Edge Hill University, Ormskirk: Flexible Teaching Space (SOLSTICE CETL)
| Contact Details: | John Davey, daveyj@edgehill.ac.uk |
| Type of Project: | Refurbishment to create a flexible teaching space in order to explore the use of that space and inform practice elsewhere in the University. |
| Start/End Date: | Summer 2005 - October 2005 (work not continuous) New Build due for completion late 2007 |
Lessons Learned
Because it was a separate room that was taken out of use first there were no major implications in relocating site and/or moving legacy systems and equipment.
The furniture, although it is flexible for group work, could maybe have been done slightly differently to allow other uses as well.
Getting the environmental factors right. Heating is an issue which still needs resolving to a certain degree to make sure it is absolutely right.
Small things like the idea of doors being removed on the laptop storage.
The institution is still developing its wireless network system and there have been some problems along the way with logging onto the wireless laptops. It was noted that these were minor issues but when you are asking people to integrate technology into the sessions you want to make that as easy and as effective as possible.
The room happens to be located in one corner of the building so it has been an advantage that other students do not walk by the room while it's in use. That has been in problem in some other buildings which have a lot of glazing. In long corridors that are transitional spaces it can become very distracting to have people walking past - it is more about movement than noise in these instances but the combination of movement and noise can be a distraction.
In trying to create a space that fits with that idea of enabling constructivist teaching and learning principles it was interesting that one tutor who had used that space said that they felt it was a more democratic space. This aligned with that idea of creating something where it was less about the teacher as the figure of authority and more in line with the idea of people working together and learning and constructing knowledge together. Another tutor said that idea of democratic space fell down with the use of an interactive whiteboard as being a central point from which the teacher will deliver something. The group tables and the integration of the technology through the laptops are very much conducive to that idea of sharing and it being a more democratic space. In theory you can start to involve students more by getting them to use the interactive whiteboards as part of the sessions but tutors often tend to use them simply to present PowerPoint.
Within the new building the team will be exploring the idea of a space that can be used for formal teaching sessions but also could be utilised by students for open access, including being able to make use of the facilities to work together on presentations and work as a group.
