In higher education environments, where the lecture format dominates most classrooms, active learning can be a fun and effective way to deliver information to students who can sometimes have a hard time focusing. When students are engaged in active learning activities like peer teaching, problem solving, and collaborative learning, they are less likely to be focused on their phone. Of course, the feasibility of integrating active learning techniques in higher education depends on factors like class size, classroom technology, instructor bandwidth, and more.
Integrating the right, professional-grade audiovisual tools for your classrooms, meeting spaces, and public areas can have a huge influence on quality of learning, student retention, and graduation outcomes.
The Challenge
Just like any university in a hyper-competitive higher education landscape, attracting and retaining students is a top priority for Loyola Marymount University. Staying at the cutting edge of audiovisual technology in classrooms and common areas in order to foster an environment of active learning is one way LMU is facing the challenge. Spinitar has helped LMU to meet its student attraction and retention goals with ongoing audiovisual projects, technology refreshes, and now, a ground-up AV design-build for its new Playa Vista Campus.
In classrooms, training rooms, and common areas throughout LMU’s three campuses, the challenge was to implement a new style of teaching and learning to supplement the traditional lecture format with more opportunities for active engagement.
LMU did away with outdated equipment and failing components by providing their students, faculty, and staff with an AV system and technology they can rely on five days a week.
The Solution
Since becoming a partner of LMU in 2015, Spinitar has been able to implement the latest AV and IT solutions with full digital capability. It has provided them with long term warranties for support, service, and reliable technology, allowing LMU to keep up with the classroom technology standards that they continue to implement on the campus.
Student Active Learning Classroom
Active learning and technology-based classrooms allow students the opportunity to break in to groups and easily collaborate with their fellow student body. Teachers in these rooms have the ability to showcase the work of their students with the entire classroom and even record lectures and group activities for later playback. In today’s fast-paced learning environment, active learning classrooms are designed to help students engage with one another while sharing and receiving information.
IT Department Staff Training Room
Through active learning training and technology, IT faculty and staff have the ability to break in to group sessions with their fellow colleagues in person and via video and audio conferencing. With a simple press of a button, the trainers are able to showcase group work with LMU’s entire IT department on campus and also in remote locations. With the use of video and audio recording conferencing, educators and staff have the ability to reference past lectures and collaboration efforts for later viewing.
The Results
Spinitar has now done a total of 34 projects with LMU, including classroom refreshes, staff training rooms, and our first ground-up project for the brand new Playa Vista Campus, opening in the Fall of 2018. According to Spinitar account manager, Rob Ogulnick, the consistency that the Spinitar team brings and the efficiency of not having to relearn lessons is a good asset for Matt Frank and the team at LMU. With such a longstanding relationship, Spinitar is able to propose specific projects and approaches based on existing classroom standards, making the whole relationship run much more smoothly.
