Dutch Learning Center Model

7 december 2010
LEARNING CENTRES : VERS UN MODELE A LA FRANCAISE ?
1
The Key Role of Xplora in the
Educational Concept
of Avans University
Ellen Simons
Learning and Innovation Centre
2010

LEARNING CENTRES : VERS UN MODELE A LA FRANCAISE ? 7 december 2010
autonomy
(= “la loi Pécresse” 2009)
has been reality in the Netherlands
since 1986

Dutch universities:
more than 20 years of experience
in creating their own policies as to crucial fields like:
•Staffing
•Finance
•Educational approach
•Facilities and buildings
•…..

LEARNING CENTRES : VERS UN MODELE A LA FRANCAISE ? 7 december 2010 4
Avans University of Applied Sciences
• 3 locations
• 24.000 students
• 103 bachelor programs
• 5 master programs
• 1 Learning and
Innovation Center
• 22 research groups
• 2.000 staff
Breda
Den Bosch
Tilburg

Concerning the 2009 French
report on learning centers
Four observations based on our
own experience
with a learning center
over the last 5 years

Observation 1
• Facilities and buildings should be designed based
on the chosen policy of learning and teaching

Observation 2
• “Learning and understanding”
does happen (or not) in the student’s head
• The university’s task is to actively stimulate
this process
• The traditional way of whole class teaching is
only one out of many ways to make this
happen

Observation 3
• Does the teaching-concept change?
 change facilities accordingly!
• Does the teaching-concept change fundamentally?
 change the ‘experience’ by changing the facilities
in an architectural striking way!

Xplora Breda
9

Observation 4
• But do not copy other universities’ successful
choices blindly:
your students may have different needs
because their situation is different
• (Example: experience Avans university)

Example:
experience Avans university
Basic needs Avans students proved to be different from
Sheffield students
•Characterization Dutch students:
– 70% still live at home
– have excellent ICT facilities at home
•Outcome
– Avans Learning Centre never had nighttime opening
hours
– Only low interest for weekend opening hours

Traditional education

Modern education

The influence of the learning
environment
“We know that space can have a significant impact
on teaching and learning. Exactly how we bring
together space, technology, and pedagogy will
continue to evolve.”
Diane G. Oblinger, Space as a change agent in Learning Spaces,
Educause, 2006
“Spaces are themselves agents for
change. Changed spaces will change
practice.”
JISC, Designing Spaces for Effective Learning: A
guide to 21st century learning space design, 2006

Consequences for Library
• Adequate resources
• Library staff becomes
part of educational
process
• Library must change
into a rich learning
environment

Vision on learning and teaching
is leading
• Connecting people:
student – teacher – professional
field
• Recognising diversity
• Creating knowledge
• Establishing a dynamic
learning environment
physical and virtual
16

From library to
The New Learning Environment

Xplora visitors per year 2007-2009
19

Positioning of the Learning centre
• Just a facility or a key element in the institution’s vision on
teaching and learning?

Facility or Strategic instrument?
“A learning space should be able to motivate learners and
promote learning as an activity, support collaborative as well
as formal practice, provide a personalised and inclusive
environment, and be flexible in the face of changing needs.”
JISC

Key element in strategic vision:
“What is important is that designs of physical spaces are linked to
the institution’s strategic vision for teaching and learning, and
that this is articulated in every detail of the design and shared with
all stakeholders, including learners.”
JISC

Positioning of Xplora in Avans
University
Xplora as part of
Learning and Innovation Centre:
•Provides an integrated learning
environment (physical and virtual)
•Advisory role towards schools on the
subject of educational programs

Organizational consequences
• Position: from side-line to centre
• New role: information specialist
• Role of information specialist
comparable to educational officer
• Library merged into Learning and
Innovation Centre

Partner to education
• Strong contacts with school faculty
• Working-relations between Learning
Centre and schools must be built and
maintained
• Important role for information
specialist

The New Way
• Contact-persons for each school
• A pro-active approach
• Subject-teams
• Close cooperation with
educational officers
• User research and feedback
groups

Consequences for Xplora Staff
• Relationship to student changes
• Relationship to teacher changes
• Different competences needed
• Special staff training-programme

Learning Centre Staff 2005-2009
• New job descriptions set up with team members (2005)
• Reorganization (July/October 2005)
• Board approval of staff formation plan 2005-2008
(September 2005)
New job descriptions
Increase of staff in 2006/2007 of 18 fte’s (35 fte’s  53
fte’s) (opening Xplora’s in 2006 and 2007)
• Training program for all staff (November 2005-today)

Training programme 2006-2010
• Training programma library school: wiki’s, weblogs,
vodcast/podcast, google-scholar/printing, digital collection
development, search engines, digital rights management ,
project management etc.)
• advisory skills
• educational knowledge
• culture shift from control-directed to student-directed, result-
oriented and customer-directed
• E-learning
• Advisory skills and negotiating techniques
• Broader knowledge of the learning environment
• English
• Web 2.0
29

Near Future 2010-2012
• Because of new services a
further improvements of the
Xplora’s buildings
• Expansion Xplora Den Bosch
• New “Engineering” Xplora in
Breda

Conclusions (1):
Student surveys 2008-2010:
 8.000 responses/year
• Primary use for group work and pc-
applications
• High occupancy rate
• Environment described as attractive
and inviting
• Service level judged as high
• High demand of teacher presence
• Wish for more PCs and more outlets
• Wish for more workspaces for quiet
study

Conclusion (2): Library merged into
Mutual benefit:
• “Library staff” have more
appreciation for educational
processes
• Educational officers have
improved understanding of
the relationship between
information and knowledge

Conclusion (3): General
• Xplora is widely known even outside
the professional field
• Xplora is a highly successful concept
(1,4 million visitors in 2009)
• Staff involvement and training
important
• Continuous improvement
• Student population increases from
19.000 to 24.000 students since
opening new buildings in 2006

Observation 4
• But do not copy other universities’ successful
choices blindly:
your students may have different needs
because their situation is different

Further Information:
• Ellen Simons
E-mail: pmg.simons@avans.nl
• Video “Xplora, Discover it yourself”:
http://www.surfmedia.nl/app/video/QV1wz15xVfVrqwzfstEEc
DNT/play?
format_id=6pyORf6BDHfvNVuLSXWGI4Cj&mode=url
• Article : The New Learning Environment: Impact on
Staff and Students / Ellen Simons
Liber Quarterly, october 2010
http://liber.library.uu.nl/publish/articles/000507/article.pdf

Dutch Learning Center Model

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