News

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) has received $150,000 from anonymous donors for the development of an Adaptive Learning Environment (ALe).

CAS will work cooperatively with the the Office of the Provost, Information Technology Services (ITS) and Facilities Management to create an innovative classroom that meets the needs of today’s information age students. The space will be developed in Peck Hall and will be available for use during the 2016 academic year.

“SIUE needs a flexible and adaptive learning space where faculty can innovate to help students learn,” said Parviz Ansari, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “With the planned renovations of many buildings across campus, such a space will be a timely benefit to SIUE.”

An ALe allows small student groups to work closely together with faculty by utilizing a flexible learning space, continuous whiteboard throughout the classroom and video projection areas. A typical class session will be able to accommodate lecture, recitation, small group work and hands-on experimentation. Supported by interactive digital media, an instructor will be able to highlight a specific student’s or group’s work by broadcasting to the entire room.

An advisory team will be developed including selected faculty members, CAS Dean’s office representatives, members of the Facilities Management team, Registrar’s office representatives, and ITS.  

 “The traditional college lecture is quickly becoming the next victim of the information age,” said Steve Hansen,  CAS interim dean.  “We know that it is challenging to effectively teach with cooperative groups in an auditorium. Also, when students can get free on-line lectures from a variety of sources, they expect something different in the classroom. Research has demonstrated that the room itself matters.”

The ALe will be a laboratory for instructors to try new techniques in a user-friendly classroom. Positives resulting from an ALe should include:

• ALe will serve as a living model for future classroom development across campus
• ALe innovations should lead to increased student learning, improve retention, foster career readiness and/or similar outcomes
• ALe will permit faculty to demonstrate the efficacy of their ideas to peers and leverage this success with funding agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• ALe will create partnering and sponsorship opportunities for donors and corporate sponsorships 
• Ale will foster collaboration on interdisciplinary efforts leading to more effective learning, higher-quality research, and greater levels of innovation as academics from different backgrounds and disciplines work in close proximity