ELIFALL08 - Learning Architectures That Help Biology Students Reach the Pinnacle of Bloom's Taxonomy

Learning Architectures That Help Biology Students Reach the Pinnacle of Bloom's Taxonomy
Robin Wright, Associate Dean, University of Minnesota

This session will present the academic architecture of a new course for entering biology majors and explore how the physical architecture of the Active Learning Classroom at the University of Minnesota supports sophisticated learning goals, including the ability to synthesize and evaluate ideas.

ELIFALL08 - Building Community with Virtual Spaces

Building Community with Virtual Spaces
Shannon Ritter, Social Networks Adviser, Penn State World Campus, The Pennsylvania State University

Building a community of learners can be especially challenging when working with online and distance education students. By using social networking tools like Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and Second Life, we can begin to construct a community of sharing and participation that leads to enhanced satisfaction and a true sense of belonging.

ELIFALL08 - The Research Library as a Center of Learning

The Research Library as a Center of Learning: Noteworthy Trends and Complementary Assessment Efforts
Crit Stuart

For a decade, research libraries have increasingly turned their attention to the learning needs of undergraduates, best depicted in the emergence and evolution of collaborative spaces referred to as learning commons. These successful spaces and the programs they support are inspiring libraries to take a fresh look at the needs of graduate students and faculty. The most innovative expressions of support for students and faculty spring from insight provided by user studies, deep engagement with constituents, and helpful collaborations. In this session we will review emerging library trends in support of learning and research, and their impact on learning space design. Some of the more promising assessment techniques that are helping to inform this work will be reviewed.

ELIFALL08 - Learning Space 3.0: When Real and Virtual Spaces Collide

Learning Space 3.0: When Real and Virtual Spaces Collide
Mark S. Valenti, President, The Sextant Group, Inc.

Demands for flexibility, collaborative learning opportunities, and access to digital information are resulting in a new design paradigm for learning space that transcends academic disciplines. Concurrently, technology enables the development of highly specific and realistic simulation environments for education, business, the health sciences, and other disciplines. Maturing technologies such as wired and wireless networks, low-cost projectors, flat-panel displays, and productivity software are integral components of a traditional modern-day educational facility. New and emerging technologies such as collaboration software, personal broadband networks, virtual environments, and 3D displays are creating opportunities to rethink the learning space-what and where it is-and what happens inside it. This session will explore developments in technology, classroom design, and concepts for future facilities and their transformative impact on the teaching and learning process.

ELIFALL08 - Designing Learning into Learning Spaces

Educause Learning Initiative
Designing Learning into Learning Spaces
Malcolm B. Brown, Director of Academic Computing, Dartmouth College
An important goal of all learning space design is to make students and faculty successful in the practice of learning. The shift in focus from just classrooms to the more inclusive concept of learning spaces is at least five years old. Much has changed in our thinking about how to design spaces for learning, and today we face a new set of design challenges (for example, furniture selection and whether to use mature or emerging technology). Amid such considerations, it's important not to lose sight of two core issues: how people learn, and the practices we employ to foster learning. In this session we will review constructivist learning theory and its impact on learning space design. We will also look at how learning space design must be informed by learning practices, and how these practices need to both shape and evolve with all our design efforts.

Our hosts - University of Minnesota

Special thanks to Ann Hill Duin, Associate Vice President and Associate CIO, and the University of Minnesota, for hosting this conference. At check-in I received a nice packet of information including a one-page "Did you know?" that included the following:

* The first pacemaker was invented at the University of Minnesota

* Scientists at the U of M isolated Uranium 235

* The heart-lung machines was invented and used in first successful open-heart surgery

* The U of M was involved in the development of the "black box" flight recorded

* A U of M engineer created the first retractable, locking automobile seat belt

* Doctors at the U of M performed the first bone marrow transplant

* The father of the supercomputer graduated from the U of M

* The Internet's first search and retrieval system called Gopher was invented at the U of M and paved the way for the World Wide Web.

Machinima for my presentation.

The following are machinima clips I'll be using in my upcoming presentation for ELI on Learning Spaces.

Rezzing a Clever Zebra Build (using the building assistant), rezzing something from inventory, and using a sky platform.


A clip from a YouTube Video from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Hotel and Tourism Management, demonstrating how quickly and easily a ballroom can be set up/changed.


Biome, an underwater learning area


The Tsunami exhibit on Meteroa, NOAA's first sim


Virtual Hallucination (warning, some foul language is used in this exhibit - not work or child safe)