Differences help orient oneself in a building and make it easier to communicate about a room to others. Too often, college classrooms are described as ugly, stark, cold, grim, spiritless, windowless and colorless. Conflicting demands are placed on college classrooms. They need to be designed to accommodate the widest variety of faculty requests. Lighting, acoustics, and seating must be coordinated with the specialized requirements of each medium, and each component must be researched and integrated into the classroom design.
Pedagogy drives the designs.
How faculty teach in these classrooms dictates the equipment that is installed. Faculty teaching large classes often teach in operator-assisted lecture halls where projection booths serve as the coordinating location for media support. Faculty are empowered in these classroom with simple, clear signage and controls at eye level. Physically, it provides a base for classroom technology. Most important, psychologically, it makes technology an integral part of the instructional environment, not just an afterthought.