From DSC:
Here are my notes from last week’s Next Generation Learning Spaces Conference. This was just the second time this conference was offered, but the topics addressed therein are highly relevant to the future of learning spaces within higher education. I hope they are helpful or interesting to some of you.
Implementing Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs) is about moving things from being teacher-centric to student-centric. There’s far less lecture and more hands-on, collaborative experiences; there’s more project-based learning and active learning. More discussions, case studies, problem-solving, use of small groups. The Jigsaw method was nicely modeled at the conference.
Getting solid results boils down to designing and implementing effective pedagogies. A space can’t do it for you. A professor needs to align his/her instructional activities with the desired instructional outcomes.
“35-40% of seats on a campus should be for informal learning.”
Per Gary McNay, Principal Perkins+Will
Libraries, cafes, student commons…
I really like the maturity levels – I’m under the impression a lot of institutions would hope to be higher than level one with a moderate interest in active learning? One way or another, hope you’ve had a nice and beneficial time.
Thanks John! It was a solid conference.
Daniel