Evaluating Penn States Knowledge Commons Joe Fennewald Knowledge

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Evaluating Penn State’s Knowledge Commons Joe Fennewald Knowledge Commons, Penn State Panel Presentation It’s

Evaluating Penn State’s Knowledge Commons Joe Fennewald Knowledge Commons, Penn State Panel Presentation It’s All About Them: What We Know About Student-Centered Design Re-Think It Conference 2015

Tombros Mc. Whirter Knowledge Commons Penn State University Libraries 54, 000 square feet $11,

Tombros Mc. Whirter Knowledge Commons Penn State University Libraries 54, 000 square feet $11, 360, 000 total estimated cost

Knowledge Commons Usage Report (Fall 2014) 7, 107 people approached library service desk needing

Knowledge Commons Usage Report (Fall 2014) 7, 107 people approached library service desk needing help 1, 370 people emailed or phoned library staff for help 648 reference questions 10, 398 group study room reservations 156, 399 logins on computers 112 multimedia workshops taught 1, 152 consultations provided by multimedia specialists 4, 389 videos made resulting in 197 hours of recording 6, 666 received help with their personal electronic device 2, 713 computer and printer questions answered by a IT Lab Consultant

Library IT Services Multimedia s 2, 2222 ment 7, 107 Contacts (Fall 2014) statement

Library IT Services Multimedia s 2, 2222 ment 7, 107 Contacts (Fall 2014) statement 6, 666 Contacts (Fall 2014) statement 1, 152 Contacts 2, 016 (Fall 2010) 4, 050 (Fall 2010) 375 (Fall 2010) (Fall 2014)

Group Study Rooms During Fall 2014, there were 22, 903 room reservation requests. Of

Group Study Rooms During Fall 2014, there were 22, 903 room reservation requests. Of these, unable to fill 1, 443. Computer Stations On average students spend 50 statement minutes longer at computers with larger monitors and work surfaces.

Head Knowledge Commons

Head Knowledge Commons

Reactions, comments, thoughts. . .

Reactions, comments, thoughts. . .

Reactions, comments, thoughts. . . “There is really nowhere else we could have such

Reactions, comments, thoughts. . . “There is really nowhere else we could have such a meeting. Given that we really try to have a quiet environment yet the privacy to discuss our drafts without disturbing other students who are studying. ” “The rooms give us privacy and freedom to have open conversations. I cannot think of a place on campus where we can have such virtual meetings with our clients. ”

What did we want to know? • Why the Library? Wouldn’t this be as

What did we want to know? • Why the Library? Wouldn’t this be as effective anywhere else on campus? • Do students behave differently when a computer lab is in a library?

Knowledge Commons, Penn State University Libraries Renovated 2012 Library, IT, Multimedia Service Desks 24/5

Knowledge Commons, Penn State University Libraries Renovated 2012 Library, IT, Multimedia Service Desks 24/5 61 Computers Food / drink allowed 14, 916 Unique users (Fall 2014) Pollock Computer Lab, Penn State University Renovated 2013 IT, Multimedia Service Desks 24/7 172 Computers Food / drink restrictions 13, 933 Unique users (Fall 2014)

‘Quick’ Ethnography Seating Sweeps / Field Observations Service Desks Transactions Computer Use / Google

‘Quick’ Ethnography Seating Sweeps / Field Observations Service Desks Transactions Computer Use / Google Analytics Interviews

Preliminary Findings (Similarities): • Behavior is similar • • • They spread out their

Preliminary Findings (Similarities): • Behavior is similar • • • They spread out their belongings; frequently use a seat for their backpack Charge their devices while working Are often wearing headphones Have food/drink out (even if there is a sign prohibiting this) Take breaks either by resting their head on the table, watching a video, or walking around the space • Regular users feel as though they belong to the space. Students are not likely to switch spaces once they find a space that meets their needs.

Preliminary Findings (Similarities): • Computers in both locations are heavily used • • Students

Preliminary Findings (Similarities): • Computers in both locations are heavily used • • Students liked the 21” monitors and large work surfaces Amount of time per log in is similar (67 minutes Pollock, 76 minutes KC) For students who go to the library website the behavior is similar once on the website. Students like to separate their non-academic and academic work in the space they use and their devices (i. e. , laptop for leisure, desktop for work)

Preliminary Findings (Differences): • Pollock has more male students • Students in Pollock appear

Preliminary Findings (Differences): • Pollock has more male students • Students in Pollock appear to be visiting libraries’ web sites specific to class assignments or resources likely needed for classes. • Students in Pollock claim resources, such as printers, as a more common reason for using the space than students in the KC • Students using the KC had a greater sense of ownership of the space (‘third space’) • Personal belongings were often left unattended • They searched the library’s web site to find out when it closes or when the coffee shop closes • Students were more likely to approach to ask for help from the ITS Lab Consultants, Tech Tutors, or Multimedia Specialist in the KC than Pollock

Lessons Learned from Data Triangulation (the Researchers’ Perspective): • To avoid drowning in the

Lessons Learned from Data Triangulation (the Researchers’ Perspective): • To avoid drowning in the data always keep in mind the research questions. • Stay organized. You will have an unbelievable amount of data before you know it and an organization system that each researcher is comfortable using is invaluable. • Communicate effectively. You will likely have several people involved in data gathering and analysis. Each person brings different perspectives and have different understandings. • Collaborate with people who have different skill sets and levels of expertise • Train – people come with different background and experiences. One person may be comfortable interviewing but not observing. Train people in how to properly engage in these data collection methods.

Next steps: Working on what we collected Continue the conversation: Joe Fennewald Head Knowledge

Next steps: Working on what we collected Continue the conversation: Joe Fennewald Head Knowledge Commons JAF 23 @ PSU. EDU