Thoughts from Ann Cummings, Library Services Director:

Students surveyed across the UK continually report the quality of teaching facilities as influential in their decision regarding choice of institution for study.  The THE Student Experience Survey 2012 supported this with all Universities ranked in the top 10 (bar one) scoring 6.1 or above for high quality facilities.

In recognition of the above, many institutions are investing heavily in their teaching facilities.

The University is therefore considering the building of a new Learning and Teaching Centre.  It is envisaged as a five to seven storey building at the centre of campus with links to the surrounding buildings.  This will form a focus at the heart of campus for learning and teaching with a building that is iconic, flexible and IT rich.

The building is envisaged as containing flat areas that can be configured into different types of space, with flexible layouts of furniture that can be easily re-arranged to enable different styles of teaching and learning to take place.  There is a requirement for layouts that encourage group work and interaction between students and between students and lecturer.  There is also a requirement for break-out space so that large groups can come together for an initial lecture and then divide into smaller groups for more focused discussion.  All spaces will be designed with flexible teaching methods and an increasing emphasis on group work and collaborative/participative/constructivist learning in mind.  Technology will facilitate this both within the building and beyond.  Distance learners and ‘visiting’ lecturers should be able to participate in sessions from anywhere in the world.

In terms of technology, this will be immersive within the building with the University looking to provide pervasive technology throughout the space.  Staff and students should be able to use any (and any number) of devices with no restrictions on power or network capacity and the space should be internationally connectable to facilitate teaching and learning from and to anywhere in the world.  There should also be the facility for students to connect their devices to University screens for group sharing of information and the learning process.  There will also be the ability to live cast from one space to another within the building enabling the academic to continue to liaise with groups of students undertaking group work within different spaces.

Lecture spaces will allow mixed media so that traditional whiteboards can be used alongside more advanced technology.  There will be the capacity to film the entire space so that any discussions between students and between students and academics can be captured to enhance the learning experience.  Students should be able to work in groups and have their work captured and displayed on screens for all to share and participate in.  Academics will be able to easily move through and between groups of students so that they can monitor and assist in the individual student learning taking place.

There will be dedicated space within the building where academics can drop in and experiment with different technologies in a safe environment, a permanent ‘technology zone’ where equipment is available together with advice and support on using it.  There will also be a ‘resource library’ providing examples of good practice from across the sector, as well as across the University.

In addition to the teaching space, there is also a requirement for learning space, to reflect the increasing move towards more collaborative and group working required of students.  This can take the form of open collaborative space or enclosed group study space.  All will be equipped with the latest technology.

Alongside such formal learning space is a requirement for informal social space where students can gather together and collaborate, both with each other and with academics.  Space that would allow us to develop flexible assessment activities utilising new technology will also be provided.

The building will also support activities within Societies, BEEC, SPD and the Innovation / entrepreneurship hub as well as providing space for events and research collaborations.

As a centre for learning and teaching on campus, there will be visual and physical links created with the adjacent buildings through, e.g., the covering of the Quad.  Such covering of large spaces elsewhere has created a real vibrancy in terms of use of the additional space established beneath.  It would create a space that could be used for a variety of events not least student-led events such as Freshers’ Week which currently suffers in inclement weather.

During vacation periods, the new Centre could provide much needed space for PG student study, summer schools for failing students, IPLC activities, industry events and outreach events for school children as well as potential conferencing use.

We are determined that this building should reflect current needs and future demands and many academics have already put forward their views on what they would like to see within it.  If you would like to join them, then please contact Ann Cummings on x67498 or ann.cummings@brunel.ac.uk.  We are also visiting examples of good practice elsewhere e.g. Exeter, Bath, Southampton Solent etc.  If you have recently visited an institution (HE, FE, school) that you think has good teaching and learning facilities, then please contact Ann as above and we will add it to our list!