An Intelligent Design Paradigm

Terry Calhoun, Commentator
Society for College and University Planning (SCUP)
University of Michigan

When planning for the design and construction of learning spaces, faculty, IT staff, and facilities planners should work hand in hand from the very beginning. Sounds like a no-brainer, d'esn't it? Within the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) we call that "connecting the dots." Unfortunately, the dots frequently do not get connected, or are connected backward or after the fact. A guest opinion from Jerry B'erner of Azusa Pacific University addresses a significant planning issue that often results from the inter-departmental boundaries we are all familiar with: learning spaces designed first by facilities planners, with IT consultants pulled in as an afterthought and faculty not consulted until it's time to show them the new space. There is a better way!

A Guest Opinion by Gerald L. B'erner
Azusa Pacific University
jb'erner@b'erner.net

Consider the traditional paradigm for the design of learning spaces. The college's facility planner and the architect are responsible for basic definition of the space. They determine the size, layout, and other details of the space; they also are involved with the selection of classroom furniture. When these basic decisions have been made, the IT department is brought into the process to define how the learning space will be connected to the campus network (both data and video); they also decide the type of instructor station and projection equipment will be incorporated into the space. When all these decisions have been made, faculty are scheduled into the learning space and must adapt their teaching styles and methodologies to the facility, as designed. The teaching-learning pedagogy takes a back seat to the facility and IT planners! …

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