Library induction and learner transition

I joined Aberystwyth University in September this year. In my previous job at the University of Leicester, I was involved in a project which investigated student transition into higher education. One major finding of the project was students' characterisation of various types of information presented to them before and during their first few days in University:

• Objective, highly structured formal information = Cold Knowledge
• Less structured, semi-formal information = Warm knowledge
• Informal, less structured and subjective information = Hot knowledge (1)

From PLACES to SPACES: Learning environments that inspire.

The imaginative design of spaces to shape learning behaviour is a topic that has always fascinated me. I grew up in an era where the idea was promoted that learning occurred only in a PLACE (Pupil, Lessons, Authority of the teacher, Classroom and Examination). Over the past decades there has been a paradigm shift which now promotes the idea of learning environments as SPACES (Social, Participatory, Adaptable, Collaborative, Enhanced-technologically and Sharing).