Technology rich learning spaces - opportunities and risks.

Abstract

In this workshop participants explore the potential of the technology rich group learning spaces such as those in Bournemouth University’s SCONUL Library Design Award winning The Sir Michael Cobham Library. The development of these spaces was informed by the research undertaken by Educause1 and the outcomes of Bournemouth’s eRes2,3, which focussed on the pedagogies influencing e-learning with e-resources. Participants will be assigned to groups and each group will be presented with different profiles such as netgen4 and digital immigrant 5. The concept of technology rich learning space will be introduced before the groups engage in a “learning activity” to consider the relationships between technology, space and learning outcomes. The group will then identify and share opportunities and challenges from the student and staff perspective. This workshop was successfully used in November 2008 with Bournemouth University’s PGCert students, who have already begun to incorporate the opportunities presented by technology rich learning spaces into their teaching.