributes of a traditional university library, with quiet individual study spaces, but with power points to charge their gadgets.

The study gives a useful way to think about developing student spaces and has examples of new room layouts and furniture. However, the study concentrated on residential university undergraduates and the findings may not apply to students who live off campus. On-campus students presumably have other places they can meet with fellow students. Part-time and postgraduate students may have more need for group meeting places, as they may not see fellow students outside class and also may feel more need (and be better equipped) to work in groups. Also the study asked students what they wanted, which may not necessarily be the same as what students need.

University Satellite Campuses Like Co-Working Offices

While in Perth I dropped into to see Ben Killigrew at the UWA Pilbara Project, which is looking at setting up an office in north Western Australia, with research and teaching facilities. The project office is next door to Spacecube Co-working space, and I suggested UWA look at the design of such shared offices, as well as university learning commons for their Pilbara facility.

Universities face a difficult choice when setting up satellite campuses. Buildings are expensive fixed assets and require staff to run them. The staff and students, research and teaching needs will change over time. Very small facilities, typically one building in a country town, have their own challenges in terms of keeping them staffed and used.

It happens I visited UWA Albany Campus in south Western Australia some years ago, when a consultant for government. This was in a restored historic building, with a good layout of small tutorial rooms and offices.

The University of Canberra Inspire Centre is a good example of a new purpose built stand alone facility worth a look. It has the white-board paint, hard-wearing floors, folding furniture on wheels.

For the redesign of the ANU CIST Building I proposed removing walls to create one large multi-purpose spaces, retain some glass walled tutorial rooms and have a cyber-cafe/reception area, as is now usual for learning commons.

Another option is to incorporate the university facility in a larger community complex. Gungahlin College and Library in North Canberra provides an excellent example of a combined facility. The one building has a TAFE, school and community library. The TAFE and library have their own areas of the building which can be closed off when required, but can share facilities.

Ultra High Definition TV For Education

Manufacturers are now producing Ultra High Definition TVs. The current units are described as "4K Ultra HD" which is 3840 pixels × 2160 lines and has four times as many pixels as the current 1080p HDTV standard. There is little video material available to this standard, but I suggest it would be worth looking at using these screens for some smaller meeting rooms and offices. The 55 to 65 Inch UHD LED TVs are currency priced at about $5,000 US. Prices are likely to drop rapidly, as has happened with other flat screen TVs. This size screen could be attached to the wall for a group of about six people. Rather than having the screen high up on the wall, I suggest placing it no more than 300 mm above desk level. When not needed for a group the screen can be used by one person, with a desk pushed up against the wall to provide an ultra-large display.

These screens could also be used in academic offices. One person could use the TV as their computer monitor and it could be used by a small tutorial group. This might suit an arrangement where offices are sized to accommodate one professor (with a meeting table), two lecturers, or four tutors.