Changes in learning spaces at the University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky is evaluating learning spaces holistically across campus.  The participants are who you would expect; faculty, undergraduate studies, the library, Information Technology, facilities and the Learning and Teaching Center.  The University of Kentucky Library Faculty initiated the discussion with the creation of an Information Commons that has expanded  the past to cover two floors of the library.  The Information Commons introduced the idea of collaborative study spaces that is widely embraced by the students.   The success of the Information Commons introduced a debate on the role of traditional student computer labs that resulted in a plan to convert the computer labs into collaborative study spaces that were enriched with significant technology support.  Plans are underway to convert all general purpose computer labs into study spaces that address the specific academic needs of each college. Discussions are currently underway to determine the best staffing model for the new learning space, initial thoughts suggest technology experts are no longer needed and staffing should focus on student success instead of technology.

The second effort was by the College of Arts & Science, it introduced a Living Learning Community that equipped each student with an iPad and hosted an active learning classroom.  Faculty were encouraged to integrate technology with pedagogy to expand student learning experiences.   The A&S Wired LLC has continued to expand and initial results indicate students who live in the residence hall have higher retention rates than the remainder of their cohort.   An outcome of the A&S Wired residence hall  introduced the need to consider alternative classroom environments in creating learning spaces.

The University of Kentucky introduced UK Core that emphasized multimodal communications across the curriculum.  In response to the needs of students Information Technology introduced a new Student Media Depot that provides students with the technical resources necessary to be successful.  Concurrent with this effort the Office of the Provost created a faculty support organization, Presentation U, which provides faculty with skills to support teaching in a multimodal curriculum environment.   Information Technology is following by creating Faculty Media Depot to support faculty who are not a member of the cohorts of Presentation U or who have completed the faculty program.
 

The College of Arts & Science and Information Technology are creating an active learning classroom to support the Statistics Department.  The goal of the project is to extend the ideas that were successful in the A&S Wired to a classroom that support a large number of undergraduate students.   The College will use the research outcomes of this classroom in building a new facility.

The recognition of the success of the Information Commons and the A&S Wired has resulted in the creation of new learning spaces being created on campus.  The College of Business and Economics is currently building a new facility with over 10 classrooms to support collaborative case management learning spaces.  It is interesting to note the new facility will not have college based library or centrally supported computer lab.  The classrooms are designed to support open study spaces when not assigned to a classroom and the public spaces are equipped with collaborative study areas.  A second building is being built by the College of Arts & Science (Academic Sciences Building) and thirteen classrooms are active learning classrooms and open collaborative study spaces.  The two buildings will provide the university an opportunity to understand the impact of alternative learning spaces on student success.

The University recognizes on college or department cannot change the learning space experience but a coordinated effort of all interested and invested partners will begin the transform of the learning space environment.