Outside In, Inside Out: Designing and Delivering Services within Learning Spaces

The services provided within spaces like learning commons, computing labs, or event spaces can have as great an impact on the learning experience as the spaces themselves do. These services might include reservations, room setup/takedown, advising, or help desks, to name a few. How, where, and by whom services are offered greatly impacts the experience not only of the users but also of the providers. It's only by simultaneously working outside in from the users' needs and inside out from the staff needs that services can be effective, efficient, and sustainable. This session will make the case for this integrated outside-in, inside-out approach, provide a few concrete tools to apply this approach, and show these tools in action through short case studies.

OUTCOMES: Identify key issues for the design of services and make the case for an outside-in, inside-out approach * Apply simple tools to understand the user and staff experience * Define levels of service and guide referrals between them and across providers