In November 2013 a new learning space, called the Discovery Centre, was opened in the MacOdrum Library at Carleton University, as part of the library’s renovations. This learning space was designed to provide a flexible environment with furnishings that allowed for easy reconfiguration, especially for group work. The 9,500 sq ft space included features such as large screen displays for easy switching between multiple laptop displays and treadmill desks. Besides the main open floor space there are three adjacent rooms, a gaming laboratory, a multi-media laboratory and a learning laboratory. The gaming lab has two gaming stations and two 3D printers. The multi-media lab has a large screen (approx. 18ft x 5ft). The learning lab provides an innovative classroom for 24 students (6 at 4 tables) that has an instructor’s screen projected onto two opposing walls, as well as a display at each of the four tables that allows 4 connections from laptops or tablets to the display screen. This presentation will examine the design and implementation of this new learning space, as well as the findings from running the space for six months. Details on the variety of uses of the space will be included. The presentation will be of interest to anyone involved in constructing and using learning spaces, including instructors, facilities managers, teaching and learning centres, administrators and librarians. The learning outcomes will be the knowledge of the furniture, technology and uses of a new learning space.
Of Interest to: K-12 educators, Researchers, Educational technologists, Administrators
