Friday 17 October 2014

Confirmation of beliefs by 3rd year students

Today I visited one of the rooms I recently refurbished with the Turn and Learn design I mention earlier in the blog.
The class was full of 3rd year physics students who knew the room pre-refurb. I asked for feedback and was told that the important things for them were comfortable chairs, good leg room and adequate writing space. 
This just confirmed my belief that comfort and space are the basis of getting a design right. The technology comes after this but once the basics are right the rest follows.

See my post The Capacity Question 

They also confirmed my position on chalk boards and white boards in large lecture theatres. They do not work. Students struggle to see the writing, especially when the lecturer is stood in front of what he or she is writing and have difficulty hearing on what is being said when the lecturer faces away from the audience and is not wearing a microphone.
I know that years ago there was no alternative but there are now and therefore there is no excuse.  I get especially annoyed when I hear 'well it was good enough in my day'

We went onto discuss lecture capture and they thought it was a great addition to their materials but wondered, as do I, why some lecturers use it and others do not!
It was a very illuminating and reaffirming 10 minutes.

For clarification, the above applies to all HE institutes according to national and international forums I am a member of.

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