Educause 2008: Active Learning Spaces at UMN

Univ of Minnesota Digital Media Center (part of 750 FTE central IT unit)
• 3 research fellows (all PhDs)
• 3 tiers of program
* consultation
* technical research/evaluation assistance
* research partnership (FTE spends 50-60% of time on one project)
• Ex: Tier 3 partnership with office of classroom mgmt

Formed active learning classrooms pilot evaluation team

Active Learning Classrooms – like SCALEUP (round 9 person tables, plasmas, multicast of student work, markerboard around perimeter of space, students bring own laptops into room (but they will provide laptops if requested), teaching biology and EE/CS); glass markerboards around whole perimeter

One room seats 45 and the other 117; Biology prof uses larger room with two TAs, wants a 300 seat room; larger room has mikes
 24 ASF/student
 national benchmarking 20-22
 their historical classrooms are 16-18

Small classroom technology cost $120k plus facilities cost; larger room double roughly

3 computers connected to monitor (plasma) assigned to table;

http://www.classroom.umn.edu/active-learn-room.asp

CM: I wonder if in these type of presentations, there isn’t some obligation to contrast the incubator spaces with the typical classroom?

JS: Also wonder how you can get at the amount of time faculty spend changing the way they teach to use the spaces attributes… e.g. how much faculty development needed etc. and can they change back when they are kicked out of the space for the next group who wants to try it out.

CM: I know – you end up with groupies who you can’t kick out of the space b/c they can’t go back to the regular pool

Trained faculty around physical limitations of room (sightlines)