The Libraries and a number of other learning support services on campus have come together to plan a “learning commons” for York University.  This is a place on campus—on many campuses around the continent by now—where students can go to study, learn, and create, whether individually or in a group, and where they will find the furnishings, equipment, software, and assistance they need to be especially successful in their work.  At the York campuses, there are many places where students study and do their course work and where they can get some kind of help; and clearly, there are also places with computers, software, books, and journals (on shelves or with online access).  In the learning commons, however, many different resources and services will become available in the same location, and in a place where students already go in large numbers.

So what will a learning commons look like at York?  We envision that the second floor of Scott Library (with some renovations) will become the core of the learning commons, where students will be able to obtain library/Internet research help from librarians, assistance with their writing, and coaching around various general learning skills (such as reading a textbook strategically, preparing for an exam, taking notes in class, managing time), and help with computing questions (e.g., hardware, software, accounts).  In the fully developed learning commons, there may be other kinds of services and resources available to students: rooms where students can practice their class presentations or an area for digital multimedia production and editing (why shouldn’t that sociology paper include a video—and why shouldn’t we provide our students with the tools and assistance they need to create it?).  We also envision that students will be able to attend a range of convenient drop-in “skills” workshops relating to research, writing, general learning, and computing.  The learning commons will even help students who are not on campus: the core of a learning commons web site, full of useful advice and resources, interactive tutorials, and live help services, is presently in development. 

Already in time for the Summer 2008 term, the Atkinson Writing Programs and the Learning Skills Program (of the Counselling and Development Centre - CDC) are working with the Libraries to undertake a pilot project that wil include some weekly hours of drop-in writing, learning skills, and research assistance on the second floor of Scott Library. And for the first time, students will be able to attend workshops in all these areas in one central campus location and on one unified schedule.  To lay groundwork for further development, the Libraries are conducting a survey of students to assess their preferences for learning environments.  Members of the planning group have also been visiting other universities’ learning commons to gain the benefit of others’ experiences.  Some will also be attending the third Canadian Learning Commons Conference to be held in Fredericton in June.

Meanwhile, we are considering the exciting facilities developments that may be possible in the coming years as the current public area of the Scott Library second floor is developed, and as the large area of that floor that currently accommodates the Libraries’ technical services departments becomes available after these departments relocate. Much that we would like to do may depend upon the success of our fundraising, but the learning commons concept at other universities, since it so clearly promotes success in student learning, has often been attractive to generous donors.

A number of people and learning support services have come together so far to begin the planning of the York University Learning Commons. Some of these include:

• Atkinson Counselling and Supervision Centre
• Atkinson Writing Programs
• Centre for Academic Writing, Faculty of Arts
• Centre for the Support of Teaching
• Client Services, Computing and Network Services
• Learning Skills Program, CDC
• York University Libraries

Discussions to this point have been coordinated by Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt, Associate Vice-President, Academic Learning Initiatives, and Brent Roe, Associate University Librarian, Information Services.  This is an exciting cross-divisional venture at York that can significantly enhance the student experience and facilitate student achievement.