COLLEGE LEARNING ASS1STANCE CENTER DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
by
William G. White, Jr.
Barney Kyzar
Kenneth E. Lane

INTRODUCTION

Learning assistance programs are a fairly recent phenomenon in American higher education, necessitated by a flood of new, more diverse and academically deficient student populations that began in the early 1970s. The past two decades have been characterized by efforts to address these students’ learning needs and achievement levels, to seek means by which they could learn to cope with the traditional college curriculum and to reduce staggering student attrition rates (Baker & Painter, 1983; Sullivan, 1979).

Many institutions decided on special units, programs and/or facilities designed to assist students in developing and improving learning skills. From this, the learning center movement was born (Sullivan, 1979, 1980). “Today, the whole nation is involved in the effort to respond to learners who need to develop or refine the learning skills that are requisite for academic success” (Burnham, 1983, p. 33).

The learning assistance center is a support facility for the instructional program. Its design should spring from clearly determined purposes and from the nature of the instructional program the facility is intended to support (Currey, 1980; Karwin, 1973; White & Schnuth, 1989).

Individualized, prescription-based programs, which characterize learning assistance centers, require a facility with an open design (Gamer, 1980) and interior flexibility, i.e. the capacity for convenient and routine rearrangement to

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meet user needs and changing instructional requirements for individuals and small and large group (McPheeters, 1980; Peterson, 1975). The facility must be adaptable to people or it is destined to fail in its instructional purpose (College and Research Libraries, 1982).

With a team planning approach, the facility can be designed to provide appropriate space to meet institutional and instructional objectives and to accommodate present operation, anticipated future expansion and changes in educational mission, program and technologies (College and Research Libraries, 1982; McPheeters, 1980; Sharpe, 1978). An important consideration in estimating needed capacity is the types of students to be served. In most cases, students “drop-in” at their convenience; optimum availability is likely to prove most attractive to users (Karwin, 1973).

The facility should be attractive, comfortable and designed to encourage student use (Briley, 1976; Crettol, 1975; Gamer, 1980; Henderson, 1972; Sharpe, 1978). Minkoff (1974, p. l7) claims that the physical appearance of the learning assistance center is an important tool to “hook them [students], to get them into the center.” An attractive decor will enhance the design and create a better learning environment. As Robert Mager (Sharpe, 1978, p. 138) states, “Things that are surrounded by unpleasantness are seldom surrounded by people.”

SPECIFIC PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS

The specifications presented here are intended to provide parameters for planning a learning assistance center tailored to the needs of an institution in terms of its philosophy, objectives, instructional programs and students. These are only guidelines, not inflexible standards (White, Kyzar, & Lane, 1989).

Location on Campus

Because learning assistance center activities are closely related, services are strengthened by proximity to others. Administrative time is reduced, staff are utilized more efficiently, and learners benefit when programs are centralized rather than functioning in multiple sites on campus (Currey, 1980; Walker, 1980).

The name and location of the learning assistance center are important; more students, especially drop-ins, use the center when its name is “inclusive” and when they know where it is (Walker, 1980). For years, learning assistance programs were housed in basements and trailers far from the center of campus (Christ, 1980). A central, prominent location avoids any stigma associated with using the center (Briley, 1976).

Spaces

In determining space requirements and in other planning considerations, a basic guide is the standard for facilities established by the Council for the Advancement of Standards for Student Services/Development Programs which slates that each functional area must be provided adequate facilities to fulfill its mission. Facilities must include, or the function must have access to: private offices/spaces for counseling, interviewing or other meetings of a confidential nature; office, reception and storage space sufficient to accommodate assigned staff, supplies, equipment, library resources and machinery; and conference room or meeting space. All facilities must be accessible to disabled persons and in compliance with relevant building codes (Council for the Advancement of Standards, 1986).

The learning assistance center should include adequate spaces and equipment for a wide range of leaching, learning and study situations pursuant to academic programs supported by the center (Karwin, 1973; Sharpe, 1978). A variety of spaces are required to bring students, learning facilitators and media together in varying configurations (McPheeters, 1980). The following discussion focuses on space allocation requirements, spatial relationships, technological concerns, furnishings, equipment and other design considerations for various areas of the center.

Learning/media laboratory. [35 asf (assignable square feet) per student station (Space Planning Guidelines, 1985; Dahnke, Jones, Mason, & Romney, 1971)]. The open-space learning/media lab (Peterson, 1975) should be centrally located and constitute the largest single space in the center. It should be comfortable and quiet. Basic furnishings should include study carrels (Crettol, 1975; Karwin, 1973), tables and chairs (Briley, 1976). Dry carrels are for independent study; wet, possibly networked, carrels are for the use of a variety of electronic media. Lounge chairs should be provided for reading (Henderson, 1972; Sharpe, 1978). Flexibility in this area is crucial (Sharpe, 1978; Whyte, 1980).

Resource/learning materials center. The resource/learning materials center or library should be adjacent to the learning/media lab. It should have a library-style circulation center where students and staff check out instructional equipment and materials for use in or out of the learning assistance center (Henderson, 1972; Peterson, 1975). The area should accommodate the storage and retrieval of a variety of media and materials—print, nonprint and electronic. Storage units should range from traditional library shelving to special units for audio and video cassettes to file cabinets. Open shelving is preferable for as many items as possible (Karwin, 1973). The collection will expand; therefore, it is essential to plan for years of growth (Hanson, 1972).

Technical services/support space. The technical services/support area provides space for ordering, receiving and cataloging print and nonprint media. Print media will be mended, bound and laminated here. Electronic/instructional equipment will be maintained and serviced, and some items will be stored in this area. The space should facilitate the production of media, such as video and audio cassettes (Langhoff, 1980; McPheeters. 1980), and may house photocopying equipment/services for the learning assistance center (Henderson, 1972; Peterson, 1975). The area may also be used to store supplies, as a mail-room, for shipping and receiving (Karwin, 1973) and as a general instructional work place (Whyte, 1980).

Seminar rooms. [400 asf]. Seminar rooms should accommodate a maximum

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of 20 students in informal surroundings. The rooms will be used for seminars and other small group meetings (Karwin, 1973) and should provide opportunities for interaction with media (Langhoff, 1980; Sharpe, 1978; Whyte, 1980). Flexible walls would permit multiple use of these spaces (Henderson, 1972).

Tutorial rooms. [240 asf]. Tutorial rooms should be adjacent to the learning/media lab to be used for meetings of tutors with 1-5 students and for testing, individual assistance and guidance of independent study (Karwin, 1973). They should be furnished with multi-person carrels, small tables and chairs (Henderson, 1972).

Classrooms. [16 asf per student (Space Planning Guidelines, 1985)]. Since many programs encompass developmental courses in English, reading, math, study skills, etc., the center may need classroom spaces (McPheeters, 1980). Classrooms should be designed with audio-visual media in mind, perhaps including provision for rear screen projection and should be designed for easy control of lighting and equipment from the instructor’s desk or lectern (Henderson, 1972; Sharpe, 1978).

Counseling offices. [120 asf each]. Private offices permit counselors to work with students in personal and career counseling, in defining learning goals and in academic advisement (Briley, 1976; Karwin, 1973; Whyte, 1980). The suite should have a career library; 200-300 asf is probably adequate (Peterson, 1975). A room (400 asf) furnished with tables and chairs for various types of individual and small group testing, diagnosis and assessment is desirable (Henry & Omvig, 1981; McPheeters, 1980).

Administrative and staff offices. Administrators’ offices [140-160 asf each (Space Planning Guidelines, 1985)] must be large enough to allow for the direction of the learning center and to house administrative records, communications equipment, computer hardware, etc. (Karwin, 1973). Furnishings should be comfortable, attractive and functional and set an appropriate “executive tone.”

If there are multiple administrators or coordinators housed in the same suite, a shared conference room is desirable. Size will depend on the number of persons normally involved in meetings; 20-25 asf per person is usually adequate. If there is only one administrator, the office could be enlarged to accommodate a small conference area.

Faculty and staff offices should have 110-150 asf and be appropriately furnished. Administrative, faculty and staff offices should be clustered in groups of four or five around reception/clerical areas. Graduate assistant office space should have 40-70 asf (Space Planning Guidelines, 1985).

Reception/clerical station. [120 asf per person]. The receptionist/clerical station should be located near the main entrance of the center and should contain necessary office and communication equipment (Karwin, 1973). If serving the entire center, the station should be large enough to provide comfortable seating for individuals waiting to see staff members. Other stations should be located to serve suites of offices.

Typing/word processing stations. [60 asf each]. Typing/word processing stations can be designed as part of receptionist/clerical stations or strategically located in the center for student use. In either case, stations should be acoustically treated to control noise. Student stations can also be used for individual study when not being used for typing or word processing (Karwin, 1973). Word processing could take place in the learning/media lab at carrels with printing taking place at a word processing station.

Storage space. Many areas will need storage space for special materials and equipment. Adequate mechanical/custodial/utility spaces will also be required (Briley, 1976; Karwin, 1973).

Commons. [5-10 asf per person, maximum occupancy (Space Planning Guidelines, 1985)]. A commons area and/or lounge spaces should be provided for students and staff (Karwin, 1973). Such areas should be furnished with comfortable, durable tables and chairs. Food and drink vending machines could be located here (Henderson, 1972).

Child care center. Because increasing numbers of students have young children, a child care service may be desirable. The age and number of children to be served and the activities planned for them will determine space requirements. Kindergarten classrooms, for example, need 75 sf per child including storage and rest rooms (Castaldi, 1987; Karwin, 1973).

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

There are other important considerations necessary to produce a functional, well designed learning assistance center. These include furnishings and equipment and environments for thermal comfort, acoustical integrity, electrical adequacy and lighting levels.

Furniture should be attractive and comfortable, yet durable, functional and easily maintained. A wide range of colors, fabrics and styles permit a decor that enhances the aesthetics and appeal of the center (Cobun, 1981). Flexible, movable furniture is essential for innovative and mediated instruction (Sharpe, 1978). Seating for individualized instruction requires comfort. “Research has shown that seated learners tend to generate discomfort with the passage of time. Expressed in broad humor, the activity of the cerebrum tends to vary inversely by the square of the compaction of the gluteus maximus” (Cobun, 1981, p. 182).

Facilities, to a large extent, determine the degree to which instructional media will be used effectively and innovatively. The wide array of instructional equipment used in the learning assistance center must be considered in its design. The selection of instructional equipment for the center should be guided by three principles: (1) flexibility to ensure maximum utilization, (2) compatibility and (3) standardization (Lane & Lane, 1988; Langhoff, 1980; Materniak, 1980).

Thermal and acoustical environments require careful planning (Briley, 1976; Crettol, 1975; Henderson, 1972; Henry & Omvig, 1981). “Although it is possible

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for the human organism to adjust itself to a wide variety of environmental conditions, it is done with a considerable expenditure of energy which distracts the student from learning . . . .” (Evans & Neagley, 1973, p. 208). Research indicates that students learn best when the thermal environment is in that temperature range that provides maximum physical comfort.

Acoustical control does not require making all spaces sound proof or so acoustically dead that users work in complete silence. In fact, the complete absence of noise is unnatural and distracting; the presence of ambient sound is desirable (Peterson, 1975). The real concerns should be the control of noise within given spaces and sound transmission between spaces (Briley, 1976; Castaldi, 1987; Henry & Omvig, 1981; Sharpe, 1978).

Extensive use of electronic media and microcomputers makes electrical planning essential. Well planned and adequate electrical conduits, circuits, wiring and outlets should be provided for present and future technological needs (Peterson, 1975; Sharpe, 1978).

Generally, 30 footcandles of illumination should be adequate for any activity in the center. Natural light is important, but large expanses of glass can cause problems with heat gain and glare control. Skylights, while desirable in some areas, make the use of electronic visual media more difficult (Briley, 1976; Jenkins, 1985; Sharpe, 1978).

CONCLUSION

Planning a new facility or the renovation of an existing facility for a college learning assistance center is not only a serious challenge but also a unique opportunity to plan a space that can positively contribute to the performance of both staff and students. Most educators have their work shaped by the spaces they must occupy. We know there is a better way. The planning and design considerations presented here will hopefully assist in creating spaces for learning assistance that truly provide accessible environments for a dynamic interface with equipment, materials and learning facilities (Christ, 1980).

REFERENCES

Baker, G. A. III, & Painter, P. L. (1983). The learning center: A study of effectiveness. In J. E. Roueche (Ed), A new look at successful programs (pp. 73-78). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Briley, P. (1976). Planning and implementing learning skills centers in the state if Kansas. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Reading Association, Anaheim, CA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 123 603)

Burnham, L. B. (1983). Profiles of success among Texas programs for low achieving students. In J. E. Roueche (Ed.), A new look at successful programs (pp.73-78). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Castaldi, B. (1987). Educational facilities: Planning modernization, and management. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Christ, F.L. (1980). Learning assistance at a state university: A cybernetic model. In K.V. Lauridsen (Ed.), Examining the scope of learning centers (pp. 45-56). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Cobun, T. C. (1981). Facilities technology for individualized instruction. In P. J. Sleeman & D. M. Rockwell (Eds.), Designing learning environments (pp. 174-188). New York: Longman.

College and Research Libraries, Board of Directors. (1982, January/February). Guidelines for two-year college learning resources programs, revised June 30, 1981. C & RL News.

Council for the Advancement of Standards for Student Services/Development Programs, Consortium of Student Affairs Professional Organizations. (1986). CAS standards and guidelines for student services/development programs.

Crettol, M. (1975). Libraries and instructional materials centers. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 109 802)

Currey, J. W. (1980). Creating functional learning resources centers. In K. Mikan (Ed.), Learning resources center conference: Proceedings and evaluation (pp. 17-24). Birmingham, AL. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 222 180)

Dahnke, H. L., Jones, D. P., Mason, T. R., & Romney, L. C. (1971). Classroom and class laboratory facilities (Higher Education Facilities Planning and Management Manual No. 2). Boulder, CO: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

Evans, N. D., & Neagley, R. L. (1973). Planning and developing innovative community colleges. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Gamer, A. (1980). A comprehensive community college model for learning assistance centers. In K.V. Lauridsen (Ed.), Examining the scope of learning centers (pp. 19-31). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Guidelines for developing a program of requirements. (1985). Columbus, OH: Council of Educational Facility Planners, International.

Hansen, D. E. (1972, August). Systematic approach to learning resource center design. Educational Technology, 63-64.

Henderson, D. D. (1972). Report on alternatives and considerations for the design of a learning resource center (LRC) at Georgetown University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 124 121)

Henry, S., & Omvig, C. P. (1981). Learning center handbook. Kentucky University, Division of Vocational Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Services No. ED 215 106)

Jenkins, J. (Ed.). (1985). Guide for planning educational facilities. Columbus. OH: Council of Educational Facility Planners, International.

Karwin, T. J. (1973). Flying a learning center: Design and costs of an off-campus space for learning. Berkeley, CA: The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.

Lane, M., & Lane, K. (1988). Design consideration for microcomputer laboratories. CEFP Journal, 26(1), 10-11.

Langhoff, H. F. (1980). Learning resource centers: Organizational components and structural models. In K. Mikan (Ed.), Learning resources center conference: Proceedings and evaluation (pp. 6-16). Birmingham, AL. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 222 180)

Materniak, G. (1980). Developing a learning center from A to Z: Guidelines for designing a comprehensive developmental education program in a postsecondary educational setting. Unpublished paper. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh.

McPheeters, V. W. (1980). Learning resources centers—past, present, and future. In K. Mikan (Ed.), Learning resources center conference: Proceedings and evaluation (pp. 6-16). Birmingham, AL. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 222 180)

Minkoff, H. (1974). A reading resource center: Why and how. College Management, 9(3), 17-18.

Peterson, G. T. (1975). The learning center: A sphere for nontraditional approaches to education. Hamden, CT: The Shoe String Press.

Sharpe, A. D. (1978). Essentials for an effective learning environment. In J. D. Terry & R. W. Holes (Eds.), The administration of learning resources centers (pp. 128-139). Washington, DC: University Press of America.

Space planning guidelines for institutions of higher education. (1985). Columbus, OH: Council of Educational Facility Planners, International.

Sullivan, L. L. (1979). Sullivan’s guide lo learning centers in higher education. Portsmouth, NH: Entelek/Ward-Whiddcn House.

Sullivan, L. L. (1980). Growth and influence of the learning center movement. In K. V. Lauridsen (Ed.), Examining the scope of learning centers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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Walker, C. (1980). The learning assistance center in a selective institution. In K. V. Lauridsen (Ed.), Examining the scope of learning centers (pp. 57-68). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

White, W. G., Jr., Kyzar, B., & Lane, K. E. (1989). College learning assistance centers: Spaces for learning. In R. M. Hashway (Ed.), Handbook of developmental education (pp. 244-267). New York: Praeger.

White, W. G., Jr., & Schnuth, M. (1989). College learning assistance centers: Places for learning. In R. M. Hashway (Ed.), Handbook of developmental education (pp. 212-243). New York: Praeger.

Whyte, C. S. (1980). An integrated counseling and learning center for a liberal arts college. In K. V. Lauridsen (Ed.), Examining the scope of learning centers (pp. 33-43). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

BIOGRAPHY

William G. White, Jr., Ed.D., is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Grambling State University, Grambling, Louisiana.

Barney Kyzar, Ed.D., is superintendent of Nevada County Public Schools, Rosston, Arkansas, and former president of CEFPI.

Kenneth E. Lane, Ed.D., is an associate professor of educational administration at California State University at San Bernardino.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION

White, W. G., Jr., Kyzar, B., & Lane, K. E. (1990). College learning assistance center design considerations. The Educational Facility Planner, 28(4), 22-26.