By: Armand Doucet, IMS Maintenance Supervisor
Every year around this time, when the halls are quieter and the campus clears out, IMS begins its intensive classroom upgrading schedule. This year, we are particularly proud to have the opportunity to participate in the development of two Active Learning Classrooms, expected to be ready for use in the coming year. Housed in the Tory building, these classrooms will be outfitted with state-of-the-art technology and mobile furniture.
When deciding on the elements that will be included in classrooms, especially the ALC’s, we are cognizant of the little things that make the teaching and learning experience feel more seamless. We try to think of all the details, from the placement and diming of lights, to the adjustability of teaching consoles, to how projection screens fit with the images instructors are likely to show, to the student line of sight at the back of a classroom.
There are many things to consider when upgrading classrooms, and it almost always has to go beyond the potential of the equipment itself. The most important considerations the IMS maintenance team has to make involve the user experience. We are perpetually incorporating instructor comments and feedback into our equipment installation, set up, and upgrading practices. Any problems that instructors report are turned into opportunities to improve and streamline their experience with the teaching technology. For example, every teaching console is equipped with a phone to make reaching Classroom Technology Support (CTS) simpler and easier. Additionally, we have made the consoles height adjustable to further accommodate instructors, and this year many consoles will be upgraded to have touch-panel screens.
Included in this summer’s projects is our Classroom Guidelines document, which outlines how classrooms are to be designed, laid out, and outfitted with technology. This document has incorporated lengthy consideration of the overall experience with classrooms, starting from something as seemingly simple and discrete as vision panels in doors.
There will be plenty of work ahead of us this summer to make the teaching and learning spaces at Carleton more efficient, current, and user-friendly. With over 25 classrooms to work on, and only five months to get all the work done, we expect it to be one of our busiest summers yet.