NFC Reimagines Study Spaces
MADISON, FL (September 7, 2022) – The Learning Resources Department in the Marshall W. Hamilton Library at North Florida College has a history of listening to students’ requests and responding by developing innovative resources.
Each semester, students bring new education expectations to campus. Pair that with the introduction to pre and post pandemic teaching and learning styles, NFC continues to seek the best strategies to ensure our students achieve their degree or certificate goals.
“Prior to and during the pandemic, students’ feedback from surveys stated they would like more quiet study and tutor spaces,” states Lynn Wyche, then Director of Learning Resources. “Students also expressed that extra travel to our main campus in Madison, just to receive help with their courses, was a hardship.”
In response, the Learning Resources Department, with support from the Office of the President, coordinated with multiple departments including Academic Affairs, Administrative Affairs, and Maintenance to develop a plan for facilities improvement.
The reimagining of traditional study spaces is currently in Stage I, transforming the former computer lab to a quiet workspace. Recognizing the library’s computer lab was underutilized, this space was redesigned to become a location for study cubicles and updated computer stations. Stage II will see the completion of tutoring pods.
Previously, tutor and support personnel could only use a common area to help students with their course work. Staff identified an area of the library that allowed for a review of collection and print resources and removal of out-of-date items. This freed space to design private tutoring pods.
“We are proud to implement new resources that meet the needs and challenges of NFC’s student population,” states John Grosskopf, President. “The innovative reuse of existing space combined with collaboration across multiple departments has resulted in an almost immediate success, where students are already making use of the space.”
Individual tutoring pods with the capability to facilitate synchronous instruction and the redesign of a former computer lab into quiet study spaces provide new instructional and study use in a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere.
This space also allows for students to join hybrid or synchronous online classes in a comfortable, technology supported environment.
“We are excited to begin using the new tutor pods for live online sessions,” states Wyche. “These studios will be equipped with video enhancing tools as well as dry-erase whiteboard walls for demonstration purposes.”
This reimagining was made possible by leveraging funds from multiple grants such as the Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity Grants Program and the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund grant.
As with all Learning Resources services, student use and satisfaction of the new installations will be monitored with surveys and tutor tracking software used by the Academic Success Center.
A proposed Stage III will provide an open and flexible seating area for students to use for classwork, while being in proximity to the many Learning Resources services and support personnel.
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PHOTOS:
NFC students begin using new cubicles to study and privately meet with tutors.
NFC staff begin use of reimagined computer lab with study cubicles and computer stations.
A digital rendering of the completion for NFC’s Stage I; cubicles, computer stations, and synchronous online classes.
A digital rendering of the completion for NFC’s Stage II; Tutor Pods