Wireless Broadband for the Community

The take-up rate for the NBN in Tasmania was reported to be 38.5% after three years. The previous government was not too worried about the NBN take-up rate, as the copper network was to be switched off, so consumers would not have much of a choice. Does anyone have statistics for the take-up rate for high speed broadband in other countries?

One option I suggest for Australian urban areas is to combine 4G wireless mobile services with wireless broadband. This could complement FTTN and FTTP. The existing mobile service has limited capacity, but could service moderate home use. The service could be exp[anded by installing picocells on the same fibre used for FTTN and FTTP. Roaming could be enabled to allow a subscriber to any mobile company to use these cells. Also a lower tariff, comparable to wired services, could be offered for those using the wireless service "at home".

Using mobile broadband would create a virtual NBN at low cost. Rather than have to build an extensive wired network and home there were customers, the existing mobile network could be used and then cells added as demand increases.

With advances in 4G the mobile broadband service could carry 4K TV. The advanced HEVC codec allows compression of a HD TV at 6 Mbps and 4k TV at 12 Mbps to 30 Mbps. This could be carried on a 4G LTE-A network, using the Multicast-broadcast single-frequency network (MBSFN) option.

However, many of the community services envisaged for home broadband do not need high speeds. Instead they need trained staff and well designed applications. As an example  home health care is mentioned as a use for the NBN. But a person's vital signs (body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate) would only need about 10 bps to transmit.  More sophisticated monitors require more bandwidth, bit still far short of broadband, such as such as electrocardiography at 4 kbps.

But the greatest benefit from home health monitoring is likely to come from checking on the patient's general level of activity and asking them how they are. Advice to doctors, commissioned by the Department of Health recommends a minimum of 640 x 480 Video, with a minimum throughput on the link of 384kbit/s should be available, which far less than high speed broadband.

On-line education is also an application often given for home broadband. But while students like rich multimedia, this does not necessarily improve learning. The report "Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies" from the US Department of Education found that video does not improve online learning.

There can be considerable public benefit from broadband without running it to each home. Community centres provide not only a way to consolidate technical services, but also provide experts in health and education. Australia now has free Internet access in public libraries, which is an underrated achievement.

Internet in libraries builds on the library's traditional role providing access to information and literacy. Universities and TAFEs are turning their libraries into learning centres, with computers in place of books. They are keeping the staff to help the students, not only work the computers but with finding, using and creating information. The Gungahlin Town Centre Library in Canberra is a good example, where the one building accommodates the public library, a school library, a TAFE campus and broadband connected community rooms. This could be extended to provide support for university students as well.

ANU Microsoft Tech Lounge

Greetings from the Microsoft Tech Lounge at the Australian National University in Canberra. The lounge looks a lot less crowded that the publicity picture and has the atmosphere of a library. This appears to be a temporary "pop up" facility. Some rugs have been put down and and a trestle bench, plus wallpaper on existing walls. But there does not appear to have been any new walls built.  The "Lounge" sits in the foyer of an existing commerce building.

There is a eclectic mix of lounge chairs and tables which look like packing cases (much like a student share house). A closer examination shows some clever design features. What appears to be simply a throw rug actually disguises a raised floor which allows all the cables to be hidden underneath.

There are large screen Dell desktop computers, as well as Dell laptops. The laptops are attached to security cables, power and wired Ethernet, with cables long enough to use comfortably from a lounge chair. There are two Xbox games built into one wall. Curiously I could see only two Microsoft "surface" tablet computers, which no one was using (whereas the Dell devices were being used).. The lounge appears to be a success, and I was relieved to see there was not too much marketing of Microsoft products (just one LCD wall panel marketing Windows 8).

White-Board Paint

The University of Canberra covered the walls of its Teaching and Learning Commons with White-Board Paint so that they can be written and projected onto (using a short throw projector). There are now do-it-yourself kits, such as the "Rust-Oleum Dry Erase Brush-On Kit" for home use or a small office and the larger "Professional Dry Erase Kits".

The paint is made up of two parts which have to be mixed just before applying. The material is reported to be hard to apply, not having the consistency of normal paint. So this is something you might want to leave to specialist painters.

The Future of Higher Education in Australia

Recently I was asked what effect e-learning would have on Australian universities. This was for a symposium planned for later in 2012.

In my view, the e-learning transformation is already well under-way. I have been designing and delivering on-line postgraduate courses for the Australian Computer Society and the ANU since the beginning of 2009. About that time I stopped giving conventional "lectures" and gave up setting paper based "examinations". More recently I adapted some of this material for an on-line evaluation process to assess the skills of professionals applying to work in Australia.

There is a free Innovation in Education Showcase in Canberra, 18 to 21 September 2012, where I will be discussing I will be discussing e-learning course design.

Universities need to re-skill their teaching staff in e-learning techniques and provide the technical infrastructure to support it. This process is already well under-way for coursework and I am currently investigating how to apply it to research supervision for doctoral degrees.

Moving courses on-line provides the opportunity to redesign them in the light of recent research into what is effective education. Much of what university lecturers do now wastes their time and that of the students. We can transform university education, not so much through use of computers, but simply better education.

Within the next ten years, most university courses will move on-line. But many students will still go to a campus: to work in groups and meet with staff, as well as use specialist labs. My preference would be to remove labels such as full time/part time, on-campus/off campus, local/remote, domestic/international from the education process. Instead courses can be designed with all of the content and activities which can be done on-line put on-line. Students will then be free to come to the campus when they need to and when they want to. In my on-line classes, I have a mix of full and part time students, on and off campus, domestic and international and this provides an interesting environment for students to learn from each other.

Australian universities are well into the process of replacing large lecture theaters will small teaching spaces and converting libraries into "learning commons". There are regular conferences of educators and architects discussing the design and use of such buildings.

Much has been made of moves by large US universities to offer free on-line courses. However, free distance education has been a feature of universities for decades, with the UK Open University the best example. The more recent offerings by US universities I have looked at have had very poor quality materials, consisting of just videos of a lecturer talking to slides. This misses the essential point of how education (including on-line education) works: with people engaging with each other, tutors and students, provided with high quality, carefully designed materials.

Business School Design

At the moment I am in the Mill Theatre 2 of the Melbourne Business School (MBS), where I am taking part in a "Climate Services Think Tank". This is my second visit to the MBS, as about a decade ago I attended a IT management live in short course. The MBS resembles a modern interpenetration of a monastery, crossed with an airport executive lounge. It has a courtyard, somewhat like a cloister, sparsely furnished bedrooms on the upper floors for live-in students, various classrooms and places to eat. The building is more upmarket in its feel than the average university building and more self-contained.

Mill Theatre 2, where I am sitting, holds about 40 people, sitting at six rectangular tables. The tables are each made up of two narrow tables (with folding legs) each about 600 x 1800 mm. There are wheeled gas lift high backed chairs with arms and wheels (the chairs and desks squeak, which is a problem). There is ceiling mounted unit projecting on to the white wall. There are freestanding white boards and flip charts. The room can be divided into two with a folding wall. The door is partly frosted glass. There is WiFi, but only for registered users (no EduRoam).

The room is very comfortable and usable. Some improvements would be to:

1. Remove the furniture squeaks: Adjust or replace the chairs and tables, to stop them squeaking. This might just require adding some rubber strips and tightening some screws.
   
2. Apply whiteboard paint to the walls and add a hanging rail: This will remove the need for the freestanding white boards and flip charts. This would remove some clutter and tripping hazard.
3. EduRoam WiFi: Provide EduRoam for academic visitors.
4. Rounded desks: Cut the corners from the desks to make them rounded. This will make the room seem much larger.
   

New Function Center at ANU in Canberra

Greetings from the "ANU Commons Function Centre", located in Lena Karmel Lodge at the Australian National University, Kinglsey Road, Canberra. There is a 18.4×16.5 m function room which can seat 300 people for a presentation (and can be split into two smaller rooms, each with its own video projector and door). On each side of the rooms is a courtyard. Outside the door is a cafe area, looking out on to one of courtyards. The entire complex is equipped with WiFi, with access to the international Eduroam system.

There is a large pay car park under the building. Unfortunately the new road outside is still being built, making the complex look more like a building site, than a function centre, but ANU Commons is open for business.

Adelaide: The Hi-Tech Arsenal of Australia

For the last few days I have been in Adelaide for a meeting for the Australian Computer Society Education. I took the opportunity to look at learning spaces and science communication, while I was in town.

University of Adelaide Hub Central

With some time to spare before the meeting started, I visited the new learning space at University of Adelaide's "Hub Central". This was, as one proud local told me, designed in consultation with the students. While having design flair and a little whimsy, this space is designed with much more hard-wearing materials that the typical soft and comfy learning space, so should stand up to harsh treatment by students.

The space has mostly hard floors, varnished waffle board walls (a manufactured structural wood product usually covered up) and what looks like impregnated waffle board (usually used for concrete form-work) for the staircase.

While a little spartan, the upper level is very practical and has a couple of good food shops. There is a cozy mezzanine above and a large learning space below. In between is the student assistance desk.

The learning space has a mix of computers on long desks (students tend to form a work group around each end of the desk). There are four seat tables, which can be pushed together for larger groups. There are also bookable group areas with chest height partitions. There were some less formal areas with soft floors, so something there is somewhere for just about everyone to get comfortable.

My EduRoam account worked fine here and I was able to find a power point. This is a very livable and it appears well used space.

State Library of South Australia

Just down the road from University of Adelaide is the State Library of SA. As well as a good coffee shop in the foyer, the library has an informal seated space where people congregate to use the WiFi (one person seemed to be having a very long video chat with a friend in the USA).

The library has an excellent collection of recent magazines on display, much more extensive than State Library of NSW, National Library of Australia, and almost as big as State library of Victoria.

Science Exchange

A few blocks south from the library is the "Royal Institution of Australia", located in the old stock exchange building. RiAus models itself on the UK Royal Institution, but it is not clear if there is a role for another science promoting institution in Australia. Australia already has the Australian Academy of Science, Sydney's Powerhouse Museum and the National Science and Technology Centre. RiAus seems to be the South Australian government's attempt to have a stake in the science business, but I suggest they need to invest in something more focused than RiAus.

Adelaide: The Hi-Tech Arsenal of Australia

My last visit to the Science Exchange was to present "Engaging the Defence Sector with Open Source". This was about how software is key to major Australian defense projects, such as submarines and electronic warfare aircraft. Many defence administrators assume that the hardware is important: you weld together the hull of a submarine and most of the work is done. But has the failed Collins submarine project shows, the hardware worthless, if the software and systems are not properly designed to make it work. This is topical as the Australian Government has announced that 12 new submarines will be built in Adelaide.

In my view, South Australia should concentrate on promoting the state as a place for defense technology, not science in general. As part of that, the SA government could sponsor work on a feasible submarine configuration, which could be built in Adelaide. The Australian Defence Department's Future Submarine Project (SEA 1000) proposals are not feasible and it would be unfortunate if Adelaide hosted a second failed submarine project.

Australian Science Media Centre

This visit to the Science Exchange was to see the people at the Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC), who have a mezzanine above the RiAus office. This is a non-profit organization which matches up scientists with the media. Getting useful and timely information out to the public about research can be frustrating for both scientists and the journalists they talk to. AusSMC smooth the process. I get regular alerts from AusSMC with details of queries from journalists on my areas of expertise. AusSMC also help scientists put out alerts about what they are doing, in a format usable by journalists. The service is free.

Near the e-Learning Tipping Point

In "The growing pace of online education" (29 February 2012), ANU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Young, discusses the role of on-line education at a university:

"...History has clearly shown that such predictions of the death of the physical campus have been wildly overstated. ..."

Yes, I agree the campus will continue. It will evolve to incorporate on-line education. This is best seen in university libraries, which are evolving into "learning commons". Dusty shelves of paper books are being replaced with eBooks and comfy chairs. A good example are the new teaching and learning spaces in ANU's Hancock Building.

"... students want flexibility. They want to attend classes face to face one day, and access material online another. ..."

Students have always wanted flexibility, but it only in the last few years that we have had the technology to provide it and the educational research to show that such educational techniques deliver as good, or better, results than traditional courses.

"... many students say they find it more convenient to interact online and they get more opportunities to debate issues and interact online than they do in a face-to-face setting. ..."

Yes, my students find they have no where to hide on-line: they have to interact. ;-)

As an example, 24% of the assessment for the course COMP7310: ICT Sustainability, is for on-line discussion.

But for all the technological window dressing, such courses are conventional at their core: I give students guidance as to what to study, then send them off to explore; they come back regularly to discuss what they have found and then to demonstrate what they have learned, for assessment.

"... Online education also has the advantage of addressing the needs of working adults and our increasingly mobile community ..."

Education can also be made relevant to people's day jobs with Work-Integrated-Learning (WIL). As an example, those students with a relevant job have the option of writing their assignments as work reports in COMP7310. Students have contributed to the sustainability strategies of several local, state, national and international government bodies, as well as major corporations.

"What role should we be playing in online provision? ..."

The ANU has made a good start by providing support cells in the colleges. I have found the CECS Educational Development Group (EDG) of great value in refining my on-line courses.

More resources could be put into training staff in how to teach using ICT support. Obviously such courses should be offered on-line. Also a fruitful area for research is how to use on-line techniques for research supervision.

At present I am undertaking a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education. I have arranged to undertake half the certificate at USQ, with their on-line courses in assessment, evaluation and on-line pedagogy. Then I plan to blend this with work at ANU on research supervision.

"... this will clearly impact many of our activities in coming years."

In my view education is at a "tipping point" similar to that for the Internet in the mid to late 1990s. Within the next couple of years, a "course" will be assumed to be available on-line. Face-to-face contact will mostly be an optional extra and hopefully seen by the student as a valuable addition to their educational experience.

That may seem extreme, but I was an IT policy writer in the Australian Government in the late 1990s, witnessing first hand the transition from the Internet being an academic curiosity, to an essential tool. ANU played a key part in that transition and I believe that ANU will play a similarly significant role in the change to on-line education in Australia.

However, e-learning is not cost free. Apart from the expense in re-equipping university campuses with new computers, screens and networks, there is the issue of the energy these consume, the carbon emissions and e-waste generated. This is a topic I will ask my green ICT students to look into.

Classroom Laptop Stand

It is difficult to find a small, economical desktop computer suitable for classrooms. Mini-tower PCs are available for a reasonable price but take up a lot of desk space, or have to be located on a shelf underneath or knockabout on the floor. Large desktop screens can be difficult to see the teacher around. One option is a low cost laptop computer (15 Inch screens seem to be the sweet spot at present). These can be secured with a locking cable (with a cable tidy wrapping it with the low voltage power cable and Ethernet, for neatness). When not needed the laptop can be closed, making it easy to see the teacher.

What might help is a laptop stand: not the complicated and fragile adjustable sort, but a sheet of molded plastic, or perforated steel, bent to create a platform at about 12 degrees. The stand would need to be 500 mm wide, by 350 mm deep for a 15 inch laptop. This would raise the screen of the laptop about 100 mm above the table, for better viewing. The stand would extend each side of the laptop, so that cables could be plugged in and then secured in place by a cable tie through the holes in the stand (this would not stop a determined thief but would deter those who like to fiddle with computer plugs). A keyboard and mouse could be permanently secured and placed under the stand when not needed.

The closest commercial product I could find is the Cooler Master NotePal U3 Notebook Cooling Stand. But this has three fans, powered by a USB plug, which are not really necessary.

Learning Commons at University of Manchester

The University of Manchester has produced a video fly-through of the soon to open Alan Gilbert Learning Commons (AGLC). Their learning commons looks much like those being built at universities around the world, but is relatively large, having 400 computers installed for students. The video is useful as it has captions to explain the different areas typical in a learning commons. The AGLC follows the current fashion of a glass box fitted out to look like an airport executive lounge: stone and wood finishes in the foyer, brightly colored soft furnishings, minimalist white benches with thin computer screens and tubular steel office chairs.

One way the AGLC differs from Australian practice is the use of security gates at the entrance. The video shows glass gates at the entrance, which presumably require the student to swipe their ID card to enter. The University of Technology Sydney require ID cards for entry to their city campus library, but at other universities I have only seen this feature used for after hours access.

There are also some sustainability features in the building: to reduce CO2 emissions, but these are not evident in the video: triple glazing, natural ventilation, heat recovery system, day lighting sensors, photovoltaic tiles and solar hot water.

ps: While the learning commons may seem a modern idea, in some ways it is like a library. Before the invention of the printing press, illuminated manuscripts were so valuable that they were chained to the desks in medieval libraries. The learning commons has rows of computers displaying illuminated eBooks, secured to the desk with steel cables. ;-)

New management learning centre in Canberra

The Australia Institute of Management opened their new training facility in Canberra's City West Precinct. This part of the city is rapidly developing with the ANU Exchange, providing accommodation and entertainment for Australian National University students. As has happened around other major universities, hi-tech companies and commercial training providers are moving in to be close to the skills and clients the ANU attracts.

AIM's new training center has the "airport executive lounge" look now popular for education facilities (featured in many presentations at the 2011 Learning Commons Development and Design Forum). This has a muted color scheme, with polished stone, light colored wood.

AIM have inside the front door a reception counter, a library (with real books, as well as eBooks) and a kitchen counter. Opposite the reception desk is a large space which can be divided into two training rooms, by using movable walls.

One corridor has small four to eight seat tutorial rooms (with LCD panels for presentations). The rooms have large glass sliding doors on both sides, so that when not in use the space can be opened out. There is a glass wall to a courtyard beyond, which can be used for functions. As a result, it is possible to use the whole space for large functions, or divide it up for separate classes.

The layout looks well thought out. While the materials look high quality, they are also hard wearing. Unlike some university learning centers, there are no gimmicky circular learning pods, or cones of silence. Everything is rectangular to be easily divided, to make maximum use of space. An example of detail in design are that some of the bookshelves for the library are on wheels, allowing the library space to be opened up for functions.

Those considering what a learning center at a university, government department or corporation could look like, should drop in to see the new AIM Canberra offices.

Sustainability of Hi-tech Classrooms

One issue with the rush to re-equip schools, TAFEs and universities with computers is the energy and materials use this involves. The UBC Learning Space Design Guidelines (UBC, July 2011) Include a section on Sustainability (Section 5.05 of Section 5: General Design Considerations, Page 7). This specifies LEED Gold certification, for all new construction and major renovation. Computers and AV equipment is included in the LEED, but there are no separate specifications or targets set for ICT energy efficiency or materials use.

ICT Sustainability Book Published

"ICT Sustainability" is now available free on the web, as well as a print on demand paperback and a PDF eBook. This is a new edition of the notes for the postgraduate courses: COMP7310 (Australian National University), Green Technology Strategies (Australian Computer Society) and ACS25 (Open Universities Australia).

Changes from Previous Version

1. Skills descriptions: Two SFIA sustainability skills have (SUST: Sustainability strategy and SUAS: Sustainability assessment) replaced the six ICT skills specified previously.

2. Structure: The course has been divided into two sections, each covering one of the two skills.

3. Assignment Titles: The descriptions of the two assignments have been changed to match the two skills.

4. Reference Changes: The number of links to external sources and also internal links (particularly to the Glossary) has been reduced, to avoid confusing the reader. The list of sources cited has been consolidated into one section at the back and Harvard style references used.

5. Title: ICT Sustainability has replaced Green ICT in the title, to match the skills descriptions used.

ICT Sustainability: Assessment and Strategies for a Low Carbon Future

By Tom Worthington

Paperback, 137 pages

ICT Sustainability is about how to assess, and reduce, the carbon footprint and materials used with computers and telecommunications. These are the notes for an award winning course on strategies for reducing the environmental impact of computers and how to use the Internet to make business more energy efficient. This book is designed to be used with an award winning on-line course for professionals, using mentored and collaborative learning techniques.

Blend Public Libraries, Schools, Vocational and e-Learning

This is to suggest the Tasmanian, Victorian and other Australian state governments follow the lead of the ACT Government, by combining the buildings for public libraries, schools and vocation education. This could be supplemented with on-line education resources, to improve education and remove the political problem over the closure of some schools and libraries in Tasmania and Victoria.

On 16 June 2011, Tasmanian Minister for Education and Skills,
Nick McKim, MP released a list of twenty Schools Considered for Closure. This caused understandable concern in the community and the decision was put on hold, 4 July 2011. However, the demographic shifts, with fewer students in some areas and more in other, has not gone away and the difficult political decisions on school closures have been postponed, not eliminated. In the interim funding spent on underused schools will have to come from other areas of the education system, with the Minister announcing $4M of cuts in other programs.

The Minister himself identified part of the solution to this problem in "Tasmania outshines nation in e-learning (27 July 2011). Tasmania has an advanced e-learning system which could be combined with the resources of its state library, schools and vocation training, to provide information and education services across the state. Students and the public could then share the buildings and on-line services. Citizens could also make use of any of the on-line educational resources at home.

Currently many Tasmanian towns have a public library, being a branch of the State Library of Tasmania, a primary school, a secondary school and in some cases upper secondary and vocational training centers ( The Tasmanian Academy, Tasmanian Polytechnic and the Tasmanian Skills Institute).

Educational and civic facilities can be combined, as is done at new Gungahlin Library, in Canberra, which combines a public library, the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) and Gungahlin College. This approach obviously is easier to implement on a larger scale and with upper secondary school than a primary school. But it should be possible to combine such facilities on a smaller scale.

The use of some e-learning will also allow some of the the teaching to be decoupled from student supervision. That is the teachers looking after the students at a location need not be "teaching" them. In fact modern educational techniques emphasize the student directing their own learning, in a group, with the teacher as a guide: teachers don't teach at students any more.

This same approach could be applied in Victoria, where the stae government is reducing funding to council libraries. There would a be a more complex administrative problem in implementing shared library and school facilities in Victoria, than in Tasmania or ACT, as there is an additional elvel of government invoked, with the public libraries in Victoria run by councils, whereas the Tasmanian and ACT ones are run centrally. However, the traditional funding available from shared facilities should more than compensate for any administrative complexity.

New Gungahlin Library and Learning Centre

Greetings from the new Gungahlin Library, which opened 21 May 2011. It is adjacent to the Gungahlin town centre, in the north of Canberra. Downstairs the library has a branch of the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). Next to the library is the Gungahlin College which also shares the library facilities. The library is a large open, modern, well equipped building, but not without problems.

The library is at an intersection next to the town centre. This should make it convenient to walk from the shops, across the road to the library. However, the library is set back 25 metres from the intersection and the library entrance is about another 25 metres along at the other end of the building. The open space next to the library probably looked like a pleasant open space in the artist's renderings, but in reality is a cold, windswept, desolate expanse of concrete, in a Canberra winter. This flaw in the design could be fixed in the future by extending the building up to the road with a door at that end. The space freed up at the other end of the building could then be used as a learning commons for the CIT and the College. The extended building would also shelter the small located park in front of the college.

Once I found the door, the library proved to be warm, bright and inviting. Unfortunately it is too bright, with unshaded glass on the northern side of the building, resulting in direct sunlight hitting the computer screens, which have been placed on this side of the building (they would have been better on the south side). Some shading devices need to be placed on the building.

Contrary to the modern trend in libraries, most of the floor space is taken up with library shelves. But this is somewhat deceptive, as the shelves are only half full. The librarians have placed numerous books flat on the shelves and multiple copies of popular novels to fill up some of the space. But even so, there are sections of shelving completely empty giving the library a slightly deserted feeling. This, combined with the problem of not being able to see clearly up the rows of shelves when looking north (due to the glare from the windows), did not make for the most pleasant browsing experience.

There are useful group rooms located in the library, as well as the training rooms downstairs for the CIT. There is also an excellent children's area with some built in games, such as hopscotch.

Computers for the patrons are on interesting hexagonal desks with alternating short and long sides. Unfortunately ugly, poorly designed metal arms have been used to mount the LCD computer screens on the desks. These are very difficult to adjust and incorporate badly located USB sockets. I had to unclasp the arm and wiggle the weight of the monitor and arm down to adjust the height. I found I could then not tilt the monitor into an upright position. Also tilting the monitor resulted in the power plug falling out. The Library should send these arms back to the suppler and reinstall the desk stands which came with the monitors.

The Library is advertised as having a Cafe and while there is an area with a kitchen, counter and cafe tables, there is no cafe operating.

Apart from a cafe, what I look for in a library is a magazine rack with comfortable chairs nearby. This library has an excellent rack, but the actual magazine selection proved disappointing and the seating, while comfortable, had the problem of glare from the excessive northern glazing.

Overall this is an excellent facility for the community to grow into, after the problems with the design are fixed.

Journal of Learning Spaces

The newly created Journal of Learning Spaces has issued a Call for Submissions for their first issue:

The Journal of Learning Spaces provides a scholarly, multidisciplinary forum for research articles, case studies, book reviews, and position pieces that examine higher education learning spaces in the context of space design, use, and management, as well as assessment, evaluation, and pedagogical practices. Please visit our Focus and Scope page for more information.

Research Manuscripts, Position Pieces, and Case Studies submissions are double-blind peer reviewed.

All submissions are due on or before June 30, 2011.

Multi-touch Monitors For Presentations

Interactive whiteboards have become popular for use in classrooms. However, these are expensive, limited to use by a small number of people. They have proved less popular in university teaching spaces. An interesting alternative is a touch sensitive LCD monitor, such as the HP 2310t, 23 Inch Monitor. This looks like an ordinary wide screen monitor, but has a multi-touch interface surface, like a large tablet computer. At about $550 this is less than an interactive whiteboard. It could be placed out the front of a tutorial room or lecture theatre, in place of a conventional monitor and used with a mouse and keyboard. When the touch interface was needed the screen could be tilted almost horizontal and used by one or two people, with the display relayed to a large projection screen for the class to see.

Learning in the Adelaide North Terrace Cultural Precinct

Dr Diana Quinn, from the University of South Australia Learning and Teaching Unit (LTU) gave me a quick tour of their City West Campus, at the western end of the Adelaide North Terrace Cultural Precinct. This nicely bookends the terrace, which has the state library, museum and art gallery in the middle and the Unviersity of Adelaide a the other end. I sat in on a presentation about the UniSA new $95 million City West student learning centre. The exterior design of the building has been largely finalised, but I discussed some of the options for design of the teaching rooms with Professor Margaret Hicks, Director of Learning and Teaching.

INSPIRE Centre for ICT Pedagogy, Practice and Research

The University of Canberra has released the web site for their new Inspire Centre for ICT Pedagogy, Practice and Research. A building for the centre is due to be opened by the end of the year. The slide show about the centre shows a cabret style teaching room with ten nine seater circular tables each table with its own wall screen.

In partnership with the the ACT Department of Education and Training, the University of Canberra’s INSPIRE Centre seeks to lead ICT pedagogy and practice to advance a practical vision for educating with technology in the 21st Century. This vision will be informed by research and development on the innovative application of ICT to improve learning [...]

Science on Wheels

Greetings from the new Science Library at the Unviersity of Western Australia. The library has a relatively conservative interior design, blending a traditional library with that of a new learning commons. The colour pallet is muted, with blond wood panelling matching the cream coloured concrete, which reflects the tones of limestone blocks of the campus's traditional buildings. There is a small reserve collection of books on the ground floor, enclosed in floor to ceiling glass, to show books still have a place in libraries. There is also a selection of new books and journals on display. There are rows of computers and some small work-group booths with chest high partitions. What is not noticeable at first is that most of the furniture, including tables and bookcases, are on wheels, allowing them to be easily rearranged. Apart from the reserve collection, there are no fixed walls in the space.