Active Learning Classrooms

Keeping with this month’s theme “Time for Change,” here is the latest FLEXspace column in Higher Ed AV Magazine where Rebecca and Lisa share insights about what’s new on campuses across the country from James Frazee, Chief Academic Technology Officer and Associate Vice President of Information Technology Division at San Diego State University, Julie Johnston, Director of Learning Spaces and Acting Associate Vice President of Learning Technologies (UITS) at Indiana University, Crystal Ramsay Assistant Director of Innovation at Penn State University, and Joseph Moreau, Vice Chancellor of Technology at Foothill-De Anza Community College District.

As Lisa and Rebecca have both enjoyed singing or mastering the guitar during the pandemic, with visions of forming their own FLEXspace Allstars band sometime in the near future, they couldn’t help but be inspired by music in this latest article.

The FLEXspace Research & Evaluation Working Group (FREWG) aims to identify and advance opportunities for research and development that will facilitate evidence-based and data-informed practice in the learning spaces arena. Of particular interest are opportunities that both leverage the capabilities of FLEXspace as an open resource-sharing repository and community as well as contribute to its ongoing growth and development. Part of the latter involves providing the FLEXspace and broader learning space community with a “toolkit” containing guides and instruments to assist them in carrying out replicable and repeatable research and evaluation studies. 

The Working Group is undertaking activities in the following focus areas:

• Stakeholder criteria for evaluating learning spaces (Coordinator: Kevin McDonough)
• Usage/applications of FLEXspace and the Learning Space Rating System (Coordinator: TBA) 
• Learning space design patterns and analytics (Coordinator: Mark J. W. Lee)
• Virtual and hybrid-flexible (HyFlex) learning spaces (Coordinator: Brian Beatty)
• For more information about FREWG and its activities, please contact the Chair, Mark J. W. Lee.

WORKING GROUP MEMBERS

• Patricia Aceves, Assistant Provost and Senior Director, Center for Excellence in Learning & Teaching, Stony Brook University, United States
• John Augeri, Co-Founder and Director, Paris Ile-de-France Digital University, France
• Brian Beatty, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Operations and Associate Professor of Instructional Technologies, San Francisco State University, United States
• Tracey Birdwell, Principal Consultant, Mosaic Initiative, Indiana University, United States
• D. Christopher Brooks, Director of Research, EDUCAUSE, United States
• Lucila Carvalho, Senior Lecturer in e-Learning & Digital Technologies, Massey University, New Zealand
• James Clay, Senior Co-Design Manager, Jisc, United Kingdom
• Victoria Chua, Program Manager and Project Officer, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• Justin Dauwels, Associate Professor, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• Bernie Dodge, Professor of Learning Design & Technology, San Diego State University, United States
• Shirley Dugdale, Principal, Dugdale Strategy, United States
• Adam Finkelstein, Educational Developer, Teaching & Learning Services, McGill University, Canada
• James Frazee, Senior Academic Technology Officer and Director of Instructional Technology Services, San Diego State University, United States
• Dana Gierdowski, Researcher, EDUCAUSE, United States
• Valerie Irvine, Assistant Professor of Educational Technology and Co-Director, Technology Integration and Evaluation (TIE) Research Lab, University of Victoria, Canada
• Mark J. W. Lee (Working Group Chair), Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Australia and Visiting Faculty, Entertainment Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University, United States
• Katie Linder, Research Director, Oregon State Ecampus, Oregon State University, United States
• Zack Linnert, Associate Dean of Lower School, `Iolani School, United States
• Phil Long, Founder, RHz Consulting, United States
• Marsha Lovett, Associate Vice Provost for Teaching Innovation & Learning Analytics and Director, Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation, Carnegie Mellon University, United States
• Kevin McDonough, Director, Center for Teaching & Learning and Assistant Professor of English, Lackawanna College, United States
• Peter Mozelius, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Computer and System Science, Mid Sweden University, Sweden
• Jeanne Narum, Principal, Learning Spaces Collaboratory and Director, Independent Colleges Office, United States
• Duncan Peberdy, Consultant, Droitwich.Net, United Kingdom
• Crystal Ramsay, Faculty Programs Manager, Teaching and Learning with Technology, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
• Rebecca Rotundo, Instructional Technology Specialist, University at Buffalo, United States
• Robin Støckert, Assistant Professor, Department of General Science, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
• Brit Toven-Lindsey, Active Learning Specialist, University of California, Berkeley, United States
• Keith Webster, Dean of Libraries and Director of Emerging and Integrative Media, Carnegie Mellon University, United States
• Pippa Yeoman, Research Fellow, The University of Sydney, Australia