Information Commons: Learning Space Beyond the Classroom
September 16th & 17th, 2004
In celebration of our 10th anniversary, USC Leavey Library invited librarians and managers of information commons spaces and services to a 2-day gathering to assess the current state of the information commons and envision future directions, opportunities, and challenges.
The pre-conference on Thursday, September 16th was an advanced discussion among information commons professionals exchanging lessons learned, best practices, and models of operation. The conference on Friday, September 17th expanded participation to incorporate the USC faculty as part of USC's annual Teaching & Learning Conference, with the theme of Enhancing the Learning Experience.
Sessions addressed learner-centered changes within the curriculum and the role of an information commons as a technology enhanced learning space outside the classroom. An information commons track within the Friday conference considered the impact of technology on the commons and discussed the development of discipline-specific, research-oriented commons.
We were pleased to have Joan Lippincott, Associate Executive Director, Coalition for Networked Information, join us as the Conference keynote speaker and pre-conference discussion leader, to aid in identifying what an information commons adds to the learning experience.
Plenary Sessions
Sessions focussed on how students learn and how faculty can form communities of practice to pool their collective expertise and interests. Information Commons focused breakout sessions combined panel speakers with open discussion. Sessions included:
- Envisioning the Future of the Information Commons through Technology
- Co-location, Cooperation and Collaboration within the Information Commons
- Beyond Research: the Impact of Information Literacy on Teaching and Learning
- Developing Assessment Models
- Customizing Information Commons Environments to Address Learning and Research Differences Between the Disciplines
Registration Information
In partnership with the Leavey Library, the Teaching & Learning conference organizers extended participation to include representatives from other academic institutions who had been accepted for attendance at the pre-conference. Acceptance into the pre-conference automatically included registration in Friday's conference.
The Teaching & Learning with Technology: Enhancing the Learning Experience at USC Conference was an annual event organized by the Center for Scholarly Technology exclusively for the USC community.
Time & Place: September 16, 2004: Leavey Library. September 17th: Davidson Conference Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Click to see directions and maps
Registration:Because the conference culminated a week-long celebration of the Leavey Library's 10th anniversary, no registration fees were charged.
To help us shape the discussions, we asked participants in the Information Commons: Learning Space Beyond the Classroom Pre-conference to provide us with some background information. (See the pre-conference questionnaire survey.)