The Instructional Computing Labs are heavily scheduled and have tightly controlled configurations. Additionally, many recent instructional computing grants to faculty require that the faculty member provide instruction to others. Feedback from student evaluations of the Library instruction sessions and from the faculty suggest that the programs we offer could be improved by more hands-on instruction.
Studies prove that hands-on works best in terms of retention of skills.
Learning is enhanced when instruction includes hands-on experience. This initiative provides support for conversion of the existing library classroom into an Interactive Classroom for use by multiple groups. These include not only those regularly scheduled on Tuesdays and Fridays but also those done in cooperation with Academic Computing, orientations for new and transfer students, Summer Bridge, the American Language and Culture Institute, and others. With increasing frequency, professors wish to do a single session teaching their class to use a technology tool such as their on-line course material, a mailing list, etc. Scheduling a lab for this purpose is nearly impossible and there is no other option for hands-on training.