ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 642 / C&RL News ■ October 2002 College & Research Libraries news The wired classroom Dream and reality by Peggy White and Shauna Rutherford D o es sp a c e affect teaching? P icture y o u r­ se lf at th e fro n t o f a large, im p e rso n a l lecture theater facing 250 strangers or in a s airless, poorly designed room. Connecting with students can b e a difficult challenge u n d e r ei­ th er o f th e s e circum stances, e v e n fo r gifted educators, but it is even m ore difficult for those w ith average instructional skills. The book Seven Principles fo r Good Practice in Undergraduate E ducation provides guidelines to som e o f the critical ele m en ts th at contribute to effective teaching a n d learning: “G o o d practice: E ncourages student faculty interaction Encourages cooperation am ong students Encourages active learning Gives p rom pt feedback Em phasizes time o n task Communicates high expectations R e sp e cts d iv erse ta le n ts a n d w a y s of learning.”1 Intuiting from th ese principles, it a p p ea rs obvious that som e spaces are m ore contribu­ tory to tea ch in g a n d lea rn in g th a n others. A g o o d instructional space sh o u ld facilitate and e n ab le “g o o d p ra c tic e .” D oes the traditional library classroom setting do this? Decidedly not. Neutrality is o ften the b est it achieves. T here is little o p p o rtu n ity for in stru cto r/stu d en t in­ teraction, active learning, collaboration, or feed­ back. It is th e te a c h e r w h o s p e n d s “tim e o n m task" n ot the student. In fact, w hile teaching is occurring, learning is moot. ll, Traditional classrooms also d o n ot m eet the standards a nd expectations of today’s under­ graduates. Members o f G eneration Y are often criticized for their short attention span, but author D on Tapscott p roposes that they really just have a different w ay of learning a n d an intolerance for boredom .2 There is a big dif­ ference. Students w h o are engaged in their learning will b e attentive, b ut engaging them is not necessarily easy. Unlike professors w h o have an entire term to build relationships with students and gain their confidence a nd respect, m ost librarians have one class period (often n ot m ore than 50 m inutes) to “m ake it or break it.” And it is no secret that the research process does not e n ­ thrall, so anything w e can do to m ake the ses­ sion m ore interactive, interesting, a nd m ean­ ingful is crucial if learning is to take place. The right space promotes this and gives us that op ­ portunity. Background In 1997, the University of Calgary (UC), a m e­ dium-sized university of approxim ately 20,000 students, undertook a strategic planning exer­ cise that ascertained w hich aspects of a uni­ versity education w ere critical to student learn­ ing. High on the list w as the n e ed for a more learner-centered environm ent. Skills such as information literacy that w ould enable students a About t he auth ors Peggy White is head o f science and technology liaison services, e-mail: pwhite@ucalgary.ca, and Shauna Rutherford is coordinator o f general instruction and liaison librarian fo r anthropology, archeology, social work and culture studies a t the University o f Calgary, e-mail: srutherf@ucalgary.ca mailto:pwhite@ucalgary.ca mailto:srutherf@ucalgary.ca C&RL News ■ October 2002 / 643 to succeed in this new environment became even more important, but how to achieve this was the question. A new library space that would help realize the transformation process was articulated and in 1999 the Information Commons (IC) was opened. Two of the central conceptual building blocks for the IC were the idea of a scholar’s workstation and a unified workplace. The IC provides the space, technology, and expertise needed to support the scholarly use of infor­ mation resources in all their forms.3 Access is provided to productivity tools, such as the Microsoft Office suite, as well as research re­ sources, including the Internet, library data­ bases, and catalogs. A suite of instructional programs and a state-of-the-art, wired class­ room suitable for hands-on instruction sup­ ports this objective. Expert assistance is avail­ able for all resources. In this classroom, stu­ dents receive instruction in all components of the scholarly process, from research to final paper or presentation. Th e d e s ig n Central to the effective use of the space are the actual design elements. The classroom is highly flexible, allowing for both large and small classes. A central moveable wall allows the 50- seat space to be broken into two smaller 25- seat classrooms. When the classroom is in its large configuration, dual overhead beam pro­ jectors project the same information onto two screens, one located on each side of the class­ room; therefore, visibility is always good. A microphone enables the instructor to easily project to the full space. The high-density screens provide a high-quality image, allowing the instructor to teach in normal lighting or use a dimmer when desired. Except for the wall, the space is always ready to use without a lot of preparation. The IC classroom is designed to facilitate interactive learning. Aisles between the work­ stations are wide, allowing an instructor to eas­ ily assist an individual student. The space en­ hances the interaction between student and teacher by encouraging contact and discussion. Workstation desks are 6-feet long, which al­ lows for the joint use of a station by two stu­ dents. Collaboration and interaction between students is easily achieved and learning im­ proved. “Working with others often increases involvement in learning. Sharing one’s own "I th in k th a t th e [In fo rm a tio n C o m m o n s] h a s a c t u a lly im p ro v e d m y t e a c h in g s ty le . I'm b e tte r a b le to a d d re s s th e n e e d s o f d if fe r e n t le a rn e rs . I a lw a y s p ro v id e h a n d o u ts , h a v e a P o w e rP o in t p re s e n ta tio n , an d th e n a llo w s t u d e n ts to g o h a n d s-o n fo r e x p e r ie n tia l le a rn in g ." ideas and responding to others’ actions sharp­ ens thinking and deepens understanding.”4 Workstation desks are positioned so that the PCs are angled towards the front of the classroom. Students have easy visibility of both the instructor and the computer monitor at all times during an instruction session. Time spent on task, active learning, and the rich, rapid feedback provided by going live are a class­ room reality. In short, the environment includes many of the elements of the “seven principles of good practice” identified as critical to the learning process. The space is comfortable and ideal for teaching. Unfortunately space alone does not determine success. C o n n e c tiv ity Designed for hands-on instruction, the class­ room represents a long-awaited goal. Yet, frui­ tion of this goal is only possible if network conditions are favorable. Depending on the class and database being taught, between three and four servers may be involved in the deliv­ ery of the product. If any one of these is less than satisfactory (either down or slow), the goal o f achieving interactive instruction will fail. A teaching environment that depends on simultaneous interaction between the students, the teacher, and the electronic database does not tolerate lengthy delays and Web crashes. The following example is illustrative of the complexity surrounding teaching in a net­ worked environment. Access to databases at the UC library is pro­ vided over the Internet. The first and most important server in this configuration is the Domain Name Server (DNS), which sends the URLs out to the appropriate database supplier. The DNS is usually quite reliable and rarely 6 4 4 / C&RL News ■ O ctober 2002 In a n a c tiv e le a r n in g e n v iro n m e n t, stu d e n ts m u st ta k e so m e r e s p o n s ib ilit y f o r t h e ir o w n le a r n in g . goes down, but the same can not be said of the University Web Server (UWS) through which the DNS is accessed. The UWS delivers the library’s Web pages and establishes the internal link to the databases. As the demand across the campus for Web access increases, the UWS often experiences slowdowns or crashes due to bandwidth problems and traf­ fic volume. Even when the UWS and the DNS are functioning well, other problems can arise depending on the databases being taught. Until recently, many o f our most popu­ lar databases w ere offered over an ERL server. This server housed the software that connected us to WebSPIRS software and our Silverplatter databases. In situations of heavy simultaneous use, the server slowed to a crawl or denied access altogether. Baffled by problems we did not understand, finding a solution was not easy. Techni­ calities such as port settings and inadequate server capacity were foreign concepts to those providing instruction. It was difficult for us to ask the right questions and to de­ scribe the problems in a sufficiently d e­ tailed manner to prompt a correct response. The process was long, arduous, and costly. Most significantly, the teaching li­ brarian lost confidence in his or her abil­ ity to deliver live, hands-on instruction to large groups o f students. Even the most sanguine o f us faces a hands-on class with a fair bit o f trepidation. Much o f our focus is on technological issues rather than con ­ tent and pedagogy. S ta ffin g Technology is not the only challenge instruc­ tion librarians face in changing teaching ven­ ues to the IC classroom s. The new facility greatly raised our profile on campus. Requests for instruction have steadily increased and a record number of students have come through our doors for information literacy sessions. We welcome this exposure, but it has resulted in a considerable increase in time that a librarian must devote to the instruction com ponent o f his or her work. All instruction librarians at the UC library hold a diverse portfolio that includes collection devel­ opment, reference, departmental liaison, and com­ mittee and faculty service. In addition, whereas our old lecture or demo-style BI sessions usually only involved one librarian, hands-on sessions generally require participation of one-to-three ad­ ditional staff members. Our complement of li­ brarians, library assistants, and technical support staff did not increase in response to this de­ mand, so the pressures are significant Pressure also came from expectations that our teaching style would change to fit this new learn er-cen tered environm ent. Sessions can be interactive. Students can w ork collaboratively with the instructor and other students. Not everyone w el­ com es this change. There are a few among us w ho seldom or never choose it, opting instead to go out to lecture classroom s or use library spaces intended for demos only. In a lecture or demo, control over session content is entirely retained by the instructor. In a live, hands-on environment, some of this control is inevitably sacrificed because students can wander, get lost, or simply redirect the focus of the session. It takes longer to deliver the same information and some content will unavoidably be lost. Finally, there is always the ever-looming possibility of system failure. Instead of facing these challenges, a librarian may well choose to reject this method of teaching and continue in the traditional manner. Unfortu­ nately, while control of content is thereby re­ tained it does not mean that comparable learning takes place. Teaching is not learning. In an active learning environment, students must take some responsibility for their own learning. In fact, the high expectation o f the student’s ability to learn is another key teach­ ing principle.’ In order to achieve this desir­ able outcome, an instructor must be prepared to relinquish some control, put learning in the students’ hands, and risk a possible loss in con­ tent and coverage. The seriousness of this mat­ ter can not be understated. It often prevents instruction librarians from taking full advan­ tage of the hands-on capabilities of the wired classroom. When you have only 50 minutes to deliver a session, the need to cover basic con­ tent often pushes aside the much-desired stu­ dent practice and learning time. C&RL News ■ October 2002 / 645 C o n c lu sio n Despite the many issues and challenges that we have faced, there is no question that most of the instruction librarians at UC consider the IC classroom to be a resounding success. It has enhanced our image as professionals and improved both the teaching and learn­ ing experience. Some typical comments include “the qual­ ity of my instruction experience has gone way up with the new facility as many of the [tech­ nical] details are now taken care of, like the workstation setup, the projector setup, etc.;” “the presence of so many computers and the professional design create an impression of competence and flair which we need to have when dealing with the gen-xers;” “I think that the [Information Commons] has actually im­ proved my teaching style. I’m better able to address the needs of different learners. I al­ ways provide handouts, have a PowerPoint presentation, and then allow students to go hands-on for experiential learning. I don’t think I would have been as aware of this had we not had to teach in the IC.”6 Does space affect good teaching? Abso­ lutely. A well-designed space enables an in­ structor to tailor his or her teaching style to advance learning. In the case of instruction on electronic resources, experiential learning is essential if concepts are to be absorbed and retained. What remains is the ability of the instructor to adapt to something that is more flexible and less controlled. N o te s 1. Arthur W. Chickering and Zelda F. Gamson,“Appendix A: Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education,” New Direc­ tions fo r Teaching an dL earning, no. 47 (1991): 63. 2. Don Tapscott, Growing Up Digital: the Rise o f the Net G eneration (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997), 108-9. 3. Information Commons. “Information Hub Planning Document.” Calgary, AB: Uni­ versity of Calgary, 1999- Available online at http://www.ucalgary.ca/IR/infocommons/ conceptdoc.htm [cited 2 January 2002]. 4. Chickering and Gamson, Seven Principles fo r Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, 65. 5. Chickering and Gamson, Seven Principlesf o r Good Practice in Undergraduate Education‚ 63. 6. Comments from University of Calgary Librarians. ■ http://www.ucalgary.ca/IR/infocommons/