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Joyce Winslow
jwins@uoregon.edu
Two recent additions to the University of Oregon give new life to an old idea about academia. The first, Knight Library's Learning Commons, reconfigured existing space to meet the growing demand for collaborative learning and teaching environments; and the second, the university's new multipurpose Living-Learning Center, was built from the ground up with a view toward revitalizing core campus residence halls and making them a hub of social and educational activity. Although these may appear to be somewhat revolutionary concepts, they are in fact modern interpretations of the university-as-learning-community idea more typical in centuries gone by. From the university's living and working spaces to its study halls and classrooms, a concerted effort is now being made to involve students with faculty and each other, and to immerse them in a stimulating, interactive learning environment that is available 24/7.
Knight Learning Commons:
Flexible work spaces foster academic collaboration and integrate technology into library research
At first glance, the main floor of Knight Library appears virtually unchanged. But closer inspection reveals an open area east of the reference desk with comfortable seating, four Dell PCs with 24" monitors, and two iMacs with 20" monitors. The furniture in this area may be easily rearranged to accommodate small groups clustered around one computer, facilitating collaboration on group projects or a small class presentation. Each workstation offers a comprehensive suite of software, from graphics and web publishing to graphing and mathematics applications, and several scanners and a color laser printer are also on site.
This is the Collaborative Workstations area, one of the three main features of Knight Library's new Learning Commons, the first phase of which was launched last fall.
UO students and faculty with a UO network ID and password may use the workstations on a first-come, first-served basis. Academic users working in groups take precedence, although individuals may also use the workstations when they're not in demand for collaborative work.
Also geared toward academic multiple-use and group conferencing, the Collaboration Center (Room 122) to the right of the reference desk is furnished with ten movable tables and chairs and will soon also have chalkboards or whiteboards, a permanent projection screen, and a cart with a computer and projector.
The room is well suited for career counseling and academic advising sessions, as well as other types of small group presentations. Groups of ten or more may reserve the Collaboration Center in advance; otherwise, it's available on a drop-in basis. UO faculty, academic support providers, and student service professionals are given priority over other users.
The Learning Commons space that is generating the most buzz, however, is the Presentation Room (Knight 147B). This small room is equipped with a plasma wall display, a control panel for all the electronics, a DVD player and VCR, and a document camera that displays overhead transparencies or opaque materials, including small three-dimensional objects. The room was designed to give current UO students and faculty the opportunity to practice classroom presentation skills and familiarize themselves with standard presentation equipment. It is furnished with movable tables and chairs to accommodate different configurations, and will soon have a webcam for recording presentations. In the meantime, those wishing to record and review a video of their presentations may check out a digital camcorder and tripod from Media Services.
The landscaped courtyard between LLC's North and South Buildings (left) and its numerous study nooks offer an informal atmosphere for socializing and reflection. places to live, work, and study… The Presentation Room may be reserved for up to two hours at a time, and technical support staff are available to help with the equipment.
Complementing the new Learning Commons area are the laptop checkout desk (where 40 wireless-enabled laptop computers are available for checkout for up to four hours at a time, including overnight), the Edmiston Classroom, the Adaptive Technology Lab, and the Map Library and GIS Lab. To accommodate increased demand, wireless connectivity has been improved and expanded throughout the Commons.
JQ Johnson, co-chair of the Learning Commons initiative team and one of its principal architects, is enthused about the Commons' potential to meet educational needs in the twenty-first century. "We hope to make this a place that helps students integrate advanced technology into their library research, and one where they can learn to use technology and specific software packages with an academic focus," he says. "For example, a student might learn how to use GIS tools to manipulate library-provided GIS data and aerial photographs for a term paper that looked at differences between elementary school districts. Or a student might get help creating a bibliography with reference management software like Endnote or Zotero."
Whatever the need, the Knight Learning Commons intends to continue to meet the evolving demands of higher education in the new millennium.
Living-Learning Center:
Multiple-use design encourages academic dialogue and nurtures a sense of community
On the east side of campus a striking new addition to UO residence halls has revitalized dorm life and drawn new students into an integrated circle of social and academic activity.
The Living Learning Center (LLC), which opened its doors for the first time last fall, is an ambitious architectural concept that embodies both the latest green construction technology and the oldest of academic traditions. Its energy-conserving features, which include solar water-heating panels and innovative ventilation, were designed by renowned UO architecture professor G.Z. "Charlie" Brown, who was also responsible for the sustainable features in the award-winning Lillis Complex.
The LLC comprises two buildings, North and South. In both buildings, public spaces are on the ground floor and student living spaces are on the floors above. Downstairs in the North Building, the DUX Bistro, flexible faculty office space, and undergraduate classrooms, plus cozy nooks for study and conversation, encourage a sense of community and academic engagement. Upstairs, dorm space is integrated with group study space: inviting sound-proofed lounges with blackboards and movable furniture provide a place to curl up and read, socialize, or work on group projects. The entire complex takes full advantage of natural light and arresting views of the campus and surrounding hills. And, of course, it has wireless connectivity throughout.
One vital student-friendly feature of the North Building is the Area Desk on the ground floor adjoining the DUX Bistro. This desk is staffed around the clock to respond to student questions and problems. A spacious landscaped courtyard with radiating pathways in the center of the LLC integrates the new living-learning complex with surrounding residence halls, including Carson and Earl Halls, the Walton Complex, and International House. The main floor of the South Building houses a spacious new performance hall facing the courtyard that can double as a lecture hall and event center. For classroom use, the hall is equipped with three overhead projectors and screens, plus a VCR and DVD player. Accessory panels near each projector allow computers or other audio visual equipment to be connected to the system. The setup includes a sound system for PowerPoint and other presentations, as well as good old-fashioned blackboards--the overwhelming preference of UO faculty who gave their input on the project.
The north wall is comprised of glass doors, giving the room an airy indoor-outdoor ambience. And in keeping with the theme of multiple use, these doors open out onto the courtyard, making it possible for outdoor events to be viewed from inside the hall, or vice versa.
Build it, and they will come. The concepts that guided the design of the LLC appear to be working. Mike Eyster, interim VP for student affairs and university housing director, participated in all planning and design phases of the project over the past decade and is very pleased with the result. "The LLC adds vibrancy and vitality to the entire campus," he says. This is evident, even at a relatively quiet time of day, in the level of activity in the DUX Bistro, the relaxed clusters of students chatting and studying in various nooks and crannies throughout both buildings and the courtyard, and the undergraduate classes underway on the ground floor of the North Building. Everywhere, students and faculty are mingling and inhabiting the spaces that were built to invite them in.
"Throughout the design process, we kept in mind that one of the pitfalls of multiple use is that you could conceivably end up with something that's not good for anything--we wanted to avoid that!" Eyster says. Fortunately, all indications are that they have, and that the new LLC offers beauty, comfort, and functionality.