The Importance of Developing Learning Resource Centers to Improve the Quality of Learning in Remote, Disadvantaged, Leading Areas

Abstract

The background of this article is the fact that the learning resources available in every school, university, and other educational institutions have not been managed and utilized to the maximum for the benefit of learning. This is one of the factors causing the low quality of education. In addition, educational institutions directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic must run a virtual learning process. In situations like this, educators and learners need to vary learning resources online. The learning resource center can help to facilitate the learning process by providing accessible learning resources for free. Many and varied learning resources will be effective if managed and enabled to the maximum and systematically organized in the form of learning resource centers (LRC). A learning resource center as a unit within an institution (especially schools, universities, other education institutions) that provides a variety of learning resources that have been organized in the learning system to meet the needs of educators and learners. Thus, the learning resource center becomes a support system to encourage the effectiveness and optimization of learning processes and objectives. The article was written using a literature study method through a descriptive approach to determine the importance of developing learning resource centers to improve the quality of learning. The results of this study show that learning resource centers that provide a variety of learning resources can improve the quality of learning. Therefore, schools, universities, and other educational institutions, especially in remote, disadvantaged, and leading areas, need to develop and utilize learning resource centers as constructive solutions to improve the quality of learning and education.

Utilization of Learning Space as a Learning Resource Center

“…Merrill and Drob refer to a learning resource center as a Center for Learning Resources, defined as: "An organized activity consisting of a director, staff, and equipment housed in one or more specialized facilities for the production, procurement, and presentation of teaching materials and the provision of development and planning services related to curriculum and teaching on a public university campus". (Rahmat et al, 2023) Based on these definitions, a learning resource center is a unit within an educational institution that functions to create learning effectiveness through the proper use and management of various learning resources. Or a learning resource center as a place for activities to be held, led by a chairman supported by all staff, production equipment, and adequate funds, who run the program actively in the design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of learning.…”