- Location: 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC
- Capacity: 88 students
- Type: Flat classroom
Alignment with principles for designing Teaching and Learning Spaces
Academic challenge
Promote individual, active engagement with content.
Layout
Students can work individually, in pairs, or in teams of up to four people at movable rectangular tables. Each table has ample work surfaces for classroom materials (e.g., notebooks, laptops, and textbooks).
Furniture
Comfortable, adjustable, ergonomically approved chairs with wheels permit rapid transitions between individual and group learning activities.
Technologies
Access to resources: Lecture recording permits individual review of course materials after attending class. Access to infrastructure: Multiple sources (local PC, document camera) and screens for simultaneous display of different learning materials. Web-conferencing capabilities allow for interaction with remote participants.
Lighting & colour
Natural and overhead lighting permits individual work. Blue and yellow accents brighten the room.
Learning with peers
Promote active engagement with one another.
Layout
Tables can be moved to accommodate group work, in groups of up to eight students. Students are able to easily circulate in the classroom due to sufficient passing space between tables.
Acoustics: Sound zones support multiple simultaneous conversations among students.
Furniture
The table layout permits collaborative approaches to coursework, and improved communication (both verbally and line-of-sight). Armless chairs allow students to easily turn and discuss in pairs or small groups, supporting collaborative learning.
Technologies
Large whiteboards situated at the sides of the classroom facilitate group work.
Lighting & colour
Different lighting patterns and levels support different learning activities.
Experiences with faculty
Promote interaction and communication.
Layout
Instructor’s podium is located at the centre of the room and has plenty of space for all equipment and for the instructor’s materials. The instructor has access to all students due to a layout that permits ample passing space, and clear sightlines.
Acoustics: Sounds zones ensure that not only are students able to hear the instructor, but that the instructor is also able to hear the students. Sounds zones support multiple simultaneous conversations. The instructor has a wireless and a wired microphone available.
Furniture
The podium provides ample space for instructional materials and technology, and has a height adjustment for accessibility and convenience. Mobile chairs support different teaching strategies.
Technologies
Classroom technologies (e.g., local PC, laptop connection, document camera) permit display of different learning materials. Dual-source projecting on multiple projecting surfaces permit the display of different learning materials at the same time. Web-conferencing capabilities allow the instructor to integrate remote participants.
Lighting & colour
Lighting patterns provide a bright, pleasant environment and support multiple types of teaching and learning tasks.
Contributions to the campus environment
Classrooms that incorporate elements of active and collaborative learning are part of a vision for a variety of flexible campus learning spaces. This room is designed for all populations using the space: well-lit, with a standardized room control panel that simplifies instructors’ use of equipment in classrooms across campus. IT is consistent with teaching and learning needs, and durable furniture contributes to sustainability efforts. Both physical and virtual affordances help maximize High Impact Practices (HIPs) for student learning within and beyond this classroom.
