Learning Commons: What’s Working?

John CulshawProfessor and Associate Director for

Administrative Services

University of Colorado at Boulder

Student Body Profile

• 30,000 students (5,000 graduate)

• 6,000 students live in residence halls

• Most students traditional college age

The Need• Norlin facility

improvements• Call for 24/7 space• Changing learning

styles and needs• Norlin Renaissance

Plan

The Plan• Enable student work• Link space to learning• Pervasive technology• Flexible and collaborative• Address student needs holistically• Integrate the outdoors

Second floor photo here

Old ref room photo here

Plaza photos here

Old Mac lab here

3rd floor photos here

Measuring Success

– Overnight usage counts– Computer usage counts– Student Comments– Café proceeds

11:00 PM12:00

Midnight 1:00 AM2:00 AM

3:00 AM4:00 AM

5:00 AM6:00 AM

7:00 AM

10772

3619

94

22

3

124

81

4425

169

76

8

151

109

63

4025

1713

1215

122

117

88

71

5239

2926 28

49

31

18

10

6

33

3 4

103

60

39

24

16

117

7 9

171

133

83

52

34

2318

15 17

Norlin Commons Average Monthly Usage by HourSep-09 Oct-09 Nov-09 Dec-09 Jan-10 Feb-10 Mar-10

Commons Computer Usage• 60 fixed workstations, 120 laptops • 5,500 unique logins during Jan-Feb• 2,728 unique logins on laptops• 48 minutes average on desktops• 72 minutes average on laptops

8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM

11:00 AM

Noon 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 9:00 PM 10:00 PM

11:00 PM

Midnight0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

49

121

157

203

286 282

314

286

234 227

144

84

6448

39

0 1

44

128

214200

250237

196 196

168

118

97 9980

5438

22

43

Average Items Checked out by Hour, Feb 2010

Norlin Circulation Desk Norlin Commons

Student FeedbackThe Good:

“Awesome”“Finally a 24-hour space”

The Expected:“Open earlier on Sundays”“Keep the rest of the library open

later”“Clean the bathrooms”

The Odd:“Needs a Jacuzzi hot tub…”

Student Space Utilization Study

• Collaboration stations

The Future• Revisiting Norlin Renaissance Plan

• Never enough power• Need more desktop computers

• Enhance other spaces, including branches

Success!• High usage• Safe space contributes to campus life• Students have returned to the library