This poster will explore the essential qualities and features of an effective classroom supporting teaching and learning in the 21st century. Concordia University Libraries is currently embarking on a large-scale renovation and expansion project spanning the next three years. This renovated library will include three new classrooms. As a visual representation of the University’s vision and strategy for student learning, to promote student success and research capacity that addresses the changing characteristics of the entering student [and faculty] population (Concordia University Academic Plan, 2012 – 2016), the new classrooms must accommodate a range of current and evolving learning pedagogies appropriate to all University programs and types of learners.
In envisioning these new classrooms, a number of focus group consultations were held with faculty and librarians engaged in teaching, early in the winter semester of 2014. The following themes were addressed in the consultations:
To encourage focus group participants to think in a creative and unfettered way, they were asked to draw visual representations of their teaching approaches as well as their ‘ideal’ classroom. Observation of teacher and students activities in the existing classrooms in the Library was also conducted during this period.
The audience will journey with the presenter through this visual landscape towards a fresh awareness of the many inter-connected relationships in the learning experience between the student, teacher, technologies and the wider environment.