Learning and Teaching Space Draft Strategy Subject: Origin:
Learning and Teaching Space Draft Strategy Caroline Pepper, Facilities Management Learning and Teaching Space Manager
Executive Summary: Following a recommendation in the strategy review action plan of the joint Senate and Council meeting to identify minimum standards for teaching and learning spaces, a draft strategy has been developed in parallel with the current programme of teaching space refurbishments. This will enable targeted future investment and development in learning areas ensuring the optimum stock of quality learning space facilities to a defined standard and offer increased central support. This is a collaborative approach with IT Services and the Library to ensure consistency of provision. The draft strategy was presented to the following committees: Learning and Teaching Committee -13th March. The Committee endorsed the overall direction of the draft strategy and requested that due consideration should be given to the points raised by the Committee in its development and implementation. Student Experience Team - 25th March. The team welcomed the presentation and supported the proposed recommendations to: reduce cross campus travel, development of the informal learning provision and highlighted the importance of a collaborative strategy for student access to sports facilities and the Ford Collage on West Park. Space Allocation Sub-Committee - 28th March. The Committee supported the strategy and provided comment on each recommendation highlighted in the paper. It was noted that there was much emphasis on consistency although this needs to be balanced with the importance of facilities for specialist teaching. Academic Leadership Team – 28th April. The Team agreed with the general principles outlined in the paper, however further discussion was required with Deans of each School to ascertain if increased central support of identified rooms would appropriately support School requirements.
Strategic aim To build capacity within the teaching space provision by maximising the quality, flexibility, utilisation and operational support of all teaching space to ensure that the ideal number, size, May 2014
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location and layout fulfils all the University's learning and teaching needs to enhance the ‘student experience’. There is a requirement for quality and consistency across teaching space to meet the requirements of all stakeholders which considers the following principles to enable a better student experience: • • • •
Optimum quality and geographical stock of teaching space through the creation of 2 main teaching ‘hubs’ on Central and West Park Encouragement of students to learn by conversation not isolation Appropriate and future proofed provision of learning and support technologies which is intuitive and consistent across all teaching space Appropriate environments with diversity of design and layout to support blended and informal learning
Recommendations of the draft strategy •
Further consultation to progress a pilot for the next academic year to centrally support and manage 14 identified school owned learning and teaching spaces.
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Progression of plans to develop the West Park teaching hub to act as an enabler to decant poor quality teaching activities and reduce travel across campus.
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Enhancement of the Central Park teaching hub in Wavytop to enable further consolidation of learning and teaching activities from East Park. This would enable demolition / reallocation of space.
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Development of the Library hub and spoke model through mapping and analysis of possible areas to extend informal learning in David Collett Dining Suite, additional accessible student study space in W and S buildings and development of the ground floor in Haslegrave to enhance student activity.
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Proposed allocation of postgraduate centred activity located within a vacated building on Holywell Drive, adjacent to Car Park 5 or University House.
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Further consultation and consideration is required to meet the requirements of Student IT provision which enables mixed models of teaching labs and labs available for independent study which is appropriately supported and maximises availability and accessibility.
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Further consideration is required with LSU and other stakeholders in order to ensure correct balance of undergraduate (typically semester long) and postgraduate (typically block taught) learning space facilities.
Introduction The provision and quality of teaching space is strategically important for quality of experience for staff and students. Much has been achieved in the delivery and refurbishment of the rooms and AV infrastructure with £11 million investment since 2006 and associated developments in service provision.
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Students value their learning spaces and have identified the types of spaces which have pedagogical benefits. In the foreseeable future there will be a need for traditional tiered teaching space but this is required to be balanced with more innovative and collaborative style spaces. The analysis has highlighted some of the deficiencies in the older stock of teaching space often located within legacy and poor performing buildings. Continued investment is recommended to upgrade teaching facilities using the most appropriate spaces from both pool and school. This paper sets out a proposed delivery plan to support the needs of current students and build capacity within the teaching space infrastructure to support a marginal increase in student numbers. The delivery plan is aligned to the Estate Strategy.
Current context and the need for quality learning and teaching spaces The term ‘student experience’ is embedded within discussions at every level. There is a shift to a more demanding culture among students as they bear the increased burden for the cost of tuition. Loughborough is confronted with a new generation of students who, with legitimacy, are stating, ‘I expect quality learning environments.’ Students are positively challenging the status quo. There is a variance in quality, consistency, utilisation and service support between School and centrally supported areas. The aim is to have the minimum amount of space which supports the student experience to the highest quality. There are a number of current general purpose teaching (GPT) spaces which require investment or replacement to improve quality. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis 37% of centrally managed teaching space has been classified as poor in terms of either quality or location. This will have an impact on NSS results. The graph below illustrates how competitor institutions are narrowing the gap in results.
NSS "Learning Resources" for Loughborough University , compared with HEI Sector Average and Sector Top Quartile (Source : Ipsos Mori)
Learning resources Loughborough
Learning resources HEI Avg
NSS Percentage agree
Learning resources Top Quartile 95 90 85 80
89 82 80
91
91
91
83 81
83 81
82 80
89 83 81
88 85 82
88 86 85
75
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2011
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Data collection and analysis An approved Learning and Teaching Space Development Plan identified a number of data collection exercises on the current shape of the teaching estate which included: Project 1 - Learning and Teaching Space Survey An extensive survey was undertaken which asked both academics and students to rate the importance of various elements of learning and teaching spaces both formal and informal. Over 200 academics and 700 students responded. The results indicated that there are 3 clear requirements which must be incorporated in all future design briefs: • • •
Natural daylight Seating configurations to enable collaboration and interaction Comfortable furniture
Respondents were asked to provide examples of a good and poor quality teaching rooms and a number of areas proved exemplar. These included Harvard style spaces designed to encourage interactivity and the Auditorium in the Design School. Project 2 - Review on informal learning areas Informal learning areas are non-discipline specific spaces for self-directed learning activities. There are clear pedagogical benefits to the development of these areas. Learning, not just a transfer of knowledge, is about engagement. Future requirements following a number of student-led focus groups recommend: • • • • •
Students require a choice of areas to select best environment to study both bookable and non-bookable Easily accessible power, data, printing and AV provision An increase in the provision on Workzones to enable collaboration Closely located to teaching hubs and amenities to enable work between lectures Expansion of informal learning areas is required on West and Village Park
Project 3 - Utilisation and functional suitability Comprehensive space utilisation surveys were undertaken for both centrally (pool) bookable rooms and school GPT. There is evidence of polarity between student experience and high utilisation rates and the balance should ensure both are equally considered. HEFCE benchmark for excellent estate utilisation is greater than 35% (actual) and 45% (booked). Booked utilisation of pool teaching space is calculated at 49% and booked utilisation (where data is available) and school owned space is 23%. This indicates that there is capacity to increase usage of School owned space. Project 4 - Analysis of all learning and teaching space With over 16,000 students, teaching areas equate to approx. 11% of the total gross internal area (GIA) non-residential estate (including specialist teaching spaces) with only 4% of this managed centrally. GPT is defined as non-specialist space which can be used for general learning and teaching appropriate to all Schools. This includes non-specialist IT labs. May 2014
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Meeting space has been excluded from the analysis. Space by category has been mapped out on a park by park basis which identifies both pool and school owned space.
Options analysis, school and pool opportunities - Phase 1 summer 2014 School owned space - Central support and timetabling of school owned GPT space would build capacity, increase utilisation and enable consistency in service support. It would provide an opportunity for Schools to reduce their space holding and therefore reduce their costs. Current charges are set at £160m2. As a proposed pilot a number of areas have been identified, which could benefit from central support. This would be undertaken with comprehensive consultation and School owned space would be guaranteed priority bookings to ensure students remain close to their School. The mean booked utilisation calculated on the 14 rooms is 22%, (approx. 12% actual). This equates to 341 available hours which were not used during the survey week. Whilst this will not resolve all spaces issues, it provides the opportunity to increase utilisation and enable increased flexibility within the timetable. Marginal investment would be required to ensure quality and a minimum standard of AV. Pool owned space - A stage 1 submission for capital framework investment for work commencing summer 2014 has been approved in parallel to this strategy which identifies: • • • •
Refurbishment of poor quality space in Edward Herbert Building and Wavytop Refurbishment of ground floor teaching space in Frank Gibb Relocation of poor quality teaching space in John Beckwith to Stewart Mason Completion of minimum standard of AV in small teaching areas (pool and school)
Options analysis further opportunities - Phase 2 summer 15 West Park Hub Ford College will provide the 2nd teaching hub on campus. A minimum number of room requirements have been identified to replace / enhance existing space and a recommended number of rooms based on current cohorts, required to reduce / eliminate cross campus travel by students. Central Park Hub An ambition not currently included in the existing Central Park re-allocation is to enable further consolidation of learning and teaching activities from East Park This would add further gravity to the Central Park hub, reduce travel and allow demolition / reallocation of space. It is recommended that design studies are undertaken to develop teaching space in Wavytop. Availability is subject to the opening of the National Centre and appropriate relocation of existing activities. Following successful completion of recommended projects this will reduce the teaching stock defined as poor in terms of quality of location to approximately 10%.
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Library Hub and Spoke to Extend Informal Learning Spaces There are a number of planned projects which could add additional benefits to support the Library in terms of a ‘hub and spoke model’ to further strengthen the provision of informal learning areas. These include: • • •
Proposed re-allocation of David Collett Dining Suite to create an informal learning area on the Village Park. This is being considered as part of the Catering Strategy Accessible student study space within W and S buildings and Ford College as part of the West Park strategy Development of the ground floor in Haslegrave to enhance student activity
Additional Opportunities for Postgraduates The possible allocation of a postgraduate centred activity located within a vacated building on Holywell Drive or University House
Integration of the proposed strategy with Professional Services (i)
IT Services
The management of Student IT Labs will continue to be reviewed with the objective of providing optimal and supported use of all the facilities available. The review will continue to engage School IT staff, SITCs, IT Services staff all facilitated by the change team. Further consultation and consideration is required to meet the requirements of Student IT provision which enables mixed models of teaching labs and labs available for independent study which is appropriately supported and maximises availability and accessibility. (ii)
Timetabling
The two main objectives for timetabling are experience and utilisation. Following the move to the timetabling system CMIS in 2010, the Timetable Team work collaboratively with all Schools throughout the annual timetable project. There has been an increase in module contact hours as a result of the Key Information Set data. This, combined with increased student numbers in 2013, saw the total frequency for 2013/14 Semester 1 in larger lecture theatres rise to 96%. There is clear evidence that increased room stock utilising School space will be required to accommodate any future increases in student numbers. This strategy will optimise and improve existing room stock in order to best accommodate students. From a timetabling perspective, this means more GPT to be managed centrally in order to maximise flexibility through the room allocation process and continue to produce quality timetables. (iii)
Teaching Support
Teaching Support provides critical technical support for all undergraduate and postgraduate academic delivery within pool teaching space and increasingly within School GPT and the Library. There is an expanding pressure on the team to support technology-rich environments and although this is counterbalanced with improvements in technology including networking of May 2014
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control panels to facilitate remote access of equipment, request for technical support for both pool and School increase year on year. There is a requirement to expand the ReVIEW lecture capture service and this has been included in the development plan with both FM and the Teaching Centre. It is anticipated that further resources will be required if the pilot to support school managed space is proved to be successful. (iv)
Library Context
Transformation of the Library has resulted in a wide range of improvements including enhanced study environment, increased number/ variety of study spaces and improved access to ICT. Swipe card access has provided management data on how the Library building is used. Occupancy is good and increases during the examination and revision periods. FM and the Library work collaboratively to ensure appropriate provision and additional teaching space allocated for learning on all Parks during the exam period. This model has been well received and the collaborative approach should be maintained with the Library providing strategic direction with the expansion of informal learning areas identified within the strategy.
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