In the context of new industries and new kinds of knowledge, expectations of higher education have evolved. Employers, students, families, and communities expect educational experiences and outcomes that prepare graduates for the 21st century. Project-based learning (PBL) facilitates active, authentic educational environments. It promotes experiences that engage faculty, students, community, and industry partners. A well-designed facility is one critical element of success in a student-centric approach with PBL pedagogy as the foundation of learning. PBL demonstrates a way to close the gap between what students academically learn and what they need in the workplace (Guo et al., 2020). The Active Learning Classroom demonstrates positive outcomes, with students perceiving the environment as highly inspirational, leading to increased participation and idea generation compared to traditional classrooms (Park & Choi, 2014). A well-designed building incorporates flexible environments and supporting technologies for active collaboration, maximizing transparency, and inspiring innovation. It encourages university programs to embrace collaborative instructional approaches actively and passively. A case study conducted one year after opening the facility assesses the effectiveness of the building's design in advancing PBL practices. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed to understand how students and faculty engaged with building features designed to enhance PBL learning outcomes. Despite the initial goals, preliminary findings reveal an underutilization of collaborative spaces and technologies and limited integration of PBL in the curriculum. We recommend sharing the building's opportunities and relevant teaching strategies with faculty directly, demonstrating the benefits of implementing high-impact approaches, new collaborative technologies, and PBL practices more broadly.

Authors:
Jeannine Vail, University of North Texas, United States
Shari Childers, University of North Texas, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Shari Childers, Academic Assoc Dean, helps to build, and support rigorous, multidisciplinary, high-impact programs that connect community and industry with the academy, crafting learning experiences that better prepare students for life and work.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

Bookmark