Category: Learning Spaces

Flexible learning spaces, DALI, classroom innovations, elsewhere in the sector…

Group Work in City’s Learning Spaces: using mobile learning and flexible spaces to promote reflection and discussion

Why? Think-Group-Share creates an engaging moment in lesson that capitalises on discussion and reflection and has a positive impact on student understanding and performance (Habel and Stubbs, 2014). Technique   This activity is a modified version of Think-Pair-Share and explores the use of technology enriched learning. It goes beyond getting an answer “right” and focuses…Continue Reading Group Work in City’s Learning Spaces: using mobile learning and flexible spaces to promote reflection and discussion

Group Work in City’s Learning Spaces – Icebreaker Activities

Looking for creative teaching activities? Encourage students to work collaboratively and motivate each others learning, to clarify their understanding of course content and reflect on different peer perspectives. Take a look at the group work suggestions in our series of blog posts. We recommend booking City’s new Learning Spaces to run these activities. 1)      Rounds…Continue Reading Group Work in City’s Learning Spaces – Icebreaker Activities

Group Work in City’s Learning Spaces – Buzz Groups and Snowballs

Looking for creative teaching activities? Encourage students to work collaboratively and motivate each others learning, to clarify their understanding of course content and reflect on different peer perspectives. Take a look at the group work suggestions in our series of blog posts. We recommend booking City’s new Learning Spaces to run these activities. 1)      Buzz…Continue Reading Group Work in City’s Learning Spaces – Buzz Groups and Snowballs

Group Work in City’s Learning Spaces – Debating and Presentations

Looking for creative teaching activities? Encourage students to work collaboratively and motivate each others learning, to clarify their understanding of course content and reflect on different peer perspectives. Take a look at the group work suggestions in our series of blog posts. We recommend booking City’s new Learning Spaces to run these activities. 1)      Debating…Continue Reading Group Work in City’s Learning Spaces – Debating and Presentations

Active Learning in Flexible Learning Spaces

Over the past year you may have found yourself in one of the University’s new flexible learning spaces.  These rooms have been designed by the Learning Spaces Group, with a membership made up of academics, Information Services, Property and Facilities, Educational Technologists and Learning Success.  The rooms support new and emergent teaching models that encourage…Continue Reading Active Learning in Flexible Learning Spaces

Learning Spaces, the new frontier…

I was rather pleased to be the keynote speaker at Newcastle University’s Learning Technology event last week.  I was asked to present City’s Learning Spaces project, and it was a great opportunity to promote the work we are doing, and share our experiences with the wider academic community.  The event was attended by academics, Learning…Continue Reading Learning Spaces, the new frontier…

Giving iPads to students: crazy, genius or both? A three year retrospective

Three years ago in July 2010 shortly after the worldwide launch of the iPad1 the University of Minnesota hit the press for announcing that they would be providing all 450 first year students in their school of education with iPads.  This quickly made national and then international news.  Three years on they are still providing…Continue Reading Giving iPads to students: crazy, genius or both? A three year retrospective

Digital Badges: Why ?

I attended an interesting session at the ELI conference last week, by Penn State University in the US about the ways in which they had been using digital badges with students and staff.  Digital badges are a way of awarding a digital certificate in the form of a badge to a student or member of…Continue Reading Digital Badges: Why ?

Robots Invaded my Conference!

I spent last week at ELI in New Orleans, the US eLearning Conference run by Educause.  My main purpose for attending was to find out more about what US institutions are doing with Learning Spaces, but as always with ELI I learned so much more, everything was interesting  from Robot participants to Neurology lectures. While…Continue Reading Robots Invaded my Conference!

BETT 2014

I spent yesterday at BETT  (the British Educational Training and Technology Show).  BETT is a giant exhibition for vendors of Educational Technologies.  I went along with colleagues from IS and PAF to investigate classroom technologies.  This year I found some really innovative solutions to provide power in flexible spaces, and for capturing whiteboards, however the most…Continue Reading BETT 2014