Edge Hill University, Ormskirk: Learning Resource Centre (LRC) Social Learning Space

Background & Context

The 15 year old LRC had a very fixed furniture arrangement and dedicated technology spaces with open access PC areas. Student feedback reflected the need for more social space and areas where they could use laptops. This was reflected in the way students were trying to use areas of the LRC which weren't really geared up for that e.g. groups trying to work on large rectangular tables which were originally set up for students to sit down and read books.

The education resource collection has been 'weeded down' by about one third and the space has been opened out to allow more flexible ways of working with round group tables, comfy sofas with low coffee tables and some standard desking.

There are express PC areas which allow students to briefly sit down at high stools and check emails.

There is a café area, staffed between 9am and 3pm, so within that social learning space there is no restriction on students using food and drink. The area is wireless enabled. Students can bring books from the floors above and work with their laptops and books, and can eat and drink at the same time. Students can use their own laptops or loan them in the LRC.

The LRC opening hours depend on the time of year but during busy times students can come in at 8.30am through till 9pm. The University is looking at whether it needs to extend those times.

A separate building close by, the Learning Innovation Centre is a 24/7 area where, using swipe cards, students can get 24/7 access to PCs. There is a large plasma screen which provides any institutional information to students. If there is no institutional information it shows BBC tickertape newsfeeds with the sound off. The newsfeed makes the whole space feel very current.

There are some group rooms that groups of students can book into. Only a few of these have fixed PCs.

The changes have prompted wider usage by a range of students and staff. The area can hold 120 students and is often at full capacity. Students use the area to work both independently and in groups, and it allows them to integrate personal technology as much as they want to. The space does retain a sense of informality and personalisation so that it feels comfortable to be in. One of the issues is that the space can get very noisy at times but quiet study areas are available on other floors (although these have not yet been refurbished to the same quality). There isn't any music just general background noise from people talking. Mobiles can be used in the LRC - there are mobile zones in stairwells on other floors.

It was expected that social meetings might have constituted the majority of what went on but it feels more like the other way round - students are going in there to work and socialising while they are there.

The idea is aligned with constructivist pedagogies and students being active in the way that they learn and work together. It helps to enable that and ties in with the teaching and learning approaches within the University in which students are allocated more time outside of formal teaching than they used to. It also fits with the principle of diverse leaning needs and the fact that there is no typical student so they need to be able to personalise the learning environment according to their individual needs and requirements.