Here at the University of Salford, like many other institutions, we’ve been having a bit of a re-design when it comes to our ‘learning spaces’. While I’ve long been an advocate of designing spaces with communication and collaboration in mind, until now it’s largely been based on gut-instinct and also inspired by seeing what’s going on elsewhere...
Today a colleague from another Manchester university came in for a couple of hours for a general EdTech chinwag/catch-up (we’re both enthusiasts…), and we were walking around the campus and decided to pop in to the Learning Technologies Centre in our main library building. When we entered the main space, which has very recently been refurbished, we were greeted by the sight of 4 students engrossed in something on a laptop.
What could it be…?
… a hilarious (for them)/humiliating (for somebody else) video on YouTube?
… the latest MySpace gossip? (although to be fair many students who I’ve spoken to in the past few weeks have deserted MySpace for Facebook…)
Unable to resist, we walked over and started asking them what they were doing….
Answer: They were working on a group project - a 3 minute video.
We asked “will you put it on YouTube when it’s finished?”, to which they replied… “Probably not, as we’re using some images from elsewhere so we need to be careful about copyright”.
HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think they probably thought we were slightly mad (!), wondered what all the fuss was about…
Anyway, we disappeared off for a general chat with staff in the LTC and wandered back out a couple of hours later and THEY WERE STILL THERE!
Still collaborating, still communicating, still learning, still engaging.
We thought it was absolutely brilliant – late in the day on a Wednesday, didn’t have to be there, deadline not-at-all imminent… they were there because they wanted to be, and because the space ‘felt right’.
At this point we asked if we could take a picture… they said yes (as long as we promised not to show their friends ;-)
Keywords: collaboration, Learning spaces
Comments
We asked “will you put it on YouTube when it’s finished?”, to which they replied… “Probably not, as we’re using some images from elsewhere so we need to be careful about copyright”.
HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't see why you're cheering - they put all this effort into a video, but they are afraid to even share it because of some idiocy about copyright - which almost certainly doesn't even apply in this case (as it's fair use, educational, noncommercial, etc).
It's sad, very sad, and you shouldn't cheer about it.
Hi Stephen,
I agree, students should be able to share their work. I was merely celebrating their use of the space and their awareness of copyright issues (whether or not i agree with copyright laws is something else entirely.. ;-)
A great summary of our experience and I agree that we were pleased they were aware about the copyright issue rather than pleased they were constrained! It's funny because I was convinced they'd had gone by the time we had emerged from our nattering but there they are - thanks for posting the photo.
H