Technology@Wooster

The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), the National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE) and Project Kaleidoscope recently conducted a workshop on Learning Spaces & Technology on the campus of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Iain Crawford (VPAA), Simon Gray (Associate Professor of Computer Science), Damon Hickey (Director of the Libraries), Janet Russell (Director of Instructional Technology) and David Waldron (CITO) comprised the Wooster team attending the event. The workshop was designed to help colleges and universities plan effective technology-enhanced learning spaces. These spaces include libraries, classrooms, and computing or multi-media labs.

The Wooster participants discussed how students might best be prepared for life, work, citizenship and leadership in our digital age and the knowledge democracy that is emerging, and how the College libraries, learning support services and the learning spaces across campus might be reimagined to enhance student outcomes. All the Wooster attendees are members of the Wooster’s taskforce on the future of the libraries. The group took advantage of the workshop to further the ongoing converstation about the development of a knowledge commons within Andrews Library. Janet Russell and David Waldron also updated the group on the creation of the instructional technology demo classroom in Taylor Hall and the renovation of Wishart 102 as a prototype technology-enhanced classroom. The group discussed the importance of collaboration and coordination between Information Technology, Instructional Technology and academic offices to ensure that technological operations, facilities and initiatives are aligned with learning goals and outcomes. The workshop attendees have scheduled a follow-up meeting to review the workshop and plan future activities.

David Waldron, Simon Gray, Iain Crawford, Janet Russell and Damon Hickey
during a break at the Learning Spaces workshop.