This book brings together the perspectives of researchers, architects, technical designers, and teachers on emerging theoretical and technological developments pertaining to the classroom of the future. Innovative ideas are offered on how new technologies and learning approaches can be integrated into schools, challenging the thinking of learning spaces in a new way. Chapters include: Learning Space Shaped by Instructional, Classroom, and School Building Design; Facilitating Learning Using Technology-Enhanced Objects and Furniture; and Knowledge Building in Virtual and Physical Learning Spaces. 46p

Offers an update to 2005 research on the future of learning. This paper addresses globalization, accommodation of diversity with inclusive learning, an emphasis on learning outside the classroom, reduction of available space, interdisciplinary learning, increased student control of learning, increased student diversity, competition among institutions for students, increased importance of higher learning institutions in local and regional economies, complex institution/faculty relationships and tension between faculty, and an increase in accountability. 14 references are included. 11p.

Interactive videoconferencing (IVC) networks are increasingly available to educators and offer the potential to link classrooms worldwide, connect far-flung learners to subject area experts, and bring in much-needed supplemental content. This book provides strategies for implementing interactive videoconferencing (IVC) in K-12 classrooms, describing the setup and use of standards-based interactive videoconferencing utilizing IP and ISDN networks. Includes information on program planning and facilities design, location, videoconferencing equipment, virtual classroom setup, equipment checklist, and useful tips for IVC classroom configuration. 200p

The design of a large classroom intended to properly support two-way live interactive instruction through videoconferencing can be quite complex. The layout and design issues will vary widely depending on room size and dimensions, as well as its intended use or uses. This provides an extensive list of design issues to consider when setting up an interactive classroom.

Overview of the role that AV plays in the Higher Education industry based on surveys and one-on-one interviews. The report identifies product and service purchasing trends by school type, size, goals, and region. The study finds that 75% of the demand for AV equipment in higher education is the result of construction of new classrooms. The total number of higher education students in the United States is expected to peak in 2008, resulting in an increase in construction of new facilities. Technology is being integrated in the new classrooms, reflecting changes in education methods, including the increased use of collaborative techniques and project-based assignments. AV is also being used to attract increasingly tech-savvy students, and to accommodate distance learning programs, which expand both the reach and revenues of higher education institutions. 92p.

Analyzes research relating to the environment's impact on behavior and establishes five different archetypal environments that support learning in the current knowledge age, versus the prevalent but outdated agrarian- and industrial-age models: 1) Environments for Delivering Knowledge; 2) Environments for Applying Knowledge; 3) Environments for Creating Knowledge; 4) Environments for Communication Knowledge; and 5) Environments for Decision Making. 145p.

This discusses telecommunications wiring considerations; dial-up, two-way compressed videoconferencing; WisLine dial-up audioconferencing; satelline, cable, and television viewing; computer local area network, and other audio/visual tips.

These guidelines have been developed for use by architects, engineers and designers as a tool for designing effective classrooms for the UCSC campus. They provide specific criteria for the design of new classrooms and alterations to existing classrooms. Includes chapters on general classroom characteristics, classroom surfaces and finishes, fixtures and furniture, mechanical,lighting, and electrical systems, media systems, classroom project booths, convergence distance learning considerations. 31p.

This presentation reports on a study that attempted to understand more about the conditions under which distance education students are working. It reviews the parameters already established for office-based workers, and applies them to the home distance-learning space. The focus of this study is physical ergonomics, as opposed to cognitive or organizational ergonomics or human factors. The factors of interest include specifications for the workstation desk, seating, computer monitor, keyboard and mouse, room lighting, and room environment. The presentation shares results of a survey of students in virtual university courses. The students rated conditions of their workstation related to five factors and identified their perception of the importance of each factor. The presentation includes an ergonomics checklist intended to be shared with distance learners. [Author's abstract] p2115-2118

Identifies the essential design elements of modern, higher education high quality learning environments and includes discussions on facility programming, management, utilization, evaluation, and planning for the future technology. Classrooms examined include general purpose classrooms, lecture halls, seminar rooms, and specialized classrooms such as distance education and interactive video classrooms. Separate guidelines are presented for each classroom type. It also explores the use of technology in classrooms, discusses a team planning approach to programming for classroom design, offers advice on equipment security and on meeting accessability regulations, and provides practical applications for surveying classrooms using illustrative checklists. An appendix covers designi issues involving accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 52p.

This describes the general features that a distance education classroom should have, provides details on lighting, audio, electrical, heating/ventilation/air conditioning, and makes equipment recommendations.

The authors of this paper propose an Internet facility that will authentically provide laboratory experiments remotely. Such a facility is brought to the doors of the distance learner to help provide learning that is comparable to that offered for conventional students. This paper describes the development of a prototype remote laboratory system including software, hardware, procedures, and instructional systems. This includes surveys of existing alternatives (mainly software simulation environments), a description of the prototype remote lab environment developed by the authors, and a discussion of development issues, such as the reasons behind JAVA and RMI as the system's development tools over other popular alternatives. [Authors' abstract] p155-161

Development of distance learning infrastructure is a multifaceted project, from the desktop to the far reaches of the Internet. Attention must be focused on the outgoing data and information, as well as, incoming data and information. There are four basic areas of concern when designing an infrastructure to facilitate Internet distance education solutions: hardware, software, support, and security. Providing the proper hardware to developers and support personnel is crucial in creating a productive and efficient work environment. Reliable and efficient Internet access is essential, with 24-hour availability and minimal down time. Software components for development and support are key ingredients to success. From a student and faculty standpoint, the course software must be user friendly with a high degree of stability. Support must be considered from both a human and a technological standpoint. Essential to any online endeavor is secure access and distance learning demands the highest levels of security. [Authors' abstract] p1819

A report examines technology's influence on the educational process as well as the physical classroom, and the needs and concerns these new technologies bring to architects and educators in designing an adaptable classroom. Technology and the classroom are examined in the following areas: the use of television; microcomputers and computer terminals; power and communication cable distribution; voice and data distribution; heating and air conditioning needs; furniture requirements; and security issues. 16p.

Designing a multimedia based facility which accommodates information and presentation technologies to meet today's needs and future needs requires careful planning and organization. It requires the close collaboration of architect, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, lighting designer, audio-visual specialist, information technologist and instructor. Infrastructure design for "multimedia classrooms" must address requirements for A/C power, HVAC systems, cable distribution, ceiling heights, structural support, noise control, lighting, ergonomics and interior room acoustics.The architectural and interior design criteria presented here includes classroom shape, surfaces, and finishes; wall construction; windows, doors, ceilings; seating requirements; mechanical, lighting and electrical systems.

This webpage provides information on typical classroom images, size of classroom, accommodating equipment, student interfaces, technical requirements to run a class, and lighting and finishes.

Designing a distance learning classroom requires integration of educational goals and philosophy with technology and ergonomics. The technological challenge and key to designing effective distance learning and multimedia classrooms is creating an environment in which the participants--students, and teacher--may easily interact with instructional materials. Based on the experiences of California State University, Fresno (CSUF) and California State University, Hayward (CSUH), the design challenges and solutions for large compressed video and multimedia classrooms are illustrated. Various options for facilities accommodating from 48 to 184 students are examined for the inclusion of state of the art control systems with multimedia capability. General design considerations include: site and spatial relationships, imaging, lighting, acoustics, mechanical systems, and electrical and communication systems. It is essential that planners determine the optimum mix and configuration of teaching facilities prior to beginning any classroom project. 38p.

Technology is changing the classroom requiring new design features and considerations to make them flexible and interactive with the teaching process. The design of a Master Classroom, a product of the Classroom Improvement Project, is described. These classrooms are specially-equipped to provide a wide range of computer, media, projection, communications, and control capabilities, including connection to the campus network for both video and data reception and transmission. Topics on Master Classroom development include creating an interactive information environment, equipping the classroom with computer and projection equipment, and designing integrated control systems for the classroom. Focus is given to projection equipment acquisition and the variables involved when deciding the types of equipment to buy, such as brightness, rear or front projection design, screens available, CRT vs. LCD displays, and displays for smaller classrooms. Tips are given on networking information sources to fully utilize the master classroom's capabilities and the cost considerations. 16p.

Designing and remodeling educational facilities are becoming more complex with options that include computer-based collaboration, classrooms with multimedia podiums, conference centers, and workplaces with desktop communication systems. This book provides a collection of articles that address educational facility design categorized in the following four sections: conceptual foundations; design elements; selecting media support technologies; and case studies. Issues discussed include a seven- step plan for building effective learning environments, accessibility for the disabled, color as a design element, acoustics, flooring, electrical wiring and power, and issues on using such media support technologies such as overhead projectors, projection screens, interactive media systems, and desktop video. Case studies address the architecture and technology support learning at Dow Chemical, teaching environments at Penn State, the customer-service inspired environment, and audiovisuals in the boardroom and auditorium. 169p.

Discusses proper classroom acoustics, good speech intelligibility, clear sightlines, proper lighting, and seating arrangements that need to be considered when developing an effective distance learning classroom, which will benefit students and instructors alike.

Profiles Loma Linda University's Centennial Complex, a large academic center that anticipated future teaching strategies with highly flexible spaces ranging from very small classrooms to two large teaching auditoriums. The Anatomy Pavilion features extensive computer, audio, video, and robotics technology, enabling distance learning and worldwide collaboration. The Medical Simulation Center offers "virtual mannequins" to mimic real-life patient situations. Details on interior and exterior systems are included.

Describes network upgrades that enable schools to run security, distance learning, and sophisticated instructional programs.

Discusses the ascendance of online learning at the high school level. A variety of online learning networks are described, as is the effect of telecommunication on the classroom. Virtual education has even made inroads into traditional ?on-site? subjects such as science, physical education, and the arts.

Briefly describes innovation in whiteboards, distance learning technology, and classroom furnishings.

Discusses alternatives for the installation of the technology and equipment needed to support distance learning.

Discusses the impact of the current recession on higher education facility construction, the growth of distance learning that requires fewer facilities, and advises facility managers on putting wasted space. Computer-aided facility management is recommended, and seven references are included.

Describes how two rural community college expanded their distance learning facilities. The problems faced by the present systems, the solutions, and outsourcing where necessary are described.

Examines progress in virtual schools, using the Florida Virtual School as an example. While facility and transportation funds are saved, they seem to otherwise have the same cost per student. Flexibility and combination with on-campus learning are also addressed.

Profiles Drexel University's Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento, which occupies leased space in a downtown office building, teaches only evening and weekend courses, and features sophisticated flexible audiovisual and videoconferencing facilities.

Explores the impact of virtual classrooms as an emerging classroom typology in comparison to the physical classrooms in the design process. Two case studies were held in order to infer design students classroom preferences in the project lifecycle. Although the students acknowledged many advantages of web-based communication in the virtual classroom, they indicated that they are unwilling to let go off face-to-face encounters with the instructors and fellow students in the physical classroom. Utilizing the positive aspects of both communication techniques, a hybrid setting for the design studio is introduced, comprising the physical classroom as well as the virtual one. The proposed use for the hybrid setting is grouped under 3 phases according to the stage of the design process; as the initial, development and final phases.

Suggests an alternative approach to developing virtual world learning spaces. Instead of anticipating possible educational needs and trying to develop flexible learning spaces for those possible needs, virtual world learning spaces can be developed for very specific instructional needs. The article examines the design, development, and use of one of a virtual world learning space at the Kansas University Medical Center: The Nurse Anesthesia operating room simulation for learning the basic induction process. The authors goal is to provide some insights into developing virtual world learning spaces and highlight the advantages of those virtual world spaces over real world spaces. Includes four references.

Focuses on the design of informal and formal learning spaces mostly inside campus buildings, although many of the concepts could be applied in other spaces, including virtual ones. After looking at some examples of learning spaces and considering their general attributes, the details are then discussed-- those specific attributes that can make a learning space effective in supporting pedagogy and widely used by the campus community. That attention to detail transforms a learning space, whether formal or informal, into a space that facilitates student engagement and learning.

Discusses the current state of online learning and how some higher education institutions blend distance and on-site education.

Discusses the latest audiovisual technology available for classrooms, their typical costs, compatibility of the various components, and adoption and training possibilities for various devices.

This study examined means of fostering videoconference-based collaborative learning. An experiment was conducted with 15 learning dyads divided into three conditions of videoconference-based learning: without shared workspace, with shared workspace and with shared workspace plus a content-specific graphical representation. Compared with those with a shared workspace, learning dyads without a shared workspace in the videoconference-based setting tended to make more effort at verbal coordination. The study shows that content-specific graphical representation can be a meaningful support measure in videoconference-based learning settings, whereas the effects of a shared workspace should be further investigated. [Authors' abstract]

Discusses online learning programs in various schools, including blended learning that occurs in a web-enhanced or hybrid classroom. In the hybrid classroom model, the class typically meets only three or four days per week in the classroom, with the balance of instruction being delivered online. Advantages and disadvantages to these formats are presented.

Discusses the popularity, effectiveness, and modalities of distance learning and the implication it has for school facilities. Highlights the various technologies used for delivering distance education courses: interactive or static delivery via the Internet, two-way interactive video, or one-way prerecorded video.

Monitors and projectors are getting slicker and sleeker, but that doesn’t mean setting up the smart classroom is without tribulation. This discusses lighting issues, camera and rear projection screen placement, room layout, noise considerations, sightlines, placement of whiteboards, size of monitors, etc.

Discusses advances in audio transmission and reproduction that make distance learning in music possible. Echo cancellation, microphones, playback equipment, and sound-controlled cameras have made great advances, but the delay that occurs in coding-decoding is still a problem.

Describes four new higher education buildings designed specifically to accommodate distance learning by video and Internet.

This discusses tools for Web conferencing, videoconferencing, full collaboration, interactive classrooms, and screen sharing, used by faculty for online and blended courses such as small group meetings, interactive class meetings, and large class meetings.

Describes video-conferencing programs and installations that create access to courses being taught elsewhere and offsite meetings. IP and ISDN connections for videoconferencing are compared.

Describes state-of-the art technology at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and the University of California's Haas School of Business. Features include advanced video conferencing with accessible archiving, connection to real business, and distance learning.

The emergence of newly adopted metaphors such as “virtual university”, “networked campus” and “e-university” may have an impact on a university’s modus operandi in the twenty-first century. In terms of space management this will shift the emphasis towards a more time-flexible, space-flexible and location-flexible pattern which will become sine qua non for e-learning. This paper addresses the wider implications of these changes on the space design and management of existing university buildings. In particular, it examines the design implications on a selected building at the UCE , Perry Barr Campus in the West Midlands.

Discusses how selecting and properly installing audiovisual equipment and systems is critical to ensure that schools most effectively meet their educational objectives. K-12 school facilities must be prepared to support an expanding array of pedagogical tools, including videotape, DVD, CD-ROMs, and the Internet. Includes a detailed discussion of specifications for a distance learning room.

Describes the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's distance learning facilities in Bechtel Hall, where the central router and all the associated equipment are a third of a mile away from the classrooms.

Examines development considerations and tips for controlling costs when a university decides to develop an online distance learning service. Use of the interactive Web Site for Determining Costs tool for unveiling hidden costs is highlighted.

Presents features of Delaware State University's New School of Management designed to stimulate positive gains in teaching and learning. The design incorporates state of the art distance learning systems that includes a 350-seat auditorium possessing the same capability, and a commercial kitchen and dining facility for chef and hotel management training. Floor plans and photos are included.

Discusses Finland's new National Strategy for Education, Training, and Research in the Information Society for 2000-2004. The new strategy's objectives and how to achieve them are examined in the areas of planning of educational facilities and libraries, establishing virtual schools and distance learning, and integrating information technology in the curriculum.

Presents a three-year case study of the conceptualization, design, funding, construction, and the installation and implementation of instructional systems for an instructional facility built in renovated office space at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies. The Digital Learning Center is a 48-seat technology classroom with distance education and corporate presentation elements.

Examines the emergence of distance learning within higher education and the need for colleges to provide facilities based on either corporate, convenient, or culture rich educational needs. Why higher education institutions that own valuable course content will profit from distance learning is explained along with the increasing roles of facility managers.

Discusses technology and equipment requirements for developing an effective distance-learning classroom. Areas covered include cabling, the control booth, microphones, acoustics, lighting, heating and air conditioning, cameras, video monitors, staffing, and power requirements.

Examines the planning process behind successfully providing full access to distance-learning programs for all students. Distance learning under the regulatory mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act is addressed along with facility design considerations and the impact of regulatory requirements on design options.

This discusses classroom design from the perspective of how the room will be used. Will it be used primarily as a teaching site, a receiving location, or a combination of both? Also, will the facility be used by other members of the institution for other purposes? The article then outlines design issues and equipment requirements for a broadcast model classroom and an instructor-controlled model.

Details the design of a distance learning facility through analysis of its functions, paper handling requirements, and current and future communications technology needs. It also lists special features the facility should have including up-to-date wiring capacities for telecommunications, uplink and downlink capabilities to satellites, and internal wiring and conduits for microcomputer networking.

Discusses how modern schools require specific lighting systems to accommodate computers and other technologies. Describes special needs for direct and indirect lighting when considering visual display terminals and projectors, and the kind of lighting system best suited for distance learning. Offers ideas on classrooms' physical layout.