Innovative Learning Pods Praised By Students and Staff
11 March 2013
A project to create an informal learning environment of around 100 seats at the University's Markeaton Street site has received high praise from students.
The Institute for Learning Enhancement and Innovation (LEI) worked closely with colleagues in the ADT Faculty to deliver an informal learning environment at the Markeaton Street site. The work is part of a larger project that LEI is leading to enhance learning spaces across the University, to meet the rising expectations of students and ensure that these spaces are leading edge.
The Markeaton Street project has two distinct areas that have created approximately 100 seats in total. A flexible space for work and social activities on the ground floor and some Learning Pods on the first and second floor.
The Pods were installed in space previously under-utilised and were fitted out with the latest audio-visual technologies, to allow students and staff to hook mobile devices into the system and use large displays to work in groups or pairs. They can simply sit in a pod and listen to music from their MP3 player, work as a group on a presentation or use the internet to research and discuss findings.
Student feedback has been positive about how the space looks and how they use it to meet, study and socialise.
In a recent survey students said the Pods were excellent and a positive addition, citing that the resources were great and the space ideal for production and planning meetings.
Staff have reported that the space is used for small tutorial group meetings and that the technology was particularly useful for subjects aligned to the ADT Faculty. They suggested that the Pods introduced flexible learning opportunities for students with one member of staff specifically stating it made their teaching strategies more flexible too, saying: "They are a fantastic resource for students and staff, to meet and discuss learning and development of ideas".
The LEI team is evaluating the space to inform the design of future learning spaces working closely with colleagues from ITS and Estates to drive innovation across the University. More information and video feedback can be found on the LEI website www.derby.ac.uk/lei/tel/learning-spaces/markeaton-street
