3. Silo-ed Existence (2009)
Writing Center housed in the
Library but with very little
collaboration beyond space
Peer Tutoring in a hallway of the
Student Affairs building and
typically regarded as a remedial
service
Learning the Learning Commons:
Vision
10. serendipity, n.
Pronunciation: /sɛrɛnˈdɪpɪtɪ/
Etymology:A word coined by Horace Walpole, who says (Let. to Mann, 28 Jan. 1754)
that he had formed it upon the title of the fairy-tale ‘The Three Princes of
Serendip’, the heroes of which ‘were always making discoveries, by accidents and
sagacity, of things they were not in quest of’.
The faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries by
accident.
From: Oxford English Dictionary (Online)
Learning the Learning Commons:
Vision
12. Ideas between Deans of the Library and Student Affairs moved
“up” to higher administration
The UNK Mission Statement was a developmental focal point.
III. Student Development Goal (Objective 1): Develop a comprehensive strategy that will guide
planning and activity outside the formal academic curriculum to enhance each student’s cognitive
and moral development, interpersonal skills, and prospects for satisfaction and success at UNK
and in life after graduation.
Articulate a framework of principles and common objectives, and establish collaborative mechanisms, enabling
units to cooperate across organizational boundaries to enhance student retention, graduation, and career
placement results.
Bridge Academic and Student Affairs programming to integrate living and learning experiences for students…
Learning the Learning Commons:
Vision
13. SPACE:
“… an environment that enhances social interaction and cross disciplinary
learning outside the classroom.”1
GOAL:
“The main goal of the Learning Commons is to provide, in a centralized location,
as many academic support services for students as possible.” 2
MECHANISM:
“The core activity of a learning commons would not be the manipulation and
mastery of information… but the collaborative learning by which students turn
information into knowledge and sometimes into wisdom.”3
1 http://dbilyeu.cocc.edu/21st+Century+Library/default.aspx
2 http://www.cla.ca/divisions/cacul/regenerations/2009/02/whats-common-about-learning-commons.html
3 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1232&context=libraryscience&seiredir=1#search=
%22Learning%20Commons%20Nebraska%22
Learning the Learning Commons:
Vision
15. Learning Commons models vary but often include:
writing and math/statistics help
study rooms
desktop computers with a variety of software packages
reference/research help
study skills help
IT point-of-need assistance
assistive technology for students with disabilities
laptop computers for loan, printing
Learning the Learning Commons:
Vision
17. The UNK Learning Commons (UNKLC) in 2010:
Peer Tutoring: peer assistance for general studies courses (especially
business, languages, math and science)
Writing Center: peer assistance at any stage of the writing process
Calvin T. Ryan (CTR) Library: book collections and electronic resources
for student research with ample study space and technology access
Learning the Learning Commons:
Transition
19. Peer Tutoring offices moved into the Writing Center
in Summer 2010
Plan: build the LC over the summer to open in Fall 2010
Transform the Writing Center space into the Learning
Commons Offices
“Challenges Arose”
Learning the Learning Commons:
Transition
21. Collaboration between programs and with the Library
was ongoing despite the temporary delay in
construction.
Hiring process for a Writing Center/Learning Commons
Assistant Director
Additional technology in the general Library space and
technology support
Project planning at Dean and higher administrative
levels
Learning the Learning Commons:
Transition
34. “BlueTube” video for prospective students
http://bit.ly/17XP90d
“Louie the Loper Learns a Lot” for freshmen students
http://bit.ly/19Z7CHd
Learning the Learning Commons:
Reality
38. Learning the Learning Commons:
Reality
Learning Commons Coordinating Council (LCCC or LC3)
2 partners from Student Affairs, 2 partners from the Library
Learning Commons Assistant Director for the Library
Compares to the Learning Commons Assistant Director position in
Student Affairs
Administrative Support
39. Calvin T. Ryan (CTR) Library
Peer Tutoring
Writing Center
Supplemental Instruction
Language Tables
Learning the Learning Commons:
Reality
Calvin T. Ryan (CTR) Library
Peer Tutoring
Writing Center
Additional services
40. Learning the Learning Commons:
Reality
Assessment:
Tracking referrals between LC services and Library services
“Assessment in Action: Academic Libraries and Student Services” with
ACRL
NLA Poster Presentation June 26-July 1
Fuels the development of “a variety of approaches to assessing library impact on
student learning, which will be documented and disseminated for use by the
wider academic library and higher education communities”
http://www.ala.org/acrl/AiA
Programming:
Undergraduate Research Seminars
Additional collaboration
41.
42. Learning the Learning Commons:
Reality
September: IRB
October: Literature Review (Library)
November: College Speaker
January: Writing & Citing (Writing Center)
February: College Speaker
March: Poster Presentations
April: College Speaker
2012-14 Undergraduate Research Seminar schedule
48. Potentially, the
gradual
migration of
other student
services as
more Library
space is
available
Shaded area shows proposed expansion space
Learning the Learning Commons:
Reality
50. Learning the Learning Commons
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cymLAd2M_io/TcPP3YRXKAI/AAAAAAAAADk/DC78eNJQ0BI/s1600/danceHall.jpg
51. Learning the
Learning Commons:
How UNK Moved Out of the
Silos and into a Dance Hall
www.unk.edu/lc
Keri Pearson, Dr. Ron Wirtz
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Editor's Notes
Learning Commons UNK (C&U) Ronald Wirtz; Coordinator of User Services, Keri Pearson; Coordinator of Academic Peer Tutoring and Assessment, TaffneeFaimon; Assistant Director of the Writing Center, Jon Ritterbush; Electronic Resources Librarian: The UNK Learning Commons will have its “Grand Opening” in the Calvin T. Ryan Library at UNK for the Fall Semester, 2011. However, the Learning Commons has been operating successfully in temporary space in the Library for an entire year. We will present describe how the project developed over approximately two years from the inception of the idea to the completed facility and discuss our vision for the future.
The Peer Tutoring program had far outgrown the space available for the program between 2003 and 2008.
This graph of Writing Center use shows the fluctuation of attendance over years, due mostly to changing leadership (or lack thereof). A program review of the Writing Center showed need for more space by 2010.
The Peer Tutoring program had far outgrown the space available for the program between 2003 and 2008.
Serendipity also played an important part in the development of the UNK Learning Commons, at least in the origin of the project, which started with a discussion between Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Gail Zeller, and Dean Janet Wilke of the Library.
Another important focus at UNK is a commitment to producing graduates who will possess the skills and attitudes needed for lifelong learning. As noted in the UNK strategic plan, this will include emphasis on technical and information literacy, as well as in the traditional literacy skills of reading and writing.
No matter what form a Learning Commons may take, the core ideas are the same.
Before we get started, we would like to address the Learning Commons idea as we discovered it ourselves through research. We found that, physically, a “Learning Commons” can take on many forms and describe very different spaces. It can encompass student services like tutoring and advising or focus on technology and information access. It can exist as stand-alone buildings or be housed within libraries or other campus facilities. It can brandish cutting edge architecture or simply tweak existing design. Of course, many of these elements already exist within your campuses (maybe even in tandem), but in a Learning Commons there is a deliberate effort to make services seamless from the student perspective.
At UNK, our model focuses on three main partners in facilitating student success: the Library, the Peer Tutoring program, and the Writing Center. …We come together with the common vision of helping students succeed, which sometimes gets lost across campus boundaries from building to building, program to program.
Based on a concept created by Writing Center and Learning Commons staff, the campus architect quickly developed a preliminary plan for the space. In the course of many discussions among staff, administration, architects and students, numerous modifications were made to this plan, including a number of changes during the actual construction process.
At the same time, the Writing Center Director who was tapped to run the Learning Commons moved to China. Also, Learning Commons construction was delayed due to design challenges and the realization that a quick remodel was not possible given the vision of the project.
When it became apparent that construction in the new Learning Commons area would not be completed on schedule, the entire west half of the second floor of the Library – an area of around 3700 square feet - was designated as a temporary location for both the Peer Tutoring Program and the Writing Center.
Gate count statistics are gathered automatically by counters installed in electronic gates at the entrance and exit of the library. This chart shows monthly total gate counts over a multi-year period – gate count figures are generally several times a month, then totalled:As noted in this quotation from Dean Janet Wilke addressed to SVC Charlie Bicak:“In Library jargon, "Gate Count" refers to the number of bodies physically passing through the library's gate counter. Since we don't require any type of formal check in when users enter, the numbers are most useful in showing broad trends but are less useful when assessing actual "usage." (By-the-way, the numbers can be "shocking" (more people than live in Kearney!) but keep in mind that, for example, staff are counted when they head out the door to a meeting!) (Just by way of explanation: the gate mechanism counts people coming in and leaving. We then divide by two.) Gate Count numbers are compiled by week and month. Now that the month of September is complete, the total is 38,876, up 24.38% over September 2010 at 29,647.”
The main floor of the Library also houses an academic department. The space is no longer really adequate for the programs of that department, and the Library APR includes a proposal that the space revert to the Library for Learning Commons programs.UNK’s Senior Vice Chancellor specifically asked for the inclusion of this information in the Library APR, and the academic department concerned is aware of and approves of moving to a location that will be better adapted to their needs.With additional space, other student services could move to the Library as well, facilitating further program “seamlessness” for UNK students.