New spaces and partnerships for inquiry-based learning

Laura Jenkins, Dr Philippa Levy, Emmy Plaschy, Dr Jamie Wood

Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences www.shef.ac.uk/cilass

Learning Landscape Conference, University of Lincoln,14th December 2007

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Overview

• Inquiry-based learning

• Inquiry spaces

• Student partnership

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Inquiry

• The core of inquiry is the QUESTION - a process of discovery

• Inquiry-based learning – student-led exploration, investigation, research

• Case- and problem-based learning

• Experiential learning, field-work

• Research projects

• Often, more directed inquiry approaches at lower levels, leading to more open-ended, freer approaches at higher levels

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Why inquiry-based learning (IBL)?

• Active and deep engagement

• Experiencing ‘supercomplexity’ and understanding how knowledge is created

• Social participation, employment, lifelong learning

• Strengthening the research-teaching nexus

• A strategic focus for University of Sheffield

“Modelling the process of research in the student learning experience”

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Inquiring learners

• Owning and directing their experience

• Producing and co-creating -generating, repurposing and sharing knowledge

• Collaborating and social networking

• Researching, teaching, facilitating

• Socialising

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Inquiry spaces

• Accessible

• Flexible

• Social

• Information-rich

• Technology-rich

• Seamlessly interfacing between virtual and physical spaces/resources

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Sheila Webber, Department of Information Studies, UoS

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The Information Commons -

“more than a library, more than an IT space, more than a study centre”

Social learning spaces,connecting and integrating digital and physical spaces in new ways

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UoS Information Commons

• 1,300+ study spaces, 500+ PCs, 100,000 books, 50 Internet kiosks

• Diverse study spaces, wireless enabled

• Silent spaces: PC room; no PC/laptop space; laptops-only space

• 10 bookable group rooms

• Flexispace

• Diverse table formats, incl. large group tables with wide screen PCs

• Soft seating with power points for laptops

• 2 ICT-enabled classrooms

• Café

• CILASS spaces and collaboratories

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“I get books out, Facebook, chat to people, you know, chill out a bit, have a coffee. Yeah, write some good essays, that sort of thing, really”

• Colour

• Views

• Space

• Quiet

• Relaxed

• Approachable

• Modern

• Cosy

• Computers

• Resources

• “Better than the library… it’s not completely silent, which I get a bit intimidated by, really”

• “You can sit down and make yourself at home, you know? –you’ve got a lot of table space and you can lay yourself out without worrying about disturbing other people as much”

• “We like the Information Commons because we can sit in a group and do our work freely without any restrictions”

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CILASS inquiry collaboratories

• 3 ‘collaboratories’ (48, 40 and 24 students)• 1 with fixed collaborative workstations (large screens)

• 2 with flexible tables/chairs and laptops

• Soft spaces

• 5 breakout/group rooms (6-8 students)

• Wireless networking

• Cluster connectivity between computers and plasma screens

• Interactive whiteboards, sound and video-recording, Access Grid Node videoconferencing

• ‘Huddleboards’ and copycams; flipcharts; write-on wall surfaces

• Mobile technologies, including digital cameras, camcorders, PDAs, personal response system

• Seamless access to resources of wider IC

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• “CILASS rules! What an environment!”

• “CILASS room fantastic - technology here was really great, made it far more interesting than other seminars”

• “Learning has finally come into the 21st century! The new technology has opened my eyes to exciting new ways to examine literary texts”

What students say

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What staff say

• “The perfect opportunity to get students working with research materials”

• “Inviting, technologically advanced and perfect for group-work”

• “Stimulates new ideas for teaching and pedagogy”

• “I wish facilities like the collaboratories were more widely available throughout the University”

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• Developing new

pedagogies and

creating new spaces

• Focused on learning

and teaching

• Cross-professional

and stakeholder

partnership

• Student involvement

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Student PartnershipJoint coordination

• Student Coordinator

• Staff Coordinator

Staff Coordinator - facilitative role:

• interactions between SAN

and core CILASS team

• liaison with SAN coordinator

• interactions with project

leaders

• arranging training

• booking rooms

• arranging meetings

• agreeing tasks, chasing

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Organisation of the SAN

1. Core activities

•Website

• Staff-student symposium

• Developing SAN individually

and collectively

2. Working groups

• Film

• Evaluation

• Technology

• Information-materials

• Journal3. Departments

•Work with academic champions

• Engagement with IBL projects

• Spreading the word

4. Challenges

• General - departmental role

• Personal - keeping track

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Work of the SAN

Student

Ambassador

Network

Evaluation

Group

Journal

GroupFilm Group

Information

Materials

Group

Technology/

User Support

Group

Staff-

student

Symposium

Working with

departments on

planning and

evaluation

Film on student

perceptions of IBL

Creation of Student-

centred

Materials/Guides

CILASS

Student

Journal

Student Blog

‘Best undergraduate blog’ - Edublog Awards 2006

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The CILASS

Student Journal

Disseminating student

inquiry and research

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Conclusion

• A strategic perspective

• An integrated perspective on pedagogy,

space and technology

• A partnership project dependent on cross-

disciplinary and professional participation –

student partnership at the heart

• A work in progress – we’re learning as we

go along

• Underpinned by evaluation and research

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Short JISC video on ‘designing technology-rich learning spaces, CILASS collaboratory’

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/eli

_learningspaces.html