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. |
Success Factors
What Makes The Space Successful?
It is the three types of spaces within the CETL that interact and support each other. The networking and opportunity to go to different spaces and do things in different ways is very useful. Users believe it adds value, looks professional and that it is the kind of space that they want to come back to. More and more staff are coming here to sit and work on their laptops or to read a newspaper or to talk with colleagues from different departments. It's been very successful and useful.
The different coloured tables make it easy for presentations.
Laptops are not always on the tables as it is not the technology that drives the teaching; it is up to the staff member or lecturer to decide what to do.
Because the space has been successful other spaces in the University have been created and there are plans to develop a larger social learning space for students and new creative, project-based, spaces in Business during 2007. Each space is planned with different types of equipment and technology in them - but each with the pedagogy in mind.
What Is Innovative About The Design And The Use Of The Space?
People like using the writeable wall; its length and visibility allows detailed stories/timelines to be developed - and kept as ideas are further explored. Also the flexibility of the space, the ability to move between different modes of learning and its use for collaborative activities have been very successful.
