Pedagogical bodies & technological spaces

I went to a few what I would frame as ‘informal’ learning spaces, including café spaces.  I randomly talked to a few students while taking pictures of these out of class spaces where students gathered.  Mostly I talked to groups of students whom seemed to be working on some sort of study, judging from the books and papers, and notebooks spread around the space.

One is the ‘Learning Center’ attached to the library ground floor. It was one of the more formally set up learning space that allows ‘conversation’, yet when I visited on a few occasions, most people there were very silent, minding their own business, and most of them work individually.    The text sign post at the entrance spot clearly says that conversation is allowed, but there were bigger and more graphical signs that asked the occupants to keep their voice down.  And there was also the fact that people simply missed these signs and acted according to the norm/protocol of the place, which was indeed a space within the library, a traditionally ‘silent’ space. 

Adjacent to the library and the ‘Learning Center’ was the Star Bucks café.  It has a very spacious and open back yard space.  Quite a few people bring their work there while enjoying a cup of coffee and some snacks, but they don’t tend to stay there very long comparing to the indoor spaces such as the library or the Learning Center.  The music there can be quite loud sometimes, and during lunch hours or break time, the space is completely packed with people.  As evening time approaches, the relatively dim lighting can be too relaxing for the eye, so the hours of which it serves as a reasonably ideal space for learning is very limited.  However, it is a great place to socialize and chat, and people go there to have a break from work, including myself.  

The 2^nd floor of the Student Union building is a very large space.  It is one floor above the cafeteria.   There was a book store, a Xerox machine room.  Yet there was only one long table, and two very small round tables where student can work.  The students I talked to were from the engineering faculty which building is opposite to the SU building.  When I asked them whether they think the tables are enough, they said they would like to have more study areas, because they need places to do project type of work, and such kinds of spaces is always scarce within the campus.  The building itself is run by the Student Union/student committee, and it seems that they still haven’t figured out how to use the space, so it was deserted at least for 2 years if not more.  Last I heard, there was finally plans to convert the place into a sort of café space, so at least, there’ll be more tables.