The role of the university campus is changing in subtle and important ways.
Today,  student ‘timescapes’ typically involve moving between places to work,
study, sleep, eat, and play, and the boundaries between these places are now
less distinct as wireless networks, laptops, smart phones, and iPads afford
greater flexibility and mobility. Yet learning spaces are still being designed
with traditional ‘chalk and talk’ modes in mind — arguably to the detriment of
learning outcomes.

This  workshop uses findings and methods from the ALTC-funded Spaces for
Knowledge Generation project to provide novel ways to inform learning space
design with student perspectives. It will give you an opportunity to apply some
of these techniques to the design of learning spaces within your own
institution. Guest presenters include Prof Shirley Alexander (UTS),  Dr Susan
Sherringham (UTS), and Dr Gordon Howell (QUT).

University of Technology, Sydney
Thomas Room, Aerial Function Centre
Level 7, Building 10
UTS
(Corner of Jones and Thomas St)
Sydney

Teaching staff and administrators who have involvement or interest in the
design and planning of learning spaces will benefit from this workshop.

Designing Learning Environments for the Future aims to assist staff in
designing learning spaces in their own institutions.  After completing the
workshop, you will be able to:

Matthew Riddle is an award winning Educational Designer and Senior Lecturer (Academic Development) in the Faculty of Law and Management at La Trobe University.  He has been working in the field of tertiary education for over 15 years, previously as an educational researcher at the University of Cambridge, and prior to that as an Educational Designer at the University of Melbourne. Matthew worked on the Learning Landscape Project at Cambridge and in 2008 won an ASCILITE research grant to repeat some of this work in an Australian context  with his project entitled ICTs in the daily lives of Australian students. Matthew was a key member of the ALTC Spaces for Knowledge Generation project, and co-editor of Physical and Virtual Learning Spaces in Higher Education.

Associate Professor Kay Souter has served as Associate Dean (Academic) in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University since 2005, and as Acting Director of Learning and Teaching in 2007, pending the arrival of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). She has won two internal teaching development grants, a 2007 University Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning and was the lead applicant in the successful application in the Carrick Promoting Excellence Initiative. She has a special interest in social and blended learning. Kay was project leader of the ALTC Spaces for Knowledge Generation project and co-editor of Physical and Virtual Learning Spaces in Higher Education.

Professor Mike Keppell is currently Director, The Flexible Learning Institute and Professor of Higher Education at Charles Sturt University, Australia. Prior to this, he worked from 2003 – 2007 at the Hong Kong Institute of Education as Associate Professor and Head of the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology (LTTC). Before this, he was Head of the Biomedical Multimedia Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, The University of Melbourne, Australia from 1998-2002 and Head of the Interactive Multimedia Unit, Division of Distance and Continuing Education, Central Queensland University, Australia from 1994-1998. He has a background in learning and teaching, curriculum, evaluation, and more specifically, instructional design. His research focuses on blended learning, learning oriented assessment, authentic learning, learning spaces and transformative learning using design based research. He is currently President of ascilite. In 2007 he edited a book through IGI Global titled Instructional Design: Case Studies in Communities of Practice with authors from eight different countries and is co-editor of Physical and Virtual Learning Spaces in Higher Education, also published by IGI Global.

 

Shirley Alexander is Professor of Learning Technologies at the University of Technology, Sydney where she is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching, Learning & Equity). She has previously held the positions of Director of the Institute for Interactive Media and Learning, and Dean of the Faculty of Education. The University of Technology Sydney is embarking on a major campus redevelopment project which will involve close to $1billion in expenditure and Shirley is leading the teams designing the teaching and learning, and student space projects. She is aiming to drive changes to the student experience of university through the design of spaces. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse Museum), Chair of the TAFE NSW Higher Education Academic Board, a member of the TAFE NSW Higher Education Governing Council, and a Member of Sydney TAFE Advisory Board.

Dr Susan Sherringham is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney with a background in design and design education. For the past five years, Susan has been working on projects revolving around learning space improvement and the evolution of a ‘sticky campus’.  Her practice revolves around spatial design and design facilitation that incorporate participatory design, ethnography, practice-based inquiry and human-centred design approaches. Most recently her work has focused on developing tools, games and participatory engagements to inform new spatial affordances for next generation learning environments and testing these through pilot projects.