1

A Descriptive Study of Informal Learning Spaces in the College of Business Administration, Northern

Arizona University, Fall 2006

James V. PintoProfessor of EconomicsSabbatical Semester

2

Overview 11 Breakout spaces ,12 classroom front

porches and lounges Sample of CBA faculty during the 1st

week of the Fall 2006 semester Other samples during the 7th, 11th and

15th weeks Sample of students in informal

learning spaces Sample of students in classes 11th

Week only CBA IT sample

3

Sample of CBA faculty Qualitative data Do you meet with students in these

areas as a part of your classes? (n = 25) Yes = 32% No = 68%

Do you think the learning process been enhanced by the use of these spaces? (n = 27) Yes = 85.2% No = 14.8%

4

Sample of Students in Informal Learning Spaces

Thanks to MBA students Krista Conway and Eileen Maldonado for doing the surveys

Both quantitative and qualitative data (in- person surveys )

Stratified sample across all stations and times of day (each day of the 7th, 11th and 15th weeks of the semester)

Detailed data by station and aggregated by floors and building totals

Data from students who use the spaces

5

What are some of the reasons you use these spaces? Students in Informal Learning Spaces Survey,All Breakouts and Front Porches, All Weeks,

CBA, Fall 2006, (n = 317)

21.5

14.8

9.88.5

6.65.7

4.4 3.8 3.5 3.51.9 1.6 1.3 1.3 0.9 0.9 0.9

9.1

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

Group w

ork -

Team

s

Homew

ork

Emai

l

Study

Inte

rnet

- Onlin

e

Quiet -

Pea

cefu

l

Comput

er

Wai

ting fo

r cla

sses

Biz B

lock

Convenie

nce

Space

Early

for c

lass

Large

table

s

Resea

rch

Class

Work

Grades

Vista

Other

Pe

rce

nta

ge

6

What do you like about these spaces?Students in Informal Learning Spaces Survey, All Breakouts and

Front Porches, All Weeks, CBA, Fall 2006, (n = 248)

25.4

18.1

6.9 6.5 6.0 5.22.8 2.4 2.0 1.6 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

18.1

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

Space

Convenie

nt -

Acces

s

Quiet -

Pea

cefu

l

Comput

er w

/ Inte

rnet

Comfo

rtable

chai

rs

Privat

e

Group -

Team

wor

k

Close

to C

lass

White

board

Wid

e co

mpute

r scr

eens

Dry e

rase

boar

ds

Lightin

g

Man

y ro

oms

Open a

rea

Other

Pe

rce

nta

ge

7

How could these spaces be improved? Students in Informal Learning Spaces Survey, All Breakouts and

Front Porches, All Weeks, CBA, Fall 2006, (n = 168)

20.2

14.3

8.3 8.36.5

4.83.6 3.6 3.6

1.8 1.2 1.2 1.2

21.4

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

More

than

one

com

puter

More

spac

es -

Rooms

Divis

ion- W

all d

ivid

ing -

too lo

ud

Printe

rs N/A

Doors

More

sea

ting

Climat

e Contro

l-Too c

old

Comfo

rtable

chai

rs

Campus

phones

Ability

to s

ave

on com

puter

Shades

/blin

ds in

bre

akout s

paces

Speake

rs fo

r com

puters

Other

Pe

rce

nta

ge

8

MajorStudents in Informal Learning Spaces Survey, All Breakouts and Front

Porches, All Weeks, CBA, Fall 2006, (n = 132)23.5

21.220.5

15.2

5.3

2.3 2.31.5 1.5 1.5

5.3

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

Finan

ce

Accoun

ting

Mana

gemen

t

Mark

etin

g CIS

HRM -

min

or in B

usine

ss

Undeci

ded

Econom

ics

MBA

Parks

and R

ec

Other

Pe

rce

nta

ge

9

Where did you study or use computers before the new CBA building was opened?

Students in Informal Learning Spaces Survey, All Breakouts and Front Porches, All Weeks, CBA, Fall 2006, (n = 45)

33.3 33.3

11.1

6.74.4

11.1

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

Home Library SLAC Old BusinessLab

Other Labs Other

Per

cent

age

10

Percentage of Times Visited and Found Empty or Occupied, All Spaces, All Weeks,

Students in Informal Learning Spaces Survey, CBA, Fall 2006, n = 398

83.6

43.0

63.0 61.8

16.4

57.0

37.0 38.2

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

Front Proches Breakout Spaces Lounges All Spaces

Per

cen

tag

e

% of Times Empty % of Times Occupied

11

Sample of Students in Classes Cluster sample of two classes from

each of six majors plus “BA” classes in the CBA 11th week only

Qualitative data (in-class surveys) Picks up students who never use

the informal learning spaces

12

All Informal Spaces- Percentage of Students Reported UsingClassroom Survey, 11th Week, CBA, Fall 2006 (n = 880)

54.3

48.1

53.8

61.0

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

Lounges Breakout Proches All

Per

cen

tag

e

13

All Informal Learning Spaces, Comparison of Percentage of Times Observed Occupied and the Percentage Reported Using

CBA, Fall 2006 (n = 398, n = 880)

38.237.0

57.0

16.4

54.348.1

53.8

61.0

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

Front Proches Breakout Spaces Lounges All Spaces

Per

cent

age

% of Times Observed Occupied % Reported Used

14

All Informal Spaces- Avg. Time Used, Classroom Survey, CBA, 11th Week,

Fall 2006, (n = 880)

75.8

136.4

38.2

84.9

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

120.0

140.0

160.0

Lounges Breakout Proches All

Min

ute

s

15

All Informal Spaces- Avg Visits per Week,Classroom Survey, CBA, 11th Week,

Fall 2006, (n = 880)

1.33 1.37

1.00

1.23

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1.40

1.60

Lounges Breakout Proches All

Vis

its

16

Breakout Spaces- % of Students Using by Classes Classroom Survey, CBA, 11th Week,

Fall 2006, (n = 292)

100.085.0

69.1 66.754.0

42.6

10.4

53.8

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

120.0

BA MKT MGT ECO FIN ACC CIS All

Perc

enta

ge

17

CBA IT sample Thanks to Dick Toeniskoetter, Damon

Brown and MBA student Jeff Gilbert Sampling of all logons at all front

porches and breakout space locations in the CBA (each day of the 7th, 11th and 15th weeks)

Quantitative data on location, day, time of day and duration of each logon

Detailed data by station and aggregated by floors and building totals

18

Percentage of Logons, All Weeks, All Front Porches and Breakout Spaces

CBA IT Survey, Fall 2006 (n = 2633)

24.4 24.622.5

20.7

6.7

1.00.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

Per

cent

age

19

Percentage of Logons, All Weeks, All Front Porches and All Breakout Spaces

CBA IT Survey, Fall 2006, (n = 2633)

12.4 13.0 11.5 9.7

3.40.2

11.0

3.30.8

49.850.2

10.911.712.0

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Total

Per

cen

tag

e

% FP Logons % BO Logons

20

Average Length of Logons, All Weeks, All Front Porches and Breakout Spaces

CBA IT Survey, Fall 2006 (n = 2633)

0:30:16 0:29:21 0:30:33 0:31:08 0:31:40

0:59:07

0:00:00

0:07:12

0:14:24

0:21:36

0:28:48

0:36:00

0:43:12

0:50:24

0:57:36

1:04:48

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Avg

Tim

e L

og

on

(h

r, m

in, s

ec)

21

Average Length of Logon, All Weeks, All Front Porches and All Breakout Spaces

CBA IT Survey, Fall 2006 (n =2633)

0:41:38 0:44:210:47:40

0:43:40 0:45:51

1:25:13

0:51:24

0:16:02

0:06:54

0:20:590:19:080:15:430:14:07

0:19:24

0:00:00

0:14:24

0:28:48

0:43:12

0:57:36

1:12:00

1:26:24

1:40:48

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Average

Avg

Tim

e Lo

gon

(hr,

miin

, sec

)

avg length FP logon avg length BO logon

22

Percentage of Logons by Time of Day, All Front Porches and Breakout Spaces Combined

CBA IT Survey, All Weeks, Fall 2006 (n = 2633)

0.3 0.8

3.9

8.9

13.6

10.410.210.0

7.9

10.7

5.56.7

4.6

2.6 2.30.7 0.7 0.1

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

Per

cent

age

23

Percentage of Logons by Time of Day,All Front Porches and All Breakout Spaces,

CBA IT Survey, All Weeks, Fall 2006 (n = 2633)

0 01

4

8

6 6 6

4

6

3 32

1 10 0 00

0

3

5

6

5 4 4 4

5

3

4

32 2

1 10

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Per

cen

tag

e

% FP % BO

24

Summary and Conclusions CBA Professors think that informal learning spaces

enhance learning, but few use them for their classes.

Reason using spaces: group work (teams), home work, e-mail and study account for 54.6%

Why like spaces: space, convenient, quiet and computers account for 56.9%

Given that the number one reason for using the spaces was for group work (teams) and given that the number one reason for liking the spaces was “space”, then one could conclude that teams need space to work.

How to improve: more than 1 PC per space, more spaces, solid room dividers and printers account for 51.1% (continue)

25

Summary and Conclusions (continued)

Where study before new CBA: home and library accounted for 66.5%

Observed percentage of times used was less than percentage used reported by students in all but one category (breakout)

Measured average length of logons was less than that reported by students in all spaces with PCs

Uniform distribution of logons Monday through Thursday (continue)

26

Summary and Conclusions (continued)

Breakout spaces average length of logon is 3.2 times that of front porches

Highest percentage logons 10-11AM 13.6%

10AM-2PM accounts for 44.2% of logons

27

More Analysis Needed How can more disaggregation of

the data lead to useful results? Identification of under and over

utilized individual spaces Can aggregation by floors give useful

results? Can analysis of the individual

weeks lead to trends or patterns?