the evolution of learning spaces
In January of 1996, Computing & Information Technology (CIT) at the State University of New York (SUNY) Geneseo implemented an instructional computer lab. This was used as a general access computer lab and doubled as teaching space for technology education but has seen many revisions. In the 12 years since the lab's construction, Geneseo has seen numerous changes in teaching styles and the expectations for the facilities that support them. Our classroom has served as a gauge for these changes and has evolved to meet differing expectations. We will discuss the various stages of changes in our physical space; the thoughts behind them; the impact on and integration with other classrooms on campus; and our vision for the future. We will talk about designing and implementing a classroom that allows for multiple teaching styles. The same space saves on physical space by utilizing desks with retractable iMacs that are set up for dual-booting into both Windows and Mac OS. Our vision for the future stretches beyond the geography of the room. Leveraging virtualization technology, students can access a computer lab configuration from their own computers inside the classroom. The same configuration can be accessed outside the classroom, enabling students to continue working on their own schedules. We think that by combining both a traditional classroom and cutting edge technologies we can maintain the flexibility necessary in modern education environments.
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