University of Idaho Doceo Center Lab

CHALLENGE

The Doceo Center for Innovation + Learning lab serves as a hub for connecting innovation, teaching, and research with technology for K-12 teachers and university faculty. Our innovative learning space was designed backwards: starting with innovative pedagogical strategies and learning outcomes as the aim and implementing cutting-edge technologies to achieve them. As a result, our learning space is collaborative, student-centered, and flexible to the needs of teachers and students, and instructors in the space are empowered to use innovative pedagogy to drive their uses of technology rather than the reverse. The lab supports effective face-to-face, online, and hybrid techniques, and provides an exciting, intuitive, and seamless experience for teachers and students alike. As a learning space, the Doceo Center lab serves as a flagship for technology-enhanced pedagogy and innovation for the university and region.

SOLUTION

Our solution was to create an innovation lab designed from the ground up around effective pedagogical principles that supported flexibility, student-centered learning, sharing, and collaboration. Student seating in our lab consists of five collaboration stations, supporting BYOD to work as a team. Each station is equipped with a very large interactive display, a tiny form factor PC, five HDMI/USB embedded combo ports, and a dedicated iPad with TP control for an AMX DVX switcher. At these stations, students can switch the source that is displayed on the interactive display through an intuitive iPad app that illustrates the physical dimensions of the table and port/device locations. Such stations allow instructors to guide students as collaborative teams, effectively empowering all students to actively participate in the learning experience. A height adjustable, rollable lectern is located in one corner of the room, and other resources available to the instructor include a high-definition Vaddio camera, Blu-ray player, ceiling speakers, wireless mic system, Apple TV, and an additional interactive display for demonstration. To effectively manage learners in this highly collaborative environment, the instructor has a dedicated iPad with TP control allowing them to effortlessly move about the room, utilizing a wireless headset to maintain volume control, and routing any source device to any output device. This innovation lab gives us the flexibility we need to teach and inspire students and educators and to model effective technology integration for teaching and learning.

IMPACT

"Interaction was highly enhanced while keeping personal cost to a minimum. With two independent touch screens the technician has a complete view on all parameters and can react fast and accurate to every situation."

– University of Idaho Representative