The document summarizes findings from a study tour of learning spaces at several Australian universities. Key points include: 1) Universities are taking experimental approaches to learning space design but are often constrained by existing room sizes and infrastructure. 2) Standardization of equipment and services helps lower support needs but designs vary significantly between institutions depending on priorities and culture. 3) Most new spaces employ technology to connect multiple sites and make resources accessible online or off campus, but full integration of spaces with network services is still developing.

1. Learning Space
developments in
Australian Universities
CAUDIT Study Tour 2011
Photos courtesy of http://
www.flickr.com/photos/
munnerley/
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2. University of Queensland
• Experimental traditional lecture theatre & group rooms
• Deployed lots of technology
• Shared findings with the community
• Design can be constrained by physical room constraints
• Rooms designed before the ipad/tablets
• Moving away from all equipment in 1 room to shared
infrastructure by many rooms/spaces
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3. Griffith University
• Focus on student centred learning –
informal areas and pods
• Common Griffith Red design
• Use of Library as key social area
and precinct
• Engineering challenges with
technology and space constraints
• New ways to use media screens
and digital signage
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4. Griffith University
• Use of precincts
and centralised
flexible student
service areas that
staff can cross
train and students
can access as
one stop shop
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5. QLD University of Tech
• Rooms based on agnostic mobile
technology solution accessing web
based services
• Limited campus space dictates
flexible room use & high utilisation
• Standard design principles for staff,
students, postgrads
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6. QLD University of Tech
• Standard equipment and service
apps lower training + support needs
• Use of external services like NVCS
• Able to support IPADs and other
mobile devices to control rooms and
use of software based solutions
• 100+ mobile “moocows” wifi
connected
• Video enabled rooms become
gaming rooms out of hours
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7. Victoria University
• Different design themes for spaces and
rooms
• Sourcing solutions via external vendors
to create their spaces, 14 Cisco TP units
for new learning spaces separately by
curtains
• Legacy Tandberg systems remain and
are interoperable with TP units
• Technology being used to connect
multiple sites together and multiple
learning spaces
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8. University of Melbourne
• Implementing 10 year
"Melbourne plan" started 2008
• Consolidating courses into 6
key areas "cohorts" focus on
the on campus experience
exclusively
• Emphasis on quality and on
campus experience
• Leading design school on use
of technology, design for
teaching and learning outcomes
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9. University of Melbourne
• Implementing 10 year
"Melbourne plan" started 2008
• Consolidating courses into 6
key areas "cohorts" focus on
the on campus experience
exclusively
• Emphasis on quality and on
campus experience
• Leading design school on use
of technology, design for
teaching and learning outcomes
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10. Key points
• There can be many stakeholders and opinions to manage within a
“community of practice” model, often designs are retrofitted to space and
other constraints
• Designs tend to be dictated by leader personality & behaviour with strong
personality required to progress
• Most new spaces seem are experimental across small % rooms
• Standardisation is key to support and training in use of technology
• Few were aware of the AARNet services beyond the network
• Technology and design choices depend on university culture and
goals, some want on campus experience, others want to connect multiple
campuses, others want to connect students off campus
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11. Key points
• Expect classrooms to move to minimalism design as students and
staff bring own devices that use virtual clients and servers solutions =
more reliance on network based services
• Expect less dedicated equipment per room, more shared services on
and off campus
• Media walls are becoming key across all universities for information and
enlightenment, many reticulate free-to-air tv
• Some key library and content services are off.net and could be hosted
locally.
• Teaching and Learning spaces developments are starting to rely on
both ITS and AARNet's network directly or indirectly, expect video to
be part of the mix going forward and eduroam/wifi for interactions with
technology so any disruptions may in the future be dramatic for these
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spaces.

12. More Information
• See the CAUDIT Blog -
http://cauditlearningspaces.blogspot.com/
• James Sankar’s blog -
http://jamessankar.blogspot.com/search/label/teaching
%20spaces
• See more photos at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/munnerley/collections/
72157628143277929/
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