These days there's a lot of talk, some hyperbolic, about the wonders of computer technology. Such reluctance stems from a realization that the CIC classroom doesn't actually eliminate anything that the traditional desk and lectern classroom offers. Rather, CIC adds to, it subsumes, the traditional classroom into something much larger. Our instructors don't have to unlearn anything when they move into the CIC teaching environment, but they are presented with a veritable explosion of pedagogical possibilities. It can seem overwhelming or intimidating.
Technology does sometimes, and it has been known to induce mild cases of phobia.
But only mild cases. And none of these fears persists after the two half-day training sessions our CIC instructors attend before they actually start teaching in the program. Sometimes the table or lectern that the instructor is standing behind comes to resemble a protective barrier or, even, an altar. This sort of arrangement works fine if you are delivering a lecture. Having all eyes focused upon oneself can be effective in a class discussion too, positioning the instructor as solicitor, target and conduit of student opinion.