Abstract

The learning commons, sometimes called an "information commons," has evolved from a combination library and computer lab into a full-service learning, research, and project space. As a place where students can meet, talk, study, and use "borrowed" equipment, the learning commons brings together the functions of libraries, labs, lounges, and seminar areas in a single community gathering place. The cost of a learning commons can be an obstacle, but for institutions that invest in a sophisticated learning commons, the new and expanded partnerships across disciplines facilitate and promote greater levels of collaboration. The commons invites students to devise their own approaches to their work and to transfer what they learn in one course to the work they do for another.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-11-2011

Notes/Citation Information

Published as a paper of the "7 Things You Should Know About..." series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI).

© 2011 EDUCAUSE

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

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