SCHOMS’ growing influence on the world of learning spaces andaudiovisual technology in HE was reflected at its record 2014conference at the University of Exeter.

63 delegates from 48 UK institutions heard of the latestinternational initiatives, student collaborations and professionaldevelopments from a body of partners and associates.

The international contingent included keynote speaker Dr GordonHowell, Associate Director of Learning Environments at QueenslandUniversity of Technology; David Labuskes, Executive Director andChief Executive Officer of InfoComm International; andrepresentatives of CCUMC and AETM – SCHOMS’ equivalentorganisations in the USA and Australia respectively.

The increasingly important student perspective was provided byAlex Louch of the Students’ Guild atExeter with strong supportingmessages from both the Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Smithand Head of Learning Spaces,Elaine Cordy.

Professional developmentsincluded a tour of Exeter’s flagship£48m student services building, TheForum.

connectionsexpertise creativity enhancement technology community support no5 autumn 2014

Leeds Met to host2015 conference

‘No AV/IT jobdistinction any more’

Innovation awardfor 3G streaming

www.schoms.ac.uk

In touch withall the latest

Presentations reported in this issue were recorded and links will be sent directly to members viaemail. If you’re not a member, please contact the SCHOMS office to obtain the links.Listen in full

Delegates experienced the latest touch-tablecollaborative learning for themselves - page 8

Suppliers and buyers joined an important debate about procurement - page 12

A breakthrough agreement washeralded under which all SCHOMSUK institutions become members ofInfoComm International - page 6

2

schoms conference 2014 www.schoms.ac.uk

SHAKE on it. . . Paul Wood(left), Deputy Director of ITservices at BangorUniversity, took over asChair from Simon Birkettduring the AGM atSCHOMS14.

Paul praised Simon’scontribution during histwo-year term. “SCHOMShas benefited greatly fromthe skills and experiencethat Simon brought to therole,” he said.

Simon, TechnologyEnhanced LearningManager at the Universityof Derby, said that helpingto raise the profile ofSCHOMS nationally andinternationally counted

among the highlights of histenure.

He singled out workingwith other UK professionalbodies such as UCISA andAUDE in relation to astrategic toolkit forlearning space design andSCHOMS’ recentinvolvement with JISCscoping support needs forthe digital student.

He also pointed to

InfoComm membership forall, the delivery of a newwebsite and a membershipthat now stands at 93institutions made up of225 individual members.

Adding his own tribute,Simon said: “Everything isvery much a team effortinvolving the whole Exec –which is a tremendousgroup of people to workwith.”

On the steps of The Forum. . . record-breaking number of SCHOMS delegates line up for a team photo.

schoms14 in pictures

ATTENTION is now turningto the SCHOMS ‘15conference.

Leeds MetropolitanUniversity has beenchosen as the venue from15-18 June 2015.

Leeds Met is one of onlythree universities in the UKto hold the CustomerService Excellence Award.

A number of itsbuildings have receiveddesign awards, includingthe Carnegie Pavilion, amulti-use building inpartnership with YorkshireCounty Cricket Club;Carnegie Village, the on-campus studentaccommodation and TheRose Bowl, home of theBusiness School.

Leeds Met tohost 2015conference

Paul takesover asChair

schoms conference 2014

3

Twitter: @SCHOMSinfo

PROFESSIONAL services matter as much as academicperformance when it comes to delivering the experiencethat students expect and need in the new educationmarketplace, Prof Sir Steve Smith told SCHOMS14.

“What happens academically matters, but also whathappens within professional services matters enormously tostudent satisfaction,” he said.

“I cannot over-emphasise the importance of networks likeyours and events like this. We’re all facing similarchallenges and I support people talking about it.”

Prof Smith said the modern-day student expected more inwhat he termed “the £9k era.”

“The campus has got to look £9k, technology has to be

In his welcoming remarks, Prof Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Exeter,identified what he saw as the challenges facing everyone inhigher education.

We’re preparingstudents for jobs that havenot been created inindustries that have not yetbeen conceived

All universities are going to expand and investment in learning spaces,infrastructure and technology is accelerating away to meet the demands of the newmarket. But public spending is limited in number of key ways

“

“

“

“

Challenges of‘the £9k era’

£9k, coffee has to be £9k. Across allservices it has to look as if it’s fundedfor the new environment. It’s not justteaching – it’s the rooms, heating,gardens, AV systems, lighting.”

He spoke of two main themesemerging in HE – public policy/spending and application trends – as“the elephants in the room.”

Between 2009-2016, the Universityof Exeter would have spent 39 timesas much as it cost John Lewis to openrecently in Exeter city centre.

“All universities are going toexpand and investment in learningspaces, infrastructure and technologyis accelerating away to meet thedemands of the new market,” ProfSmith said. “But public spending islimited in number of key ways.

“We’re preparing our students forjobs that have not yet been created inindustries that have not yet beenconceived. The future of the UK has tobe as a knowledge economy but wedon’t spend much on it.

“Fees and income look fixed.

Whoever wins the next election, weare facing enormous fiscal restriction,cuts are coming in the budget. Thereare a lot of threats to funding. Wheredo we get the capital for buildings,for learning resources?”

Prof Smith suggested the furtherdevelopment of public/privatepartnerships and ‘massive’ savings inprocurement would be be looked at.

“In 2011, only 11% of capitalspend was financed by universities.This year it has risen to 73%, so weare having to pay for thisdevelopment and we have to adjust towhat the student wants.”

The University of Exeter placed“extraordinary emphasis” on itsrelationship with students. Their

representative body The Guild ofStudents was involved in decisionsmade by the Budget ScrutinyCommittee.

“The relationship is strong becausewe can’t become the university wewant to be without listening to thestudent voice,” he said.

Another common challenge was toadjust the work patterns of staff to theneeds of learning.

“Our Forum building is busier at1am than it is at 1pm. Work ishanded in electronically and the mostpopular two-hour slot for this is 1am-3am. Do we adjust staffing hours todeal with that?”

Prof Smith also warned universitiesto be sure of their market position. “Ifyou read their websites, there are 48universities in the top 20,” he said. “Ifyou don’t know your strengths andweaknesses, if you don’t know whatyour alumni or staff think, you areliving on mythology about where youare. ‘One size fits all’ doesn’t work.”

4

SERVICING new collaborative learningmethods and spaces – such as ‘flatfloor’ classrooms at QueenslandUniversity and wet labs with 250 all-in-one touch screens for students atSydney University – revealed confusingdifferences in cultures of the separateAV and IT teams, Gordon Howell toldSCHOMS14.

Faced with the constant questions athis own institution of ‘is it an AV or anIT set up?’ and ‘if you have a fault,who do you call?’ Gordon merged thesupport staff and told them: “It’s alearning environments job. There’s nodistinction now.

“If we’re going to survive, we’regoing to have to come up with a valueproposition –what is the data, what isthe service cost – and try to create ashared vision.

“It’s not enough any more to say ‘AVguys just do OHPs and projectors’, theworld’s not like that. We’ve got towork out where we’re going. There

are going to be more and morestudent personal devices. Whatevercomes our way, it’s time for acombined AV/IT technology team tosupport whatever it is and thinkdifferently about our role.

“I have 68 technology supportofficers among my 100 staff, all havethe same workload classification andrange of diverse skills. I can movethem where they need to be. It clearsout a lot of peaks and troughs. There’sa common language amongst all ourstaff, ITIL training is given to AV or ITprofessionals, it’s part of bringingconvergence together.”

Gordon Howell said professionalswere ‘deluding themselves’ if theythought they were simply in thebusiness of providing technology.

“Students and academic staff arebringing their own devices, most bringtwo or three devices a day, and willuse university devices as well. Facultiesare buying all sorts of packages andapps over which they have no control.

“We’re using more and moretechnology and I tell support officers thatwe support technology. If we don’t carewho owns the kit and we can help themanyway, let’s simply support them.

“If you think you’re supporting PCs,you’re not going to have a job in 10years. There are not going to be PCsin 10 years, students will have all theirown. If you narrowly define the job,it’s going to change, but the reality forstaff is that technology is going tocontinue. If we support whatevertechnology comes up next, we’ll havea bright future and staff will have jobsfor a very long time to come.”

QUT was saying to all staff that theyhad to look to the future.

“We’ve often provided support forwhat we’ve always done. We havesupported classrooms, OHPs, documentcameras, rather than asking ‘what douniversity or academics and studentsneed it for?’ We need to change.

“We have started to tell students thatwe have a preferred range ofmachines but it doesn’t matter, theycan bring any machine, whether it’smanaged by us or not. Students expectto use the software in computer labs sowe’re using VDIs and building virtualimages. They expect to pull it into anyclassroom, so there is now nodistinction between AV and IT or

Professionalising the AV/IT workforce – and its convergence with technology -was the main theme of keynote speaker Dr Gordon Howell, Associate Director,Learning Environments and Technology Services, Queensland University ofTechnology.

‘It’s a learning environments job.There’s no AV/IT distinction now’

If you think you’re supporting PCs, you’re not going to have a job in 10 years. . .if we support whatever technology comes up next, we’ll have a bright future and staffwill have jobs for a very long time to come.“

“

schoms conference 2014 www.schoms.ac.uk

5Aim to make spaces ‘pedagogically neutral’

campus and non-campus.”It was a challenge to change staff

and services to align with that journey.“Our staff now work whenever theyneed to work,” he said. “We payunsociable hours, such as more thanhalf a shift after 4pm. Sessionalprofessionals get timetabled to lecturein the evenings. We now providetechnology support to lecture roomsuntil 10pm to cover the same span ofhours that we lecture.

“Our campus is full from 8am withpeople who also use their owndevices. The network has more uniqueusers than we have students and staff.Passersby connect to it. We supportthem at all times of day and night.”

Gordon Howell said that everythingthe university offered students was nowgoing towards blended learning,

“Everything is online,” he said. “Thelectures are streamed live – andrecorded so students can watch themonline. Their course material, be it

Blackboard or Moodle, is online. Iwould love fewer computer labsbecause of the cost, but students areusing them more each year.”

He said it was a common complaintthat more computers were needed butsurveys on how technology was beingused had shown that students were

really saying ‘we want morecomputers in spaces we want to be’.

“Even at the busiest times of the dayin QUT, I have 1,000 machines sittingidle. We don’t need more machines,they’re in the wrong place. Studentswant central computers not facultycomputers.”

THE academic definition of collaboration space did notalways mean technology, according to Gordon Howell.

The aim at QUT was to make rooms ‘pedagogicallyneutral’.

The key ingredients of this were:� mobile technology - panels on trolleys and

touchscreens that were managed like a computer lab� comfortable tables and seats – “so important”� power and wireless – “the most important bit of

technology we can give is wi-fi everywhere,” he said.“Students expect it everywhere, whether they are in classor the lunchroom.”

� a standard lectern, colour-coded to match withmobile computers on wheels so they could be returned tothe correct rooms if they went astray.

“We have the same basic kit in every room to make iteasier for staff, academics and students,” he said. “A flatfloor classroom can be fitted with anything they need.”

Gordon Howell said it was important ‘not to reinventthe wheel’ when it came to learning spaces. He felt thatspaces had to be agile, so they could be changed fromone mode to another ‘without ripping the walls down’.

Cost was an important issue, he added. The spaceneeded to be scaleable and affordable.

“We provide a lectern if it’s wanted, remove it if it’snot, put in data points, run it wirelessly, enabling peopleto teach how they want to teach,” he said. “The rooms

are flexible, they don’t need a builder or bobcat to comeback, they can evolve over time.

“We use the data network for all video support,software runs on the front PC and is switched across theexisting network. It’s a low incremental cost to deliveringtechnology.”

QUT undertook interviews with students and staff todetermine what a space needed to be for students.

“You could summarise it down to ‘what would you wantto sit on and work in all day’ and students want exactlythe same,” he said. “If you want to sit on a hard plasticchair with no wheels all day, fine, give it to the students.But the reality is, you don’t. So what students and all othersurveys have said is you should give the students whatyou would have, it’s about respect.”

The building of large lecture theatres was also beingquestioned. “It is said that students don’t learn in largetheatres but 60% of student activity still happens intraditional lectures.

“When we build new theatres, we can get more in-depth learning if we can get students to engage with thecontent and the lecturer.

“We can build rooms that make engagement easy andallows collaboration to occur – double stack, enoughroom between rows so tutor can walk around, radiomikes instead of lectern mikes, high density wireless. Weare trying to make spaces pedagogically neutral.”

schoms conference 2014Twitter: @SCHOMSinfo

6

PLANS are being drawn up byInfoComm to analyse and evaluatethe role of the technology manager.

David Labuskes told SCHOMS14delegates that the job would be putunder the spotlight using theDevelop A Curriculum (DACUM)system – an innovative approach tooccupational analysis that providesa picture of what the manager doesin terms of duties, tasks, knowledgeand skills.

“A focus group will look at whatneeds to be taught in order for peopleto become a technology manager –such what is the job, what is a typicalday, what types of skills and abilities arerequired, what else do potential managersneed to bring, what attitudes they have to workingwith other people and what they see as future trends.

“It’s a structured process ending with a curriculumaimed at providing the knowledge and capabilities tobe a technology manager.”

Outlining industry trends uncovered by a recentMarketing Definition and Strategy survey, David saidthat AV was no longer considered ‘nice to have’, it wasbecoming ‘need to have’.

He said the key words to havecome out of the survey were qualitystandards, certification and training.Outside of Scandinavia, the UK

was one of the fastest-growingmarkets and its continued growthover the next two years wouldslightly outpace the Europeanmarket. He said the growth was driven by

new technologies such as tablets, IP-based conferencing, wireless andinteractive flat panel displays.

Spending had begun to increasewithin the UK pro-AV market, “AV is

everywhere in the UK,” he said. The top three items for UK spending

were displays, projectors and ‘AVacquisition and delivery’. By 2016, AV

acquisition would become the top spending item.Other notable trends included:� increased focus on energy usage and related cost

savings� investment in interactive technology� high demand for live events to bring these to the

end customer in his or her location, such as conferencesat home.

InfoComm director and CEO DavidLabuskes spoke to the conference byvideo link from Las Vegas, where theassociation was staging the InfoComm2014 trade show.

Call to make most of new InfoComm link-upA BREAKTHROUGH agreement was heralded at theconference under which all SCHOMS UK institutionsbecome members of InfoComm International, the leadingtrade association for the professional audiovisualindustry worldwide.

The group membership offers:� A structured programme of online courses and

exams, free with the exception of CTS exam (£250).� Access to webinars, classroom courses and CTS

certification, including CTSD for design and CTSI forinstallation.

Treasurer Jim Sheach urged delegates to register theirstaff to get the best out of the agreement, which runs foran initial two years.

“It’s up to you and your staff to use it,” he said. “It’snot just department staff who are members, it’s anyonewho works for your institution.

“Make use of InfoComm’s training resources andcontribute to the debate over what kind of courses you

would like at what time of year.”Speaking to SCHOMS delegates by video link from Las

Vegas - where InfoComm was staging its own 2014conference and trade show - InfoComm director andCEO David Labuskes said: “Online training providesflexibility but we will do as much in-person training asyou can support.

“We’re dedicated to providing value to AVprofessionals.”

SCHOMS signed up to the membership scheme on1 January 2014 – with an option to extend it into athird year at similar discounted rate.

“We wanted to do it over a significant period oftime so people could develop and use the facilities,” JimSheach said.

“This time next year, we need to review effectiveness,because it is a significant financial investment.”

The agreement means InfoComm International gains75 new members from SCHOMS.

Focus on technology manager role

schoms conference 2014 www.schoms.ac.uk

7

A NEW online resource is helpingtechnology professionals gaininspiration from worldwide examplesof innovative learning space design.

Mark McCallister told delegatesFLEXspace is being developed to giveprofessionals the opportunity to shareand monitor best practices, to seenew facilities as they cameonline and to giveEstates and Facilitiesdepartments a betteridea of proposalsbefore work startedon new buildings.

He explainedthat, after loggingin to open anaccount, users cansearch pages of images,create their own groups offavourites and share links withcolleagues.

“It’s a free, searchable service opento anyone in HE with images shownon screen but searching through themetadata is the most useful feature.

“There was Flickr and a number ofother online groups before FLEXspacebut none had the controlled taxonomyof description of learning spaces.”

Information on FLEXspace isprovided in a range of categories –

including active learning classrooms,conference rooms, lecture theatresand individual institutions.

Mark said the project also hadpotential synergies with initiatives suchas the Learning Space Rating Systemand Learning Space Toolkits.

The database currently sits on serversprovided by the not-for-profit art

organization Artstor.“None of us wanted to be

in the business ofowning or managingthe site so we looked atalternatives Artstor hada shared shelf product– a way for individual

institutions to put theirdatabase on the server.”

There were negotiations toadopt flexspace.org as the site

but for the time being, it could befound at http://suny.edu/flexspace

The idea grew out of The StateUniversity of New York and attractedsponsors such as CCUMC, MultimediaEducational Resource for Learning andOnline Teaching (MERLOT) and theEducause Learning Initiative (ELI).

“If any SCHOMS person would liketo participate in the project, we wouldbe very interested in talking to you,”he said.

Site promotes best oflearning space design

KNOW your technology – thatwas one of the key messagesfrom Dr Sandra Miller, Presidentof CCUMC, as she shared herexperiences of running a MassiveOpen Online Course (MOOC).

Sandra said it was not a case ofsimply moving material she hadalready created to her MOOC ononline pedagogy.

“I had to learn to go fromBlackboard to Canvas, I had to re-do everything, realign thesyllabus and think aboutcopyrighted content,” she said.

Canvas did not offerconferencing, so she choseBlackboard Collaborate forsynchronous sessions. She alsohad to look at other technologywithin the MOOC platform whenshe discovered her plan to sharedocuments using Google Docsrestricted her to 50 people – 459people enrolled.

In asking all her students tocreate an online syllabus, Sandraset up 10 discussion forms – “amajor way to know whether thestudent is understanding it or not.

“I was reading every post. I wasnot responding to it all, it’s notgood practice to step in all the time.At the end of each day, I’d go inand pick up on the best stuff.

“You can’t do online what youcan do with face-to-face students.It’s a different paradigm.”

Other implications included theneed to maintain commitmentamong the learning community –about 40 people completed herMOOC – and issues surroundingcredentials and accreditation.

“MOOCs are here to stay,” saidSandra. “They’re very good forlifelong learners and first-timestudents but institutions must askthemselves what they want toaccomplish with them.”

MARK also guided delegates through how to use the Learning Space RatingSystem – a scoring system that helps to indicate how well a classroom’s designserves the goal of active learning.

He explained that the system allowed institutions to benchmark theirenvironments against best practices. Learning spaces were rated in sixcategories – integration with campus context; planning and design process;support and operations; environmental quality; information about layouts andfurnishings; and technology and tools – and scoresheets were downloable at:

www.educause.edu/eli/initiatives/learning-space-rating-system

Pros and cons ofrunning a MOOC

Former CCUMC president Mark McCallister introduced delegates to the potentialof The Flexible Learning Environments eXchange (FLEXspace) – a growing onlinedatabase of high resolution images and related information about learningspaces across the world. Mark is Associate Director of the Office of AcademicTechnology at the University of Florida.

schoms conference 2014Twitter: @SCHOMSinfo

8

FORMER SCHOMS Chair and latestinternational Associate Toni Kellygave delegates a flavour of hernew life at Hong Kong University.

She said Deans and Facultieswere very powerful at the‘incredibly devolved’ institution,where she is Associate Director,Learning Environments.

Faculty degree ceremonies wereheld instead of University degreeceremonies and teaching was‘very traditional’ with lectures inserried ranks.

The university has 10 Facultieswith a total of 15,000undergraduates – 80% intakefrom Hong Kong, 10% mainlandstudents and 10% internationalstudents drawn from 35 countries.

Students were taking to newforms of learning after formalisedelearning was introduced acrossall of Hong Kong’s eightuniversities in 2011.

“Online courses are new. Wehave MOOCs, SPOC (SimplePrivate Online Course), Moodleand Panopto. The professionalsneed training and the systemneeds standardising but everyonehas a great ‘can do’ attitude.”

Toni said that after the ‘cultureshock’ of arriving and being told to‘get on with it’ as a one-womanteam, she now had a team ofbetween 20 and 30 professionals.

Eight lecture theatres werebeing refurbished this summerwith the Estates Departmentresponsible for all aspects.

“This year I attended all thedesign meetings and the architectwas astonished to see end-usersinvolved,” she said.

Toni led the AV specificationand design process and selectedfurniture and colour schemes.

She has also created ownversion of AV guidelines.

Toni’s experiencesas East meets West

CLASSROOM changes at CurtinUniversity looked at reducing thetraditional lecturer style with a modelof traditional classes, flippedclassrooms, technology enrichedenvironments and distributed learning.

It included introducing Smart Boardtechnology, multi-screen projection,mobile computers and videoconferencing and refurbishing flatfloor spaces with flexiblefurniture.

Ian Case pinpointedthe drawbacks. “Thenew systems designsbroke previoustemplates, were notproduction-readybecause ofcompressed timeframeand had teethingproblems that extendedinto the teaching semester.

“It was a challenge for us and forthe academics trying to use it. A largepercentage of sessional staff wasturning up with very little knowledgeof the rooms.”

The central service desk worked wellbut was not always getting theinformation to address support calls.

“The university’s Centre for Teachingand Learning was very worried abouthow academics would perceive thechange and was keen on ‘overservicing’ the component,” said Ian. “Itwanted someone to be with theacademics at the start of every lecture,a big ask with 206 classrooms.”

Ian’s team found the answer with an‘Earn As You Learn’ scheme forsecond and third year students.

Students were selected on howgood they were at communicating,how well they knew the university and

their technology backgrounds.“We divided the campus into four

sections with four students in eachsection in any four-hour shift period.

“We gave them each a mobile phoneas their main communication deviceand a clipboard with sections andtimetabling. They all wore support‘vests’, making them easily identifiablefor on-the-spot advice and training.”

After being given three hours’training, they were asked

to turn up 15 minutesbefore each class tooffer help to theacademics, explainhow everythingworked and getfeedback. In between

classes, theyundertook ‘venue

auditing’ – visiting roomsand lecture theatres and

checking each had been left inuseable condition for followingclasses.

“We received positive student andacademic feedback. It was a veryexciting journey to get us over the bigchange in classrooms, although it wasvery frenetic.”

Ian said that teaching staff felt moreat ease because immediate helpbecame available, AV teams couldconcentrate on their specialist areas ofhardware and fitting systems and thestudents benefited from being able todevelop decision-making andleadership skills.

The ‘Earn as You Learn’ scheme waspart of a multi-faceted approach thatalso included hands-on training,instructional colour coding ofequipment and the provision of ‘how-to’ guides at each venue.

Turning to students fortechnology supportA major shift in learning strategy exposed a real challenge at Curtin University inAustralia – how to close an increasing gap between technology environments andacademics’ ability to use them. Service Desk Standards Manager Ian Case explainedhow the university turned to its own students to provide training support.

schoms conference 2014 www.schoms.ac.uk

9

ON his first day at the University ofBath – where graduation ceremoniesare moved to Bath Abbey becausecampus halls are too small – AV servicemanager Rob Hyde was asked: “Howcan we include the university communityin the ceremony?”

Within one year, he was picking upthe Amber Miro Memorial Award forInnovation from the Universities &Colleges Information SystemsAssociation (UCISA) for his response –believed to be the first example ofmobile technology being used tostream higher education events usingthe public 3G network.

“A quarter of students areinternational students so the institutionwanted a mechanism to cover it live,”Rob told delegates. “Ceremonies werepreviously filmed, processed overnightand uploaded onto the website serverthe next day.”

However, the project presenteddaunting challenges.

The Abbey sits in the centre of Bath,a World Heritage Site of exclusivelylisted buildings and two miles fromcampus. Not only that. “It’s uphill withno line of sight,” said Rob.

“There are a lot of restricted viewswithin the Abbey and large screensrelayed the camera feed. All rigging iscontracted out and we could only workon one side of the Abbey, squashedunderneath the organ into a 6ft box forall mixing, lighting and sound. It’s allwe could use and it’s not easy to wire,the walls more than 5ft thick.”

The Audio Visual team, part of theUniversity’s Computing Servicesdepartment, considered five options.

Using a satellite truck or fitting a newnetwork link were both hampered byworld heritage regulations requiringnine months’ notice for permission to

adapt the buildings. A microwave linkwas affected by the lack of a line ofsight and using the existing networkwasn’t really an option.

“We thought we might be able touse the mobile phone networkbecause all masts in Bath had justbeen upgraded to 3G,” said Rob.

The team opted for a £3,000Terradeck cube and bond whichencoded video signal from the eventand split it over six 3G transmittersfrom different network operators.These were then recombined anddecoded back at the University beforeentering the University’s streaminginfrastructure.

“We tested it on a peak day of thetourist season beforehand and on theday, we did 10 hours’ worth ofstreaming using 12 gigs of data ingood quality SD. We lost the oddmobile network but that was why wecovered ourselves with differentoperators

“We managed to deliver it on timeand under budget.”

The system is now part of the team’score service plan and has been usedfor the installation ceremony for a newChancellor, summer and winterdegree ceremonies and the openingof a new teaching building.

“We’re also negotiating with thestudents’ union to cover sportsmatches, possibly also arts andalumni events,” said Rob.

Innovation award for3G streaming serviceRob Hyde gave delegates an insight into his award-winning introduction of anew streaming service based on consumer 3G technology for graduationceremonies and other events at The University of Bath.

OUTCOMES of research intocollaborative learning spaces wasshared by James Rutherford,learning spaces specialist atLondon College of Fashion,University of the Arts.

James gained a Masters inAdvanced Educational Practice atthe Institute of Education,University of London, for his focuson the impact of new spaces,furniture arrangements andtechnology on collaborative andactive learning.

He evaluated spaces – andcarried out focus groups withstudents and staff – at bothLoughborough University and theUniversity of Derby.

James said some outcomesseemed very simple – the comfortof seats, the temperature of theroom and whether students couldsee a screen or hear the speaker –but had a great impact on learning.

“Rooms don’t have to beexpensively fitted out,” he said.The most valuable technicalresources included a writingsurface, bigger screens, differentlyshaped tables and sharedwireless technology.

Students felt the learningexperience in collaborative spaceshelped them to be relaxed andcreative and they preferred to beactively working in groups.

“If students remembered aroom, they could remember whatwent on in the room and they saidthey took confidence from theserooms into other classes.”

Space to move around wasimportant – and how furniturewas left between classes was ‘areal configuration issue.’

Academics said they acted moreas facilitators in collaborativespaces and it helped themdevelop their own practises.

How spaces helpactive learning

schoms conference 2014Twitter: @SCHOMSinfo

10

‘Powerful’spacechangesstudents’learningexperience

Partnership can make big difference

CREATING learning spaces is apartnership between students and thelearning community, according toAlex Louch. “If we are on the samepage as senior staff, it can make abig difference.

“When the Forum at Exeter wasbeing created, I led the programmefrom the student viewpoint. I sat withbudget holders and planners andasked the tough questions.”

Alex said students were looking forvalue for their £9k fees. “Learningspaces must account for thatstatement. We will want to know whya wall is not painted, why technologydoesn’t work, where is my library.

Students played an influential part inthe development of the Forum at theUniversity of Exeter. Alex Louch of theStudents’ Guild gave an insight intohow and why they are heavilyinvolved in decisions across the board.

DELEGATES experienced computer-supportedcollaborative learning for themselves with aninteractive workshop in one of the newexploration labs within the University ofExeter’s £48m Forum development.

They were split up into teams and set amapping task using the 10 ‘touch tables’ –large horizontal computers about the size ofa pool table with multi-touch interfaces thatcan support many different interactions at thesame time.

Each table is height adjustable and colourcoded, with the colour relating to a wallmonitor which mirrors each table’s display.Through these monitors, different groups canshare what they’re working on with other

groups in the room in real time.Matt Newcombe, Head of E-Learning Development, EducationalQuality and Enhancement (EQE),described the exploration lab as apowerful space that changed theway students were taught.

“Students normally sit and followinstructions but in the lab they are

brought around the tables in groupwork exercises. They understand how to

work as a team, how to work on the tablesand how to use technology.”

He said that the labs had been developedover a two-and-a-half year period in whichthe tables did not exist. The steering grouphad looked at best practices around theworld before introducing the tables, whichwere ‘completely updateable’.

“The return on our investment is the studentexperience and we hope to get to the pointof distributing the tables to colleges and otherstudent spaces.”

Dr Damian Mansell, Lecturer in PhysicalGeography, College of Life & EnvironmentalSciences, guided delegates through theexercises with the help of EQE educationtechnologist Rob Coffey.

“It’s an experience we share withwhole academic community. It’s onlygoing to increase in the coming yearsand it’s becoming easier to complain.”

Alex said it was ‘absolutely critical’to use Twitter and Facebook inengaging students in developments.

“We achieved a wide reach byusing Twitter, even live tweetingproposed designs during planningmeetings to gauge responses, but the

best way is to speak to students face-to-face.

“The Guild spoke to hundreds ofstudents about the learning space.We realised students really careabout designs and the look and feelof where they’re going to spend a lotof time. Student media followed upwith new space story and it allcreated quite a buzz.

“When students give feedbackabout learning spaces, it is beneficialin Exeter and it could be elsewhere aswell.”

But he added that, despite theexploration lab being a ‘fantasticroom’ and the big money that can bespent, “sometimes a lot of small thingsmatter, like every learning space needsa plug socket. This has happened withthe clout we have got and if you solveissues for students, they think ‘myinstitution cares about me.’”

schoms conference 2014 www.schoms.ac.uk

MattNewcombe

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schoms14 in pictures

AS student numbers rose at theUniversity of Exeter, so did staff andstudent dissatisfaction with the use ofspaces.

The different teams involved in theservice were brought together underElaine Cordy – who took responsibilityherself for timetabling, room bookingand AV development, maintenanceand support – and a ‘project toolkit’of stakeholder engagement was put inplace.

Since then, Exeter hasmoved up from 60th to18th in terms oflearning resources inthe National StudentSurvey.

“There is greaterinnovation as wehave collaborativelecture theatres andplectrum tables, fewerOHPs and more technology inother teaching rooms,” Elaine tolddelegates.

“Engaging the facilities team hasmeant a reduction in the degradationof space and better fault reporting.

“We have also achieved fewercomplaints from staff because the roomsare appropriate to their needs.”

The programme of engagement seesElaine attend all meetings of theStudent Staff Liaison Committee andseek the views on potential projectsfrom students, subject chairs, relevantteaching staff and professional servicesstaff – “a broad range includinglearning spaces, facilities management,the education enhancement team andeven the events team who may have tosell the space.”

It is all done with the aim of

‘deliverable must-haves’ in a timewhen money is in short supply, shesaid. “We also want to innovate andthe best way is to include staff in thisprocess – for instance, getting rid ofOHPs and chalk boards. If staff areinvolved, they are more likely to makeit work.

“If the student community feels partof a project, it builds trust that thechanges will be of benefit to them.”

Learning Spaces startsstakeholder engagement

with two annual surveys– a learning spacessurvey, which picksup on elements suchas furniture, design,ventilation, lighting,access and service

level agreements; andan AV survey which

looks at AV usage, trendsand staff complaints.

“From this general overview, we dofurther stakeholder engagement oneach single project including colourschemes, comfort and access.”

Elaine guided delegates through thetypical stages of consultation for aproject. A 12-month cycle began withapproval being sought through theLearning Spaces management groupand three different budget scrutinygroups.

Three stakeholder meetings werethen held before the final plans werecommunicated and a ‘sense check’ toconfirm affordability.

On starting the project, updateswere communicated, orientationevents held to preview the spacesand, finally, a post-occupancy reviewtook place.

Engaging way todeliver learning spacesSuitable learning spaces projects cannot be delivered if it’s not known what thecustomer wants or how to improve student and user experience. That was theview of Elaine Cordy, Head of a new Learning Spaces team set up last year bythe University of Exeter in response to a demand for consolidated services.

Representatives from UK andinternational institutions discussthe issues raised at coffee time(above and below)

Organiser Jill Snelling (right) outand about during the exhibition.

Time out. . . massages provedpopular in the Great Hall.

schoms conference 2014Twitter: @SCHOMSinfo

SCHOMS is the professional body for heads of services working within UK Higher Education.SCHOMS members lead and manage a diverse set of educational, media and institutional

support services. They give strategic direction to support and promote excellence in teaching andlearning practice.

Registered address: First House, 1 Sutton Street, Birmingham B1 1PE Tel. 0121 415 6803 email info@schoms.ac.uk www.schoms.ac.uk Twitter: @SCHOMSinfo

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schoms conference 2014

SCHOMS14 played host to the UK’s largestsuppliers exhibition with a single HE focus.

Twenty-five companies set up exhibition standsin the Great Hall, giving delegates the chance tohave concentrated discussions aboutrequirements.

Delegates and suppliers also came togetherfor a ‘Question Time’ discussion on procurementwith panel members representing SCHOMS,suppliers and university purchasing consortia.

Mike Baptista and Jim Sheach of SCHOMSwere joined by Mark Hayter, ContractsManager at North Eastern Universities

Suppliers andbuyers discussprocurement

Purchasing Consortium; RolandDreesden, Managing Director ofReflex Ltd and Sheila Egan, BusinessDevelopment Manager at SnellingBusiness Systems Ltd.

Together they discussed questionscollected from delegates covering suchissues as the workings of frameworks,single supplier contracts and whetheruniversities could influence consortia.

Question Time host Simon Birketttold delegates that the session built ontalking points that came out of theWorld Cafe at last year’s conference.

“Procurement emerged as a majortheme and is very important toSCHOMS,” he said.

“It is a challenge for us all. It wasgood to hear a national perspectivefrom Mark. Working in collaborationis valuable.”

Full coverage of the debate isavailable on YouTube athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdrkOw7mH0k

Subscribe to the YouTube SchomsInfo channel and look back at manyof the other presentations as well.