How CSUN make use of Its Learning Spaces
California State University has four major learning spaces that supports students learning within the institution, these includes the library, art labs, classes and the science labs. We’ll begin by taking a look at the library space and is it adequately supporting learning activities within the institution? To begin with, a good library should be less crowded, free from noise, have all the materials required for learning and the materials should be accessible to everybody.(Stoltz, 2015) In the case of CSUN, these qualities of a good library have been achieved in terms of the resources availability but not reducing the crowding. The CSUN library is really crowded and noisy within the first floor but the level of spacing and silent has been achieved on the other floors. The first floor of the library is not sustainable for a serious learning activity, from the article big plans on campus, the author talks about planting the seeds of sustainability. He says that; as incubators of innovative ideas, universities are poised to create sustainable building for the future. (Walljasper, 2009) a sustainable building for the future should be a building that can be easily expanded, you can agree with me that population at the universities grows each day and theirs dire need for people to further their education and is there enough space for all these people? And this can prove the reason why we have overcrowding and noise in the first floor of the CSUN.
Second learning space that we will focus on is the art labs within the CSUN, according to Myrick on the big plans on campus article; he argues that, “Billions of dollars goes into building facilities that hide their assets behind blank walls, and if the part of the investment was directed to bring the building program to the outside, it would make a vast different on people.” (Walijasper, 2009 ) According to the article, a lot of money are directed towards the development of the campus buildings including the labs in the campuses, development should be incorporation of expanding the buildings so as to accommodate the ever growing populations in our campuses. This contrary when it comes to learning space at the art labs within the CSUN, among the students that were interviewed, they complained about late completion of their art projects, and the reason being, inadequate space within their art labs. On the general settings an ideal art lab should meet some general specifications such as enough spacing that can accommodate all the students and enough resources that can help them do their art projects. The case at the CSUN art lab is a beat different, the spaces are small and cannot accommodate a large number of students, and the spaces become more smaller especially when the students approaches the end of their semesters because most of the students will tend and squeeze for any available space in order to do their art projects.
Our third learning space will be about classes within the CSUN, a good class should be a class with an average number of students, not overpopulated or with less recommended population. A class with many students does not allow effective learning and full attention by the students, a good class should be a class where every student engages in participatory learning, but when class is overpopulated, the level of student’s participation will be greatly undermined. In terms of structure, classes should be spacious with windows and emergency exits. Windows should be adequate to allow enough fresh air through because most of the students tend to sleep during their evening classes, and what are the conditions of classes in CSUN.?, on the article of our approach to campuses, the author talks about maintaining a secure and safe environment. He further argues that, campus is an environment with unique set of safety problems that are real and perceived, (Project for public space, 1) he talks on how the buildings are structured and can such structures support safety in case of emergency occurrence? Relating this to CSUN, some of the classes within this university are big with good windows and structures that can support safety in case of an emergency and I laud them on that, on the other hand, the university also has small classes with no windows. Imagine classes with no windows? Of course may not sound real but it’s the situation, class without windows can make learning boring thing, in case of any fire outbreak it means the student will use only one exit which is also dangerous.(Mirja, 2014) Such class can also have increased cases of communicable diseases among the students due to inadequate air circulation.
Finally we will take a look at Science labs at the CSUN, in comparison to art labs, science labs are a beat not overcrowded and with enough space for every science student. Is it because we have many students in arts compared to sciences? Or is it because the university has but more emphasis on science than the other disciplines? According to the comments given by the students that were interviewed, they claimed that administration, administration has put more efforts in developing science labs than any labs within the university. According to the article on project for public spaces, the author argues that most universities facilitates workshops that brings the town and gown communities together to envision a better quality interface where the campus edges meet and overlap. (Project for public space, 1 ) from the article we realize that a university will invest more on the workshops that will promote developments in both the community and the university and this can only be achieved by the science knowledge. This can ascertain why the science labs are more spacious, developed and with less crowding compared to art labs.
Works Cited;
- Stoltz, Dorothy, Marisa Conner, and James Bradberry. The Power of Play: Designing Early Learning Spaces. , 2015. Print.
- Lievonen, Mirja. “Student Views on Ideal Learning Space: a Case from University Education.” (2014). Print.
- Walljasper, “Big plans on Campus: (2009). Print.