Noise levels: high ceiling makes acoustics echo. Sound travels into (quiet) Dean's room and other areas. Since perceived as a quiet area, other students silence each other

Possible solutions:

  • Noise blocking solutions like RoomTune panels, more partitions or fabric covers for existing ones, "tent" ceiling, permanent quilt displays from Fiber Science
  • Closing Dean's Room doors
  • Make the whole floor a noisy floor even more explicitly, including Dean's room and migrate whole area into collaborative space
  • Move all "noisy" space to first floor

Location: In between two quiet zones and near admin office. Sight of stacks also impedes conversation. :

Possible solutions: 

  • Make the whole floor a noisy floor even more explicitly, including Dean's room and migrate whole area into collaborative space
  • Improved signage
  • Move it to:
    • first floor near public services

Lighting: dim and high, no task lighting

Possible solutions:

  • Clip on spot lighting for task tables
  • Move tables with task lighting from Dean's room into Bissett
  • Find other furniture with lamps and outlets integrated

Atmosphere: Storage room vibe. Need for more color, more comfort, levels of furniture.

Possible solutions:

  • Addition of art, fabric covering for metal partitions
  • Move comfy chairs into Bissett area
  • Buy other furniture or partner with manufacturer like Herman Miller to test experimental collaborative designs
  • Bean bag chairs

Signage: Where does space begin and end? What can you do there?

Possible solutions:

  • Larger versions of noise level signs
  • Posters on how to use technology and space as we have at new copiers
  •  More publicity and marketing generally elsewhere
  • Boundaries-use of color or floor signs like in museums

Furniture: Other available models? Chipped tables. Affordances so they know they can move the furniture configuration (why does basement space work and Bissett not?)

Possible solutions:

  • Check distributors for latest models
  • Check other areas' furniture for thigns we like (see Flickr streams from Duke and Crit Stuart)
  • Buy other furniture or partner with manufacturer like Herman Miller to test experimental collaborative designs
  • Bean bag chairs

Technology: students unsure how to use Bretford carts and Knowledge Bar hook ups; need for simpler directions. Distance from tech support and checkout of laptops and adapters. Possibly set up its own network.  Is more technology necessary? Collaborative technology like TeamSpot, interactive whiteboard, Microsoft Surface? Other cloud-based tech?

Possible solutions:

  • Better and clearer directions; Posters on how to use technology as we have at new copiers
  • Multiple input software: TeamSpot, Tidebreak, Stanford's open source iSpaces
  • Subnet
  • Partner with CIT on Jumpstart workshops to orient instructors to teaching and learning spaces
  • Include it on orientation tours
  • Need for more large scale collaborative tech like Microsoft Surface-explore applications, other campus's uses and future potential

Support: Not only tech support but reference help, circ help, other services

Possible solutions:

  • Move to first floor to take advantage of existing service points and services such as Writing Walk-in and CISER consulting
  • If kept elsewhere, IM help to Stone Ops and circ and phone somewhere in the room

Policies: How to regulate scheduling of Bissett to take advantage of down times (mornings especially) and use for classes (calendar, length of time, equipment and software request and support esp. in open space

Possible solutions:

  • Add Bissett space to new calendar system
  • Only make available in mornings
  • Only reserve Knowledge Bars?

Other:

  • How to keep space fresh and exciting
  • Replacement cycle 
  • What other things are people doing with learning commons
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