Students attending the new graduation requirement course, “Global Challenges” will have an updated, state-of-the-art technology classroom to meet in Delzell.
University Honors Program Director Doug Peterson said the classroom will be modeled after active learning classrooms at the Minnesota Institute of Technology. Peterson said a group of faculty, staff and students toured the classrooms to get an idea of what the new classroom on campus will be like.
“This will be the first classroom of its type in the state,” Peterson said. “It’s a fairly new model nationwide.”
Peterson said in each classroom are groups of tables supported by technology with a flat-screen display mounted on the wall above each table. He said students can connect to the display with their own laptops to help facilitate group learning. In addition, Peterson said the instructor can access any student laptop or group display for the whole class to see.
“It’s a very flexible environment,” Peterson said, “It’s designed to facilitate the kind of working in groups that you find in a workplace, like in a conference room.”
College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Kurt Hackemer went with the group to survey the class. He said in the classrooms, students aren’t lectured to like students see in lecture halls, but instead allows students to react to what’s happening around them and gives them more opportunity to contribute to what’s happening in class.
“I think classrooms like these mean we can start teaching classes differently and have them be more engaging for students,” Hackemer said.
Peterson and Hackemer said the new classroom has a potential to serve students and faculty in various programs. Peterson said the classroom could be used for anything from history to biology, or psychology 101.
“There are so many things that you can’t do when people sit in rows,” Peterson said. “Having the ability to sit around tables and engage students is important.”
Hackemer said the classroom will allow professors to restructure how the course is delivered. He said technology classrooms could make it easier to access a large number of students and get them involved.
“We can change dynamics of the way some of the large classes are taught,” Hackemer said. “No one else in the state can do that.”
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Lynn Rognstad viewed the technology classroom and said incorporating one on campus is important for the “Global Challenges” course. She said preparing students well to go out and work in the environment in the world, key skills are good communication, team work and problem solving.
“So much is done in teams now that we need to give students those experiences,” Rognstad said.
Reach reporter Josie Clarey at Josie.Clarey@usd.edu.
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