University+of+Melbourne

**University of Melbourne**
The Learning Environments Spatial Laboratory (LESL) is quite a strange space. It is not owned by any single department or faculty and as such must serve the needs of all faculties including Medicine which has enormous data requirements in their research field. The room has also be built with the aim of being technologically bullet proof for the next 6 years. This means that any changes of technology within the next 6 years should be able to work with the set up in the room. They have even included a special video editing connection currently only available in Hollywood Studios that is likely to become standard within 5 years.

The rooms was originally a gymnasium used for teaching PE teachers and has been transferred in to a Learning Space Laboratory. It is an experimental space to find out what works and what doesn't work. It is an incredibly technology rich room with multiple plasma screens each connected to Mac Mini's and all sorts of other connections but all of this can be hidden and stored away so it looks very sparse. (Click here for more information taken by group members).

//A video of the LESL to help you get a feel for what this strange yet exciting space has been built for...// //(Note: It is about 15min so you may want to let it load before watching it over a slow network)// - Doug media type="youtube" key="qQ9W9IUnjZQ" height="349" width="425"

//Cupboards around the Learning Environments Spatial Lab contain technology, open up to create booths, can fit the tables to clear the floorspace, be used as white boards, and many more things.// 
 * James' notes
 * More photos from the University of Melbourne

Below you will find two videos featuring some informal learning spaces within the Engineering Faculty of the University - Doug. media type="youtube" key="PjskCn-A6n0?hl=en" height="274" width="339" media type="youtube" key="CBknPeLTguc?hl=en" height="274" width="339"