USG's first Active Learning Classroom was inaugurated in 2015 and features 6 tables capable of multiple configurations with computers in each pod, 55" monitors next to each seating pod and an 80" interactive monitor in the front of the room. By implementing collaborative learning techniques and shifting from an instructor-centered to a student-centered classroom, the following changes can be observed:
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Instructor-Centered Classroom Students shift from... |
Student-Centered Classroom to... |
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| Listener, observer and note taker | → | Active problem solver, contributor, and discussant. |
| Low or moderate expectations of preparation for class | → | High expectations of preparation for class |
| Private presence in the classroom with few or no risks | → | Public presence with many risks |
| Attendance dictated by personal choice | → | Attendance dictated by community expectation |
| Competition with peers | → | Collaborative work with peers |
| Responsibilities and self-definition associated with learning independently | → | Responsibilities and self-definition associated with learning interdependently |
| Viewing teachers and texts as the sole sources of authority and knowledge | → | Viewing peers, self, and the community as additional and important sources of authority and knowledge |