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LESSONS LEARNED: SHAPING LESSONS LEARNED: SHAPING STRUCTURES FOR SCIENCESTRUCTURES FOR SCIENCE

The Project Kaleidoscope Experience The Project Kaleidoscope Experience 1992 – 20091992 – 2009

Jeanne L. Narum, PKAL Director

Maryland Community College Facilities Planners Council Meeting

Howard Community College

June 1, 2009

0

20

40

60

80

1008:30

9:30

10:00

10:30

11:30

12:30

1:00

2:00

2:30

3:00

Percent

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday

Percent of Classroom in Use

Boston University

Utilization Measures

Classrooms

Course Sections

50% Room Utilization

50% Room Utilization

75% Room Utilization

Increased number of course sections impacts student : faculty ratio, section size, or number of faculty

67% Room Utilization

Removing a classroom from the inventory potentially allows it to be reused for another function

40% Room Utilization

Utilization Measures

Libraries

Emory University Cox Hall

Informal Spaces

Three PKAL/NSSE performance tests

Learning takes place in a community where faculty see students as partners in learning

Learning is personally meaningful and steeped in investigation from the first first course through capstone courses.

Learning takes place in a community where students collaborate with one another.

Three PKAL/NSSE performance tests

Learning takes place in a community where faculty see students as partners in learning

Learning is personally meaningful and steeped in investigation from the first first course through capstone courses.

Learning takes place in a community where students collaborate with one another.

PKAL 1: Learning takes place in a community where faculty see students as partners in learning

Mount Mercy College

Typical classroom design affirms the authorityof faculty over knowledge

2004 NSSE Report on the frequency of faculty-student interaction outside of class

All institutionsTop 5%

institutions

Student-faculty discussions of class material outside of class

Never 29% 10%

Sometimes 47% 43%

Often 17% 28%

Very Often 7% 19%

Student-faculty work on activities other than coursework

Never 51% 21%

Sometimes 29% 35%

Often 12% 22%

Very Often 8% 21%

Student-faculty research outside of course/program requirements

Never 16% 8%

Sometimes 55% 46%

Often 11% 7%

Very Often 18% 40%

Seniors

Where on your campus do faculty and students associate outside of the classroom? Might the

provision of good learning spaces encourage such encounters?

PKAL 2: Learning is personally meaningful and steeped in investigation from the very first courses

through capstone courses

2004 NSSE Report on behaviors that enrich education experiences

All institutionsTop 5%

institutionsIndependent study or self-designed major

Have not decided 10% 2%Do not plan to 63% 47%Plan to do 9% 3%Done 18% 48%

Culmininating senior experience (comprehensive exam, capstone course, thesis project, etc.)

Have not decided 11% 1%Do not plan to 34% 7%Plan to do 28% 21%Done 27% 72%

Participation in a learning community or some other formal program where students take two or more classes together

Have not decided 15% 9%Do not plan to 58% 61%Plan to do 6% 3%Done 21% 27%

Seniors

PKAL 3: Learning takes place in a community where students collaborate with one another

2004 NSSE Report on the frequency of collaborative work outside of class

First-year students Seniors

All institutionsTop 5%

institutions All institutionsTop 5%

institutionsNever 15% 7% 8% 3%Sometimes 47% 31% 35% 27%Often 29% 37% 34% 41%Very Often 10% 26% 23% 29%

Where on your campus do students work collaboratively? Might the provision of good learning spaces make a difference to this learning behavior?

Computing Center at Cox HallEmory University

CENTRAL PKAL QUESTION:“In what ways might the structure we are planning become a physical expression of our vision for the

future of our institution?”

Loras College

Messy, chaotic, on a journey, like a cafeteria, like a dressing room trying on ideas, noisy, no center of attention, playing with tools of the STEM practitioner, peer to peer learning, engaged… 2222

Opportunities to collaborate, connect, communicate, use the tools of the trade, come to own their own learning… 2323

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Engaged learnersEngaged learners

How do people learn How do people learn best?best?

Not, in most cases, through lecturing, though far too many instructors continue this centuries’ old practice, and spaces accommodate such practices.

Effective learners are Effective learners are active & engaged active & engaged

with their learning.with their learning.

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Audit: Why Change?Audit: Why Change?

• Because I listen carefully to my students…

• Because I continue to ask myself what is working right and what does not seem to be working right

• Because I remember what worked for me when I was a student their age.

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THEN

Uni-disciplinary Single purpose spaces

Teacher-directed Passive learning

Independent learning Limited technologies

Focus on STEM majorsUnconnected

NOW

Multidisciplinary Multi-use / user spaces

Learner-centered Engaged learning

Collaborative learning Ubiquitous technologies

Focus on all studentsConnected

2121stst Century CenturyBoundary-Crossing AgentsBoundary-Crossing Agents

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PKAL’S VisionPKAL’S Vision…have access to robust learning experiences that motivate them to persist and succeed in the study of STEM fields so they are motivated to enter into careers in STEM fields, prepared for contemporary careers that require depth of understanding/literacy in regard to scientific, quantitative, and technological worlds, and equipped with the breadth of skills and capacities that empower them to be contributing members to our nation’s 21st century economy and democracy.