Warrock collection: original line drawings by fourth year Deakin University architecture students of the Warrock Homestead, a local heritage listed property in Victoria

This collection includes the original line drawings by fourth year Deakin University architecture students of a well known local heritage listed property, the Warrock homestead. The Warrock homestead consisted of detailed original timber structures of the 19th century. The drawings are the result of a conservation project funded by the Commonwealth Government of Australia National Estate Grants program. In 1999 a further deposit of original reports relating to individual buildings on the property was received. The collection consists of monographs, photographs and photograph negatives, architectural drawings, VHS tapes and ephemera.

Deakin University : flexibility in spaces

Over the past five years, Deakin University has taken significant steps to renew its physical and virtual learning spaces. This presentation focuses on flexible learning spaces, knowledge sharing areas, and communal gathering spaces. Across the campuses, these can be seen within the library, faculties, staff areas, student spaces and common areas.

The postgraduate mentoring program at Deakin University and international student transition

This study adds to the literature as it examines the experiences that international postgraduate (IP) students have with a peer-mentoring program at an Australian University. To analyse transition and peer mentoring thirty-four (34) semi-structured interviews with IP students from Indian, Chinese and other national cohorts were conducted. The study found that transitioning IP students who had a mentor, benefitted as it provided a variety of support mechanisms so that IP students could transition to the next stage. Transition was important for mentors who were able to develop greater self-confidence, graduate attributes and other employability skills.

Mirjana Lozanovska. Deakin University

Creativity can be related to the human capacity to make, but with more emphasis on the process of making and the way the thing made reveals this. Creativity can also be related to production or objects that involve beauty, innovation, pleasure and ideas beyond the functional, rational and economic. Creativity can thus be associated with the human subject and/ or the object produced. The subject and object of creativity are sometimes entwined, and often represented as symbiotic in relation to artists and artistic production. In the seminal text Keywords, Raymond Williams (1976: 76) explains the historical associations between the words 'create' and 'creation' and the 'divine'; and later associations with the poet's and the artist's productions, leading eventually to the 'creative arts: However, the subject and object of creativity are not the same, as illustrated in the study of archaeological artefacts, where often the human subject (maker) is unknown. It is important they are not merged, and in this text I will try to respond to each part.

Des Smith. Deakin University

Creativity might be described as that intellectual and intuitive area where one senses the connections between the requirements and the possibilities of a situation. With this, one is able to embody the positive qualities of these connections within a production whereby a new clarity is given to the situations touched by these requirements.

Richard Tucker. Deakin University

Creativity has been defined 'as the production of novel and useful ideas in any domain'. I would question the words 'novel' and 'useful' because, if the idea is 'useless' but new to the creator, the creator has still given birth to an idea via some form of creative process. I suggest, therefore, that 'creativity' is simply the production of ideas. But it is not quite that straightforward. Innovation is often distinguished from creativity as the successful implementation of ideas. Yet there is a creative process between the birth of an idea and its implementation—that is evolving/ developing/ operating on an idea. This development of an idea is also creativity. I would therefore say that creativity is a two-stage process: it is, firstly, the production and, secondly, the development of ideas; where 'production' is understood as the initiating activities a designer undertakes to inform or inspire ideas.

Transforming an academic library's spaces : an evaluation study of Deakin University Library at Burwood campus using TEALS discovery

Libraries worldwide are transforming their spaces to better align with the changing needs of their communities. The aim of this paper is to outline the process and outcome of an evaluation study of transformed academic library spaces at the Melbourne Burwood Campus using TEALS. In light of changing higher education practices and students learning preferences, Deakin University has been questioning the balance of informal learning spaces and more formal teaching and academic spaces across its campuses. Commissioned by Deakin University Library, TEALS (Tool for the Evaluation of Academic Library Spaces) was developed to evaluate academic library spaces. The Melbourne Burwood Campus library has undergone several phases of refurbishment to create a library environment that is centred around students’ needs and that supports their individual and group learning experiences. In addition, areas of the library yet to be improved will undergo a major redevelopment over the next year. Given this, carrying out an evaluation of the current spaces is timely to ensure that a better understanding of the impact of changes is achieved. The evaluation process involved: a review of architectural plans and space briefing documents; an observational study of spaces; focus groups with students and library staff; and an online survey of Students’ Library Experience. Use of the TEALS space evaluation tool along with an analysis of data collected during the evaluation process have provided significant insights into various dimensions of the quality of new library spaces. The areas of weakness and strength identified in the study will inform the next phase of Deakin University Library space redevelopment.

Deakin University Library : an active partner in the implementation of the new generation e-learning platform Desire2Learn

Deakin University has a long association with e-learning platforms, utilising the functionality of various Learning Management Systems (LMS) over a period of years. Transforming learning and teaching is a key priority of the University and moving to a new generation e-learning platform that supports engaging learning experiences through quality course design is a strategic imperative.

In 2010 Deakin University selected Desire2Learn as its replacement LMS, an innovative platform that offers next generation functionality. The University is investing significant resources in 2011 to implement the new system. The Library is harnessing the opportunity to embed search and discovery and information access throughout the LMS, including presence at the highest level of navigation. A Library widget providing students with clear pathways and immediate access to key library collections, services and features is being developed by the Library in conjunction with the Faculties‟ academic champions and educational developers. Liaison Librarians are negotiating with academic staff to create context-specific pathways, to utilise Desire2Learn Web2.0 capabilities and to imbed more personalised resources and LibGuides aligned with units of study. This is happening at a time when libraries are introducing new approaches to information discovery.

This paper describes Deakin University Library‟s journey in partnering with academic staff and others across the University to implement Desire2Learn as a vital new e-learning platform. It reports on many outcomes including: value created by embedding quality information in learner-centred course delivery; increased awareness of library subscription resources when accessible within students‟ workspace; strong and continuing relationships built with academic staff; enhanced Library staff engagement with flexible learning principles and new technologies. The question of where embedding information access in online courses and units fits with the Library‟s exploration of web scale solutions is also touched upon. And finally, an insight into how recent research undertaken by Deakin University Library has influenced our approach to information discovery solutions suggests an opportunity for many more questions to be explored.