University of Bedfordshire, Bridges CETL
| Contact Details: | Maja Jankowska: Maja.Jankowska@beds.ac.uk |
| Type of Project: | Bridges - a Centre for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) supporting Personal, Career and Professional Development through the Undergraduate Curriculum. The project was a refurbishment, the site originally was partly a bookshop, partly a rundown classroom and also a learning resources centre IT training space. |
| Start/End Date: | Planning started in July 2005. Building finished in around Feb/March 2006. |
Background & Context
The Director of Teaching and Learning at the University set up the project to develop the CETL. In terms of spaces, he and other people from other universities visited sites such as iLab at the Royal Mail in Rugby for inspiration to inform the Creative Space.
The whole space, which is divided into 3 distinct areas, is the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) in Personal Development Planning and Employability. One of the spaces is a 'Social Learning Space', a fairly open informal area with a reception area, some coffee space and tables just to sit and talk or work on projects. There is also the 'Formal Space'. This is a bookable, easily rearranged space more like a small conference room. The third space is a Creative Space with tables for four, access to computers (removable laptops), specialist facilitation software and white walls all around the room. The space also has variable coloured lighting. Also there are the CETL offices and small shared meeting rooms.
The official launch was in April 2006 and in the early days it was used mainly by staff groups. Increasingly staff are teaching in the space and using the space creatively to its potential. The space, especially in the creative space, is used for supporting students in their personal development, for enhancing students' learning and allowing them to practice their skills to make them more employable.
There are different groups of students and staff using the space for typical lecturing or learning but it is also used for workshops, conferences, away-days, planning/strategy meetings, presentations and exams. The volunteering service brings groups of students for their workshops or for different projects. Aim Higher is using the space quite extensively with students considering studying at HE level; it has been used as an assessment centre and for recording interviews for future employment. The space is also used for collaborative activities.
As the space is multifunctional the social spaces are often used after an official staff meeting, for lunch or break times or for individuals to meet. The social space lends itself to networking opportunities promoting collaboration between colleagues in different departments around the university. Staff also bring visitors (academics, employers etc) to the space for informal discussions.
Students enjoy coming to this space and they appreciate having lectures and other activities here; they say it makes them more interested in the subject, more alert, and also they see this space as very professional and preparing them for future work-related activities.
Pedagogic principles have been behind the design of the space. The CETL wanted to have three kinds of teaching environment because they strongly believed that in order to learn effectively it is necessary to move between the formal, creative and social aspects of learning.
