Centred on Learning: Academic Case Studies on Learning Centre Development

Citation

Fourie, I. (2004), "Centred on Learning: Academic Case Studies on Learning Centre Development", The Electronic Library, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 83-84. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470410520195

With intensifying technological changes, and a variety of forces driving life‐long learning, all facets of the academic learning environment need to adapt in accordance. In Centred on Learning … Edward Oyston succeeds in editing an excellent review of the challenges faced by four leading UK academic information services in their transformation to learning centres, and their efforts to keep up with the demands set by the national higher education framework.

Four detailed case studies are covered, namely Sheffield Hallam University, Leeds Metropolitan University, Aberdeen University and Lincoln University. Each of these face different challenges, constraints and priorities. Universities first of all operate within the national higher education framework, which make the changing higher education scenario depicted in the first chapter an excellent choice as background for the chapters to follow. The planning of the respective learning centres was shaped by driving forces such as managerial, strategic and operational drivers. The impact of such forces is explained in Chapter two that deals with the influence of organizational frameworks. Staff experiences, student experiences, the forming of essential new partnerships and the structure of the physical spaces required to support the combination of virtual and traditional learning environments are dealt with in Chapters three to six. The impact of new learning environments is dealt with in Chapter 7, while Chapter 8 offers a future perspective by Graham Bulpitt.

Authors from the four learning centres contributed to the publication. Although each chapter is edited by a different author (Edward Oyston, Jo Norry, Ailson Ward, Kay Moore, Roger Hines and Alison Hudson), Edward Oyston did an excellent job in the overall editing to offer the reader a well‐structured, clearly‐written publication written in a fairly consistent style.

The only criticism that I can offer is that it is a pity that the fact that the book focuses on the role of academic information services or libraries, is not at all clear from the title. I do not know whether learning centres in the UK are automatically associated with libraries/information services, but it is not necessarily clear to the international reader. My first impression was that this is a book on education and learning environments per se. The fact that it actually concerns libraries and information services came as a pleasant surprise.

Centred on Learning … succeeds very well in exploring the development of academic learning centres in practice, and especially in drawing the scenario for its impact on the traditional academic library/information service. An important point is made in stressing the need for virtual, as well as traditional learning spaces and support. Twenty‐four hour electronic access to information is fine, but students also need social contact with other students. Complaints about isolation are often mentioned in literature on distance students.

The book includes a well‐structured four‐page index, and a useful appendix with specifications for learning centre key staff members.

Centred on Learning … is highly recommended for all academic library and information service staff: if you are not yet thinking of transforming to a learning centre, it might be time to take a serious look at your national higher education framework, and general demands placed on and by students. I would certainly also consider Centred on Learning … as recommended reading for library and information science (LIS) students doing relevant courses in LIS management and service delivery.