New Learning Spaces 2017-2020 and beyond.
During a very exciting time for the institution, its staff and students CHERP (now Learning Enhancement) researched how to best utilise our new learning spaces and what pedagogies could be embraced to enhance student learning experiences.
Learning Environment Plan
Download PDF version CCBYNC Richard Beggs Ulster University
- Watch a video explaining the Learning Environment Plan
- Read CHERP's Visiting Professor, Jos Boys Report on Learning Landscapes
Coleraine
In recent years the Coleraine location has had new teaching blocks built that provide excellent learning and teaching spaces that facilitate an active learning approach.
Jordanstown (Legacy)
During the summer of 2019, a number of Jordanstown classrooms rooms are being reconfigured to active learning spaces, there was also a number of social learning spaces created along the mall. This was been a collaborative approach between Estates, DISD, CHERP (Now Learning Enhancement) and Campus Life.
Each room listed below had its IT equipment refreshed, new flexible furniture installed and whiteboards added to the walls.
Nb. The Jordanstown campus is now closed, however the Jordanstown Sports Village is still in operation. The evaluation of the effectiveness of these learning spaces fed into the design of the enhanced Belfast Campus's learning spaces.
Derry~Londonderry
The new teaching block in Derry~Londonderry was recently opened providing excellent learning and teaching spaces that facilitate an active learning approach.
Greater Belfast Development
Ulster University opened its enhanced Belfast campus in September 2022, a campus that has active and collaborative learning in its DNA.
Learning Landscape Toolkits and Resources
To help you make the most of the opportunities that the new learning spaces provide, CHERP (Now Learning Enhancement) has collated and produced a number of self-help tool kits and resources to enable you to plan your sequencing of learning and design.
Active Learning Champions
The university has appointed 24 Active Learning Champions across the institution to help scale up the curriculum design, learning environment and technology adoption aspirations of People, Place and Partnership and the Strategy for Learning and Teaching Enhancement and to maximise the opportunities for innovation and enable staff to be rewarded for taking risks in our learning spaces with new pedagogies, emerging practices and technologies and to inspire others to try new things.
EXPERIENCE: Learning Partners (Student Interns)
Our students are a huge untapped resource for supporting the enhancement of learning experiences, they have the ‘lived experience’ of a course and are best placed to support academic staff when they are trying something new or are in a new learning space.
After a successful pilot in January 2020, a new scheme appointed 30 Learning Partners for academic year 21-22. Their remit was to help teaching staff facilitate new pedagogies in their practice by providing support and assistance in the class when they need it or to help with learning and teaching research studies.
The learning partners scheme has been superseded by UUTemps.
Learning Lab
In order to allow our staff to 'Try before they buy' in to the new learning spaces, CHERP (Now Learning Enhancement) developed the Learning Lab with the support of Estates and DISD.
This flexible and collaborative learning environment allowed staff to experience this space as a student on MEd, PgCHEP, FST, Orientation and through revalidation support workshops so they could reflect on their on practice and build confidence to try out new things.
The space was designed to facilitate active and collaborative learning and featured the flexible furniture and technology that was available in the Greater Belfast Development.
For any queries regarding the Learning Environment plan or any of the learning spaces projects please contact the lead Richard Beggs