Undergraduate Learning in Libraries: Space Design for Academic Course Transformation and Re-Thinking Campus Culture

At Purdue University, the Libraries participate in a provost-initiated, campus-wide course redesign program for student success called Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT). As part of the campus strategic plan, this program aims to bring active-learning to foundational courses traditionally taught through lectures. Purdue librarians recognized the IMPACT program as one way to enter the conversations burgeoning on campus about the nature of learning, curriculum design, and how space design impacts potential learning. Purdue identified a need for active learning spaces on campus where redesigned classes could be held. This presentation will cover the renovation of three prototype classrooms which varied in size and technology at the Hicks undergraduate library. The first classroom came together as a quick low-cost solution which led to further financial support from the Office of the Provost to build two additional prototype classrooms. Through this collaboration, Purdue libraries had the opportunity to re-think the connections between classroom space and library space, as well as curriculum redesign with student success. The talk will present two perspectives both from the libraries; 1) The IMPACT participant and instructor who teaches in the space. The instructor, who has taught courses in two of the rooms, will present how the rooms enrich the student learning experience conducive to flipped team-based pedagogies previously unattainable in instructional classrooms across campus. 2) The administrator and space designer of how ethnographic assessment and research informed the administrator as the library is currently designing a $79 million Active Learning Center building which combines 6 science libraries and adds 26 varied active learning classroom spaces, to be completed fall 2017. List of keywords: Flipped classroom, active learning, library as space, course design, student success, undergraduate learning, space assessment, campus cultur