Learning and Teaching in the Information Commons

Jamie Wood,LDRA, Information Literacy, CILASS

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Structure

• CILASS; CILASS spaces; IC

• Opinions on CILASS spaces

• Teaching in CILASS spaces

• Learning in the IC

• Academic services in the IC

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CILASS – Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences

• CETL awarded to the University by HEFCE in 2005• Awarded £4.5M for 5 years of reward/ development

activity and capital investment• Aim: to enhance the student learning experience

by embedding inquiry at its heart in core faculties• ‘Modelling the process of research within the

student learning experience’• 1 of key strands is developing students’

Information Literacy skills

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Bartolomé House• Further £350K

awarded by HEFCE in 2006

• Used to create a technology-rich collaboratory

• JISC video

• Test-bed for CILASS spaces in IC and others

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Information Commons & CILASS• CILASS invested £1.83M in creating CILASS

spaces in the IC • Spaces designed specifically to support

collaborative, student-led inquiry in core CILASS disciplines

• ‘Inquiry collaboratories’ (classrooms conceived as research environments) offer access to a wide variety of technologies as an integral part of the learning and teaching experience

• Other features: ‘soft’ spaces and small-group rooms for informal use by students

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A Comparison

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Students• CILASS rules! What an

environment! • CILASS room fantastic -

technology here was really great, made it far more interesting than other seminars.

• We were so lucky to use the CILASS technology. Learning has finally come into the 21st century. The new technology has opened my eyes to exciting new ways to examine literary texts.

• I think it’s a fantastic space and it’s very well set up, with a lot of flexibility.

• The experience has boosted my confidence and I’m very pleased that I was brave enough to take on the challenge of learning how to use all this new equipment and experimenting in new teaching methods. It’s been a learning process for both me and the students!

• It has enabled me to do better things I was doing in less suitable accommodation.

• I wish facilities like the Collaboratory were more widely available throughout the University.

Staff

Opinions on collaboratories

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Teaching – Bartolomé House• Roots-Routes

• Students undertook collaborative inquiries into the novel Roots from 8 different perspectives

• Library input• Positive feedback• Student: ‘Fantastic! I love

the CILASS room’• Staff evaluation: ‘flexibility

and technology-rich nature of the learning space were felt to have enhanced collaborative inquiry’

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Teaching – Information Commons• Understanding Law

2• New CILASS funded module• 250 students worked

independently to complete an online workbook and a learning journal

• Students also worked in 45 groups to research 1 aspect of the law and create a multi-media resource (film, podcast, powerpoint)

• Resource shared with students, staff, and visiting professionals at a 'Celebration of Learning' in IC

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Learning – Information Commons

• Likes• Colour; views• Space• Quiet• Never too busy• Relaxed; approachable• New; modern; shiny• Sofas; cosy• Computers; resources

• Dislikes• Noisy• Too busy• Lighting• Too casual• Not enough quiet

spaces• Needs more books

• Some opinions

Activities: revision; research; facebook

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Academic Services in the Information Commons• Working with IC manager and CiCs on L & T

in the IC. Ideas include:• Surgeries• Enquiry Service• Subject Days• New ideas for induction – tours, podcasts• Tying into academic modules• Use of IC spaces as a whole, including CILASS

and classrooms so that students can learn more about various facilities/ services that are available to them

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Thanks!

• To find out more about CILASS: http://www.shef.ac.uk/cilass/home.html

• To contact me: jamie.wood@sheffield.ac.uk