Spring 2012 Series Announced for Informal Group on Learning Spaces

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Leslie Hammersmith

Join your colleagues in a bi-weekly informal gathering to talk about instructional spaces and informal learning spaces at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. We meet bi-weekly on Thursdays from 9 AM – 10 AM in 23 Illini Hall (unless otherwise announced) starting February 9, 2012.

The purpose of the informal group is to provide a friendly, informal place for stakeholders at any level in the university to share projects, ideas, needs, dreams, etc about learning spaces. Come to build your network of colleagues who are interested and involved in many aspects of designing, using, and thinking about formal and informal learning spaces. Share your projects that are currently in progress, brainstorm ideas for the future, and get to know people who can help you be successful.

Spring 2012 Series Meeting Dates:

February 9

February 23

March 8

March 22 (Spring Break Special!)

April 5

April 19

See where we were in 2011! http://go.illinois.edu/grouponlearningspaces

Photo Set of Flexible Learning Classrooms @ Illinois

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Leslie Hammersmith

Rhetoric Program Flexible Learning Classroom

Henry Administration Building - Flexible Learning Classroom

Rhetoric Program Flexible Learning Classroom - Henry Administration Building

1 of 3 LCD screens in Rhetoric Program Flexible Learning Classroom

Henry Admin Building - Rhetoric Flexible Learning Classroom

1 of 3 LCD Screens in Henry Admin Bldg Rhetoric Flexible Learning Classroom

2 of 3 screens in Henry Admin Bldg Rhetoric Flexible Learning Classroom

Henry Admin Building - instructor podium controls for laptop plug-in

Instructor podium in Flexible Learning Classroom

Henry Administration Building Rhetoric Flexible Learning Classroom

Rhetoric Program Flexible Learning Classroom in Henry Admin Building

HAB Photos Spring 2011, a set on Flickr.

Rooms 148, 152 and 154 in Henry Administration Building are general assignment classrooms utilized by the Rhetoric department. The Rhetoric Program Director, Dr. Catherine Prendergast, received a grant from the Library/IT Fee to renovate these classrooms to meet her program needs and pilot a new approach in classroom design that brings flexibility and new models of technology implementation to general assignment classrooms.

Supporting a curriculum that is highly collaborative and relies on a digital eBook platform, this space is designed to enable easy transitions into group work modes, multiple displays for better student access to technology, improved sight lines to engage with the electronic materials, and an easy-to-use control system for the instructor to manage the classroom.

Spring semester 2011 was the first semester these rooms were used. As we learn from the experience in all stages of design, construction, and teaching in flexible spaces, we are better able to work with faculty and students to meet the needs that technology, new approaches to teaching and learning, and emerging curriculums bring to the daily life of our campus community.

Upcoming Presentation: Engaged Scholarship and Digital Storytelling

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Leslie Hammersmith

CITES Academic Technology Services is hosting a brown bag presentation titled “Engaged Scholarship and Digital Storytelling,” featuring Martin Wolske of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Date and time: Wednesday, October 26 from 12 PM to 1 PM
Location: 23 Illini Hall

Abstract
Stories are used to entertain and educate us, and to define and preserve our cultural history. Initiatives such as the Center for Digital Storytelling, the KQED Digital Storytelling Initiative, and Story Corps have brought new attention to the value of digital storytelling by extending the reach of the storytellers and enhancing their use of new media. Join Martin Wolske for a thoughtful look at the ways in which digital storytelling has been combined with engaged scholarship as part of research and teaching at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Brown Bag Series
The CITES Academic Technology Services “Teaching with Technology” Brown Bag Series features award-winning Illinois faculty discussing how they successfully integrated web-based technologies into their teaching. This forum includes presentations on expanding and developing teaching strategies through using emergent technologies and online resources in a variety of disciplines. For more information please visit:
http://go.illinois.edu/citesatsbrownbags

Some Reading on Learning Spaces

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Leslie Hammersmith

This morning was the first fall semester meeting of the Informal Group on Learning Spaces. We had a great turnout with 21 folks representing all parts of campus there, and some new faces. We shared updates on the Student Collaboration Space Pilot Project, Lincoln Hall Renovation, DKH renovation, Residence Hall changes in their libraries, Engineering’s Virtualization pilot and CARE (Center for Academic Resources in Engineering) project, Lab managers group, and the fall theme for the Teaching Academies (impact of spaces and technology on teaching practices). We are finalizing topics for our next 4 meetings, but some suggestions at today’s meeting were: Presentation and demo on library collaboration space with Steelcase, demo and presentation from AllSteel, tour of BIF, tour of EWS and CARE (computer labs), late November review of projects to start preparing for spring action. The topics for the rest of the Fall meetings will be announced by September 22, our next informal group meeting.

One theme that stuck with me from our meeting this morning is how important it is to have students and faculty engaged in the process of designing learning spaces. The day before this meeting, EDUCAUSE released a paper from Texas Wesleyan University that describes the process and outcome of a faculty and student designed learning space. I shared this with the group, and subsequently have seen many other media sharing this story. As we strive to fulfill this desire of engagement from our faculty and students, it is inspiring to read about the successes that are possible. In that spirit, I’d like to share some reading (and listening!) sources that have crossed my network recently.

American RadioWorks’ The Tomorrow’s College Series, “Don’t Lecture Me” by Emily Hanford, http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/tomorrows-college/lectures/index.html

Classroom.NEXT at Texas Wesleyan University from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning blog, http://www.txwescetl.com/programs/classroom-next/

Campus Technology article on Classroom.NEXT, http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/09/06/texas-wesleyans-classroom.next-opens-for-business.asp

And a blog that every person involved with teaching and learning at our school should read is by an undergraduate student doing pre-service work to become a secondary education math and science teacher. Her post, “I am a 21st Century Learner”, was tweeted to @EdTechForum with the question, “Why can’t I act like one?”. Good question, Julie, good question.

Announcing Fall Series of Informal Group on Learning Spaces

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Leslie Hammersmith

The purpose of the informal group on learning spaces is to provide a friendly, informal place for stakeholders at any level in the university to share projects, ideas, needs, dreams, etc about learning spaces. Come to build your network of colleagues who are interested and involved in many aspects of planning, supporting, and using formal and informal learning spaces. Share your projects that are currently in progress, brainstorm ideas for the future, and get to know people who can help you be successful. The informal group may lead to more formal interactions elsewhere, but the more significant idea with the informal group is that we start developing relationships and networks, and share ideas.

The group meets bi-weekly on Thursdays at 9 AM in 23 Illini Hall. Not on the list? Contact Leslie Hammersmith, lkhammer at illinois dot edu to be added to the invitation and receive reminders and topic announcements. Fall 2011 dates are:

September 8

September 22

October 6

October 20

November 3

We look forward to seeing you!

CIC Learning Technology Peer Group

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Leslie Hammersmith

The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) is a consortium of the Big Ten member universities plus the University of Chicago. Made up of peer groups, typically self-organizing groups from member universities who get together to share ideas and best practices, the CIC gives our campus a place to network with colleagues and to collaborate across institutions. The E-Learning Team staff in the Office of the CIO participate in the Learning Technology (CIC-LT) Peer Group. Our focus in the CIC-LT group is on emerging technologies related primarily to teaching and learning. For example, with lecture capture, the CIC-LT group would tend to discuss the value and the needs from a teaching, learning and faculty support focus. We are pleased to share that Leslie Hammersmith is the Chair-Elect for the CIC-LT group and will serve as Chair from April 2012-April 2013.

Interested in learning more about the CIC? Visit their site at http://www.cic.net.

Informal Group On Learning Spaces Hosts Tour On March 24

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Leslie Hammersmith

Who will be on campus tomorrow? If you are one of the lucky ones, consider joining the Informal Group on Learning Spaces at 9 AM to tour some of the newest facilities for students and see some fantastic learning spaces outside of classrooms! There will even be a demonstration of the cool donut-making machine in the Student Dining and Residential Programs (SDRP) Building! (Did you know that students could get fresh made donuts as part of their regular dining experience? I’m jealous!)

Tour details are below, and please be prompt as there are a lot of great spaces to see in a short time. Drop me a line if you plan to come so we will look for you.

SDRP/Nugent Hall Tour

Thursday, March 24, 2011

9 AM SHARP in SDRP Lobby

Hosts: Melissa Marriott and Gretchen Madsen

Nugent is the new hall that connects to SDRP and the first floor is dedicated to Beckwith program residents. SDRP has seminar room (classroom) spaces, small study spaces, the learning commons (including the library and computer lab), larger meeting rooms, dining for 1200, servery venues, coffee house, and c-store. It is a lot to squeeze in, but will give everyone a good look at learning spaces outside of classrooms.

Please gather in the lobby of the SDRP at 9 AM and we will depart from there. SDRP is on Gregory Drive, right behind Clark hall.

Find it on the Map.

“Seeking Evidence of Impact” — ELI Online Spring Focus Session open to campus team

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Leslie Hammersmith

CITES Academic Technology Services has teamed up with the Library to offer our campus the opportunity to participate in “Seeking Evidence of Impact,” ELI Online Spring Focus Session, April 13–14. The ELI Online Spring Focus Session will engage the teaching and learning community in exploring initial questions around seeking evidence: do our innovations accomplish our desired outcomes, how do we define “impact,” and how do we measure it?

Through plenary sessions and various institutional case studies, participants and speakers will attempt to answer these questions. Our local team, which will be meeting on the days of the Online Focus Session in Room 314 Library, has access to resources and guided activities to make the local meeting interactive and engaging.

Highlights include:

“Are We Making a Difference?” —Trudy Banta, Professor of Higher Education, Senior Advisor to the Chancellor for Academic Planning and Evaluation, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
“Launching Evidence of Impact Projects” —Susan Grajek, Vice President for Data, Research, and Analytics, EDUCAUSE
“Making Change: Using Evidence to Improve Student Learning and Success” —Jillian Kinzie, Associate Director, Center for Postsecondary Research & National Survey for Student Engagement (NSSE) Institute, Associate Research Scientist, Indiana University

View the program agenda for more details. Stay tuned, or watch the Educational Technologist’s Forum listserv (EForum@listserv.illinois.edu) for information about signing up for the local team. The online sessions on both days (April 13 & 14) meet from 11 AM – 5:15 PM.

Submit your proposal for FSI 2011 today!

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Leslie Hammersmith

On behalf of the Faculty Summer Institute (FSI) Steering Committee, we would like to invite you to submit a proposal for this year’s conference, to be held May 16-19, 2011 on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Please mark your calendars now!

The conference theme is “Big-Better-Best: Big Ideas, Better Ways, Best Practices.” The conference will offer Presentations, Headliner Workshops, Learning Teams, Discovery Labs, and of course, plenty of networking opportunities!

For more information and to submit a proposal, please visit the conference website @ www.regonline.com/fsi2011. Follow @FSI or #fsi2011 on Twitter.

Important Dates:

Call for Proposals Opens: Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Call for Proposals Closes: Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Proposals Approved & Presenters Notified by: Friday, April 1, 2011
Conference Registration Opens: Friday, April 1, 2011
Acceptance by Presenters/Facilitators: Friday, April 8, 2011
FSI Conference: May 16-19, 2011

Don’t Delay – Submit a Proposal TODAY!

Flexible Learning Space Open House in Henry Administration Building

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Leslie Hammersmith

Tables, chairs and monitors in the Flexible Learning Classrooms in Henry Administration Building on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus.

Snapshot of Flexible Learning Classroom in HAB

Friday, February 18 marked the Open House for the first flexible learning classrooms in our campus General Assignment Classroom pool! More than 50 people turned out to to see the transformation in person, meet the faculty who imagined the space, the staff who put it together, and feel the impact that these new classroom environments have on our undergraduate students.

Spring semester 2011 is the first semester these rooms are being used. As we learn from the experience in all stages of design, construction, and teaching in flexible spaces, we are better able to work with faculty and students to meet the needs that technology, new approaches to teaching and learning, and emerging curriculums bring to the daily life of our campus community.