1 Teaching and Learning in Two New Smart Classrooms: Research Findings on the Pedagogical Implications of Space Design About the Partnership and Fall 2007 Report: Active Learning Classroom (ALC) video: About the ALCs: ANN – encourage participates to reflect, ask question, and add their own resources at twitter.com. Please use the #edu08alc hashtag in your tweets. Ann Hill Duin, Associate VP, Associate CIO, OIT Linda Jorn, Director, Digital Media Center (DMC), OIT Aimee Whiteside, Ph.D., Research Fellow, DMC, OIT

2 Learning Spaces ELI 2008 Fall Focus Session: Revisiting Learning Space Design at the University of Minnesota Proceedings: Linda – starts it off

3 Learning Spaces ELI 2008 Fall Focus Session: Key Themes PartnershipAssessment Integration Innovation (Re)Design PAIR-up to Design Learning Spaces! Linda – our references point to good work on design in each one of these areas. (re)DESIGN: Course (re)Design; Learning Activities; Information Design; Participatory Design of space Integration: Innovation: Assessment: Partnership:

4 Learning Space Design QuestionsWhat are some key principles you use to design effective learning? What are the innovative ideas on your campus on learning spaces? Who are (or should be) your partners? What do you want to evaluate in these learning spaces? ANN – you’ve had many activities around learning spaces, too. Report back on #1. Ann will talk about her guiding principles. Do we have the support (infrastructure)?

5 ACTIVE principles Alignment Communication Transparency Input ValueEvidence OIT principles

6 801.11n Wireless infrastructureAnn – Asks for the report back from Question 2 on thinking differently. Talk about one unit of OIT

7 Learning Space Ann – one unit (Emerging Technologies) working on SL

8 Learning Space OIT, Digital Media Center (DMC) ServicesEmerging Academic Technologies Professional Development Programs Research and Evaluation Services Training Services Usability Services Consultations Services Emphasize the range of support

9 Learning Space DMC Research and Evaluation Services 3 Research Fellows3 Tiers of Service Consultation Technical research/evaluation Assistance Research Partnership Tier 3 Partnership with Office of Classroom Management Importance of R&E in IT orgs. 7 years in Faculty Development – course development teams with Steve F. ALC (steve stands and bows)

10 About the Partnership Summer 2007 Fall 2007 and Spring 2008Office of Classroom Management (OCM) invited the Digital Media Center, Office of Information Technology (DMC, OIT) to partner to evaluate the ALCs Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 Formed the Active Learning Classrooms Pilot Evaluation team Linda –Introduce Steve F. Who are (and should be) your partners (solicit answers)? Faculty development services Evaluation plan for these rooms Fall 2007 Biweekly meetings Technology – computer – Oit OCM= document

11 About the ALCs Aimee – no computers Two Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs) were constructed in a Office of Classroom Management (OCM) pilot project in Spring 2007 Biological Sciences Center, Room 64, on the St. Paul campus, which seats 117 students Electrical Engineering/Computer Science building, Room 2-260, on the East Bank, which seats 45 students Large round tables that seat nine students Switchable laptop-based technology Multiple fixed flat-panel display/projection systems Instructor station that allows selection and display of specific information Glass markerboards around the circumference of the classroom Biological Sciences Center, Room Electrical Engineering/Computer Sciences, Room 2-260

12 ALC Video

13 Research Questions Faculty attitudes and expectationsStudent perceptions Teaching and learning strategies Physical features Aimee Important to articulate the research questions – to keep the scope. Question: How many of you are doing formal learning space assessments? pedagogical implications of space design What are faculty attitudes and expectations for the new learning space? How do students perceive the new spaces? What teaching/learning strategies were used, and how did the rooms facilitate or inhibit those strategies? In what ways did the physical features, such as seating, sightlines, lighting, ventilation, acoustics, and power affect teaching and learning?

14 Research Methods Instructor interviews Instructor surveyStudent survey Student focus group Classroom observations Aimee pedagogical implications of space design

15 Findings: Instructor PerceptionsOverall positive attitudes Changed the learning experience Deepened relationships Shifted to facilitator role A few issues arose User interface usability Expectations for computing devices Strong desire to stay in this space Aimee Comment: “The round tables—the fact that they are looking at each other instantly changes their relationship with each other. That’s the main thing the room does; it changes the relationship that faculty have with students and the relationship that students have with one another” Instructors expressed strong desire to keep teaching in the ALCs in the future

16 Findings: Student PerceptionsFeel connected to their instructor and, especially, to their classmates Found effective for teamwork Students reported feeling comfortable Overall very favorable perceptions

17 Findings: Learning TechnologiesCreated the environment in which learning could easily occur Designed for collaboration and minimized instructor prep time Found student display screens helpful for teamwork Found round tables were the key, yet all features in tandem supported learning Aimee Round tables were key to the experience in the ALC Instructors found the round tables, document camera, glass markerboards, and student display screens to be the most important features of the ALCs Instructors and students expressed a strong like of teaching and learning in the ALCs

18 Findings: Learning TechnologiesAimee

19 Findings: Physical FeaturesRecommended this space for other classes (>85%) Responded favorably to the physical attributes cleanliness, acoustics, lighting, space, comfort, and the physical attributes

20 Learning Spaces ELI 2008 Fall Focus Session: Key Themes PartnershipAssessment Integration Innovation (Re)Design PAIR-up to Design Learning Spaces! Linda (re)DESIGN: Course (re)Design; Learning Activities; Information Design; Participatory Design of space Integration: Innovation: Assessment: Partnership:

21 Learning Space Design Next phase at University of MinnesotaBush Foundation Grant Partnership – OCM, CLA, OIT Assessment – To what extent, if any, do formal and informal learning environments shape teaching and learning practices and student learning outcomes? Innovation – Student Participatory Research (Foster, Gibson, Nixon) Integration – Hybrid Course (physical/virtual) (Re)Design – Course Curriculum (re)design; new physical and virtual spaces Linda

22 Learning Spaces ELI 2008 Fall Focus Session: Key Themes PartnershipAssessment Integration Innovation (Re)Design PAIR-up to Design Learning Spaces! Linda (re)DESIGN: Course (re)Design; Learning Activities; Information Design; Participatory Design of space Integration: Innovation: Assessment: Partnership:

23 References Bransford, John, Brown, Ann, and Cocking, Rodney. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press Brown, Malcolm. “Designing Learning into Learning Spaces.” ELI Fall 2008 Focus Group Session: Revisiting Learning Space Design. (accessed October, 2008). Brown, Tim. “Design Thinking.” Harvard Business Review, (June 2008), EDUCAUSE Learning Space Design Constituent Group. Fink, Dee. Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003. Foster, Nancy and Gibbons, Susan (eds.). “Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester.” Association of College and Research Libraries, Chicago (accessed October, 2008). Hughes, Jonathan and Weiss, Jeff. “Simple rules for Making Alliances Work.” Harvard Business Review, (November 2007), 122 – 131.

24 References Milne, Andrew. “Entering the Interaction Age: Implementing a Future Vision for Campus Learning Spaces…Today.” EDUCAUSE review, (January/February 2007), Oblinger, D.G. (2006). Space as a change agent. In Oblinger, D. G. (Ed.). Learning spaces. EDUCAUSE.   Retrieved August 11, 2008, from Tom, Jim, Voss, Kenneth, and Scheetz, Christopher. “ The Space Is the Message: First Assessment of a Learning Studio.” EDUCAUSE Quarterly, vol. 31, no. 2 (April-June 2008), University of Minnesota Active Learning Classrooms Pilot Evaluation Team. (2008). Active learning classrooms pilot evaluation: Fall 2007 findings and recommendations. University of Minnesota Retrieved August 11, 2008, from University of Minnesota Active Learning General Purpose Classroom Initiative. (2008). College of Biological Sciences. University of Minnesota. Retrieved August 11, 2008, from

25 References Michaelsen, Larry, Knight, Arletta and Fink, Dee. (Co-eds.). Team-Based Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups, Sterling, VA: Stylus, 2004.

26 Appendix A: ALC (BioSci 64)

27 Appendix B: ALC (EE/CSci 2-2-60)