Impact: DUAS

MEETING THE BEAST
DUAS, Department of Undergraduate Academic Services

Perimeter Arrangement

Strengths

intimate classroom
perimeter arrangement creates automatic discussion circle when students arenât facing the wall looking at the computers
teacher can easily walk around the classroom and see what students are doing [Caution: panopticon effect. See "The Rhetoric of Technology," Hawisher and Selfe (1991) and "The Politics of the Interface," Selfe and Selfe (1994)]
good acoustics

Weaknesses

fairly cramped; table in the middle can add to the cramp
poor projection, demonstration capabilities, which are poorly located besides
outdated hardware
poor temperature control--either very hot or very cold

Solutions

Give up on demonstrating or projecting information. Instead, talk students through a feature and watch what they were doing on their screens. Encourage students to aid one other, authorizing them all as teacher/students. Leave the door open and give students breaks to get cool or warm if they need to.

The projection capabilities in this room are not good, and the door cannot be opened when a teacher pulls out the projecting computer. The accoustics are good, however. Students can easily turn their chairs around, away from the computer screen, and create a circle around the table for oral discussion and collaboration.

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The projection capabilities in this room are not good, and the door cannot be opened when a teacher pulls out the projecting computer. The accoustics are good, however.	Students can easily turn their chairs around, away from the computer screen, and create a circle around the table for oral discussion and collaboration.