It’s pretty clear that the space for mobile learning platforms is only going to increase in 2010 and beyond. Of course, as this happens, it forces a reevaluation of the traditional campus computer lab. How much is it still needed if most students have plenty of computing power in their hand(held)?
Although all these things require careful research, time, and money, schools such as the University of St. Louis-Missouri and the University of Minnesota are recognizing and acting on this change. And today, there’s a post on a similar effort going on at Penn State.
Looking at it broadly, traditional pc labs emulate a common classroom design: fixed rows and assigned seating where each student works in isolation from those sitting around him. Mobile-informed learning, on the other hand, re-alters that to a space that more explicitly encourages sharing and collaboration. I think two of the more interesting details in this new PSU collaboration space are those that seem rather unremarkable: flexible furniture and a viewing area.
Flexible furniture configuration: All tables and chairs are on wheels, allowing users to reconfigure the space based on their needs. … Viewing area: A couch and 40″ LCD display provides a comfortable space for students to collaborate and share their work.
In this learning design, the computing less visible; it’s there, of course, but it’s not the conspicuous center of attention.