LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. — Eight faculty and staff members from Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus toured state-of-the-art learning spaces and emerging technologies at the University Park campus on May 29. Lori McCracken, manager of learning spaces in Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT), and Timothy Linden, learning spaces coordinator, led the tour.
The visit comes after Charles Patrick, chancellor and chief academic officer at Penn State Fayette, introduced an initiative to reimagine on-campus learning spaces and create more opportunities for active learning in the classroom.
The group explored the Immersive Experience Lab, a space designed for 360-degree video creation and virtual reality technology; the Design Experiences Lab, where innovative furniture and workspaces foster collaboration; the Bluebox, an experimental research classroom in Althouse 101, featuring digital displays, interactive technologies, and dynamic furniture for active learning; and The Dreamery, a co-learning laboratory to explore the intersections of pedagogy, technology and space.
“After touring interactive classrooms and immersive technologies at University Park, we’ll be providing input as to how we can implement new technology at Fayette for the upcoming academic year and beyond,” said Cheryl Tcas, instructional designer. TLT will provide consultation resources to aid in future developments at Fayette.