The Virtual Learning Commons

In recent years, school building policy in New Zealand has emphasised the development of flexible learning spaces (fls). Through deliberate design choices, flexible learning spaces are intended to promote student-centred and collaborative teaching practice, creating an innovative learning environment which is adaptable and future-focussed. However, this intended practice is not always realised. This article draws on data from a study examining the practice of seven English teachers working in a flexible learning space in one New Zealand secondary school. Using Lefebvre’s spatial triad of conceived, perceived and lived space, the author will argue that elements of the learning space are imbued with layers of visual symbolism, highlighting the tensions between the rhetoric and the reality of innovative practice in flexible learning spaces. While the policy intent of the flexible learning space is made visible through elements of its design, the use of the space by teachers and students indicates that their visual interpretations of these elements can serve to reinforce teaching and learning practices that flexible learning spaces are designed to disrupt. These findings highlight that teachers require increased spatial competence and critical awareness of visual learning space elements to maximise the potential of fls for innovative teaching and learning.

The debriefing phase in human patient simulation is considered to be crucial for learning. To ensure good learning conditions, the use of small groups is recommended, which poses a major challenge when the student count is high. The use of large groups may provide an alternative for typical lecture-style education and contribute to a more frequently and repeated training which is considered to be important for achieving simulation competency. The purpose of the present study was to describe nursing students’ experiences obtained during the debriefing conducted in small and large groups with the use of a qualitative descriptive approach. The informants had participated in a human patient simulation situation either in large or small groups. Data was collected through the use of five focus-group interviews and analysed by content analysis. The findings showed that independent of group-size the informants experienced the learning strategies to be unfamiliar and intrusive, and in the large groups to such an extent that learning was hampered. Debriefing was perceived as offering excellent opportunities for transferable learning, and activity, predictability and preparedness were deemed essential. Small groups provided the best learning conditions in that safety and security were ensured, but were perceived as providing limited challenges to accommodate professional requirements as a nurse. Simulation competency as a prerequisite for learning was shown not to be developed isolated in conjunction with simulation, but depends on a systematic effort to build a learning community in the programme in general. The faculty needs to support the students to be conscious and accustomed to learning as a heightened experience of learning out of their comfort zone.

Acoustical design in classrooms has evolved significantly since the ANSI S12.60-2002 standard was first established. Since then, institutions such as Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) have adopted aspects of the ANSI standard for school projects. Simultaneously, architects are creating increasingly flexible classroom designs. The push for a more flexible learning space sometimes clashes with acoustical design requirements stipulated by LEED and CHPS. This paper will discuss some of the acoustic design challenges of creating flexible, 21st century learning spaces while at the same time meeting the acoustic requirements driven by LEED and CHPS compliance. Discussion will include movable partitions in a learning space that work, sound absorptive finishes implemented beyond the standard suspended acoustical ceiling, and non-conventional mechanical systems in classroom settings. Some case studies will illustrate the discussion.

A university without an academic library is unimaginable since the library serves as a pivot for both learning and research. Freeman (2005), while talking about the importance of a library in academic life, stated that it holds a unique position, symbolizing the heart of the institution. A good library is not only one that stacks printed material or has portals to access online resources but also provides a flexible learning space with reading rooms, facilitates discussion and encourages collaborative learning and scholarship. With limited resources, it is increasingly difficult for universities to allocate funds to re-design library spaces. Modern academic libraries have to respond not only to pedagogical changes but also to technological changes, accommodating them in the library space design and management. Modern libraries are trying to integrate features of the traditional form of learning as well as the digital form. This book will present case studies and empirical evidence discussing the changing face of libraries. It will talk about re-modeling of existing libraries with the help of new architectural design to utilize the space and inculcate the digital literacy development. Scholars discuss, in the chapters, how they meet users’ needs and how they use in stakeholders’ inputs to design innovative library spaces.

Formal learning, though usually conducted within the four walls of classrooms, with or without technology, is not complete, unless connected to the authentic environment. This has made ground truthing essential. With present-day technology, we can measure an entire catchment and understand its capacities, impact on a region and mankind’s positive or negative influences. But without verification by ground truthing, our data from space are hypothetical at best. This is where fieldwork becomes unquestionably an essential part of learning. However, learning through fieldwork is not just about having a direct experience of the locational environment, but also about making educated judgement about the location, based on observations and measurements of desired parameters, to make sense of the environment, to be locationally aware, contextually rich, and to be able to relate the two in a way that unravels the uniqueness of the subject. Today’s many technological tools can provide the required support for doing such a task, but it requires a modest investment of time and resources to produce something academically substantial. Mobile technology, however, has managed to bring the many previously impossible tasks together and made them not just possible but also pervasive and affordable, not just to the elite few but to the general learner groups. For this reason, in the present learning arena, using the mobile technology is not just riding the technological bandwagon, but an essential vehicle to reach out to the learners far and wide, to empower the masses, to encourage even the ‘not-so-initiated’ learners to think, to excite the ‘already-initiated’ learners to look further afield and generally to expand the horizons of learning. Field-based authentic learning, though desired, is often hard to execute due to big student groups, lack of curriculum time and the inevitable need to gather huge database for any in-depth research to achieve academically sound outcomes. Because of the operational constraints, many a time field-based learning is done to fill in some gaps in the learning strategies but cannot be incorporated in a comprehensive learning outcome. The chapter focuses on authentic learning through fieldwork and also how applications on mobile phones are used to not just help in field observations but also how mobile technology is used in managing the total learning environment, starting from field data collection to post-field data organization, and analysis, thus completing the whole learning circle to create a knowledge base on the intended topic. It will focus on how even large groups of students can be engaged in doing authentic field-based study and also do in-depth analysis through collective database development and socially negotiated knowledge. The chapter also looks at how mobile technology can be used to conduct large group learning in authentic environments and how learning is helped by using modes with least learning curves and without additional capability requirement. There are examples from actual work done by students in remote areas, using mobile technology, but with little other infrastructural support, to collectively develop academically sound data sets and then analysing these to achieve target learning outcomes, without impinging excessively on the given curriculum timeframe.

The ecological-constraints model proposes that increased group size increases within-group feeding competition, necessitating increased travel and, consequently, constraining group size. Previous studies have supported the model for frugivores, but its applicability to folivores remains untested. This study evaluated the generality of the model by re-examining the relationship between day range and group size for a folivorous species for which published accounts have not found a relationship between these factors. This study differs from earlier studies by accounting for variation in food availability, which may drive changes in day range. We quantified the relationships among food availability, day range, and group size for two red colobus groups at Kibale National Park, Uganda. Mean day range and home range were significantly greater for the group of 48 individuals compared to the group of 24 individuals. The large group traveled more and rested less than the small group. The large group also traveled more rapidly than the small group. Food availability significantly predicted mean day range for the large group, but not for the small group. Analyses of covariance demonstrated that the large and small group responded differently to changes in food availability. These observations suggest that the large red colobus group experiences greater levels of within-group feeding competition than the small group. This study provides added support for the generality of the ecological-constraints model and contributes toward an understanding of the mechanisms controlling feeding competition and social organization in primates.

The author presents a survey of the development of large group theory. Older publications (e.g. Kreeger, Turqet, also drawing on Freud, M. Klein, Bion) describe the chaotic-aggressive, near-psychosis character of the large group, a certain contrast between the seemingly ‘benign’ small group and the ‘destructive’ large group and a predominantly dyadic relationship between the conductor and the large group. More recent publications (Wilke, Island, formerly also de Maré) underline the creative-constructive potential of the large group and the intersubjective interweaving of the conductor and the large group. Experiences with a conductor-pair in the daily large group of the Altaussee workshop instead of one conductor are discussed. The author pleads for the application of modern intersubjective theorizing to the large group. The analytic attitude and intervention technique would be changed: the traditional position of strict neutrality, anonymity and abstinence as well as the emphasis on whole-group interpretations would be substituted by a more open stance that does not hide the subjectivity of the conductor(s) but rather reveals and uses the conductor’s subjectivity to promote the analytic process.

Convergence is a term that has been gaining increasing attention across the globe. Conceptually situated between technological and socio-cultural domains – as has been intensely debated between the technological and social determinists since the birth of computer mediated communication (CMC) – mobile culture is no exception. It is powered by inter-operable and multi-functional mobile telecommunication technologies, which are also becoming increasingly high functional especially via fixed-mobile convergence, interconnecting fixed and wireless broadband networks. Wide diffusion and convergence of digital communication technologies – wired and wireless – in recent years have resulted in the emergence of two key paradigmatic convergences: between technology and sociality, and between productivity and play. I will first elucidate these convergences; I will then discuss cultural characteristics of specific East Asian cultures, focusing on South Korea, China, and Japan.

Engineering education is an important part of preparing quality graduates for the challenges of the Covid-19 and post-pandemic conditions, and electronics engineering education is no exception. Blended learning-based projects as an alternative to innovative learning at this time. This study aims to explore and explain the application of blended learning-based projects in electronics engineering education courses. The research method used is a project-based product design and development carried out by blended learning. We conduct our project activities in higher education special students from Electronic Engineering Education that take part in the learning of this project. Students who participate are only limited to small groups to avoid the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, in 1 small group consisting of 3-5 people and there is 1 group leader who manages the work, while other members are supportive and help complete joint projects. The results of this study show the ability of students to work by implementing project-based learning in producing products, namely Exhaust Fan products based on Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) as a form of a mini prototype that can be used for small household scale industries. The ability of students to work on product manufacturing by applying the principles of project-based learning in the category already has the ability to, skilled and thoroughly working on the project that was planned until it succeeded in becoming a product prototype which was carried out in project-based blended learning.

<p>La formación inicial del profesorado, asentada en un enfoque curricular técnico, presenta para el docente algunas limitaciones. Superarlas, sólo es posible escuchando cómo vive el estudiante su proceso formativo. El estudio que presentamos, tiene como objetivos conocer la experiencia de una maestra sobre su formación inicial; analizar cómo sus carencias prácticas en el aula fueron compensadas con su participación en un proyecto, basado en la Investigación – Acción; y observar cómo desde esta participación, la alumna descubre el método de Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos (ABP) y lo pone en práctica en su aula. Para llevar a cabo el estudio se analizan los diarios biográficos de la protagonista, notas de campo y una entrevista semiestructurada. El análisis de datos nos lleva a concluir, que resulta necesario ofrecer al maestro en formación el conocimiento de métodos como el ABP, permitirle que lleve estas experiencias a la práctica y reflexione sobre sus bondades.</p>

For social groups to form and be stable over time, animals must develop strategies to cope with conflict among group members. Animals may behave submissively either by fleeing from an aggressor, or by signalling submission. The use of these two submissive responses may vary depending on the social and ecological context. Group size is a key aspect of social context for group living animals, as individuals in smaller groups may respond to aggression differently than those from larger groups. Here, we examine the relationship between group size and submissive behaviour in a cooperatively breeding fish, the daffodil cichlid (Neolamprologus pulcher). We found that subordinate fish showed similar levels of submission signals in response to dominant aggression in larger and smaller groups, however, subordinates from larger groups were less likely to flee from dominant aggression than those in smaller groups. Subordinates in larger groups also showed more digging behaviour which may be also used to avoid conflict with the dominant group members. Our data show that social context affects submissive behaviour in a cooperatively breeding fish.

Learning space preferences of higher education students

Collaborative classroom has started to replace traditional classroom in education. Flexible learning space promotes an engaging, active and learner friendly learning environment. There are many discussions about their design, architecture, effectiveness and acceptance to the students and lecturers. It is undeniable that collaborative learning space is able to support various types of learning styles of students. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that affect students’ acceptance and usage of X-Space based on the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model. Data were collected from 370 students from five schools of the Foundation Programme. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to analyse the data. This study focused on Foundation students, and the result should not be used for generalization. In the future, research can be expanded to focus on degree and postgraduate students. Lastly, with the result obtained in this research, it contributes to universities and institutions that plan to introduce and implement similar collaborative classroom facilities. This research can be used as a guide for them to design and implement technologies-rich collaborative classroom.

O objetivo deste estudo foi o estabelecimento do estado da arte da pesquisa sobre biblioteca escolar no Brasil, entre 1975 e 2011, buscando identificar: assuntos pesquisados; embasamento teórico-conceitual; metodologias e técnicas utilizadas; resultados e conclusões dos estudos. A metodologia foi análise documental de setenta relatos de pesquisa sobre o tema, separados em seis categorias: biblioteca escolar como espaço de aprendizagem, interação bibliotecário/professor, estudos de usos e usuários, coleção, leitura e pesquisa escolar. Os resultados revelaram que existe consciência da necessidade de se garantir o espaço da biblioteca na escola, considerando-se que ela pode contribuir para a aprendizagem. Há mais estudos na categoria leitura, e tendência no aumento da categoria pesquisa escolar. A necessidade de trabalho conjunto professor/bibliotecário foi reafirmada. Os estudos de uso e usuários ainda estão presos a abordagem tradicional, não conseguindo realizar um diálogo efetivo com a questão pedagógica. As metodologias dos estudos analisados foram em sua maioria qualitativas e o referencial teórico apresentou fragilidade, resultante da pouca clareza de seu uso.

To our knowledge, there is a need to develop a methodological approach to the assessment of united communities` human resources` level of interactions, as a large group, and of separate structural unit’s – a small group. This allows us to determine the dependence of the level of interactions on the number of people who interact within a particular structure and the nature of the activity they carry out – intellectual or manual labor. The purpose of our research is to develop a methodological approach to the assessment of the level of human resources` interactions, which allows us to identify key areas and policy measures. Expert assessments and analytical dependencies are used as research tools in the article. These tools allow us to quantitatively determine the level of human resources` interactions for an individual entity. Empirical implementation of the proposed approach, using the example of two entities varying in size and nature of labor, allowed us to make a comparative analysis and to distinguish the characteristic features that are the basis for making managerial decisions. A manager acts as an expert who assesses the presence or absence of a particular event in the subordinate unit. The indicator, which characterizes the presence or absence of certain activities and the level of participation in them, is defined on the basis of managerial assessment. The next stage is to determine the interaction rate by means of certain mathematical dependencies and results` analysis. As a result of the research, we got the assessment of the level of human resources` interactions between two entities – a united community and a structural unit. The assessment revealed a dependence on the level of interactions on the entity`s size (small and large groups) and the nature of labor. The results showed that a structural unit, focused on intellectual labor and presented by a small group, has a greater level of interactions than a united community, which has a bigger size and a predominance of manual labor.