Reimagining Computer Labs for Today’s College Students

Within the labs, Penn State centered on providing entry to the know-how college students advised them they wanted most.

“Our steering for updating the pc labs for college students was ‘nothing about them with out them,’” Bergey says. “It was vital to deliver them into the planning course of, so we minimize down the variety of computer systems however gave them different issues they requested, reminiscent of access to external monitors. The entire labs provide desktop computer systems, exterior screens, massive shows and printer kiosks. And there are many choices for plugging in their very own gadgets.”

Assembly the wants of all college students is a serious consideration within the lab renovations at Penn State. “It is necessary for us to not simply meet however exceed accessibility requirements,” Bergey says. “In our labs, we provide a variety of assistive technologies together with outsized show screens, large-print backlit keyboards and adjustable-height desks.”

LEARN MORE: Future-proofing classroom audiovisual equipment in higher education.

Morehouse Faculty’s Google Partnership Results in a New Lab

Morehouse College, a traditionally Black school situated in Atlanta, took a distinct strategy to updating its pc lab: working straight with a serious know-how supplier to develop and outfit it. Whereas the Google Annex classroom will welcome its first college students in fall 2024, pupil enter performed a job within the design and growth of this dual-use pc lab and classroom.

“Google has been a company associate with Morehouse Faculty for over 5 years,” says Alfred Watkins, pc science division chair and senior assistant professor at Morehouse. “By means of Google internships, most of the computer science and software engineering students have expertise with Google’s inventive workplace areas. Partnering with Google, we created the identical strategy at Morehouse.”

The lab sits between the pc science and chemistry departments. Because the area is shared, the 2 departments collaborated to fulfill the wants of each. The lab’s choice of know-how, together with 10 Dell Alienware desktop workstations, loaner laptops, digital cameras, a printer, digital whiteboards and HD projectors, displays the twin use of the area.

“We’ve made it comfy with a sofa. We’ve got workstations and particular person desks on wheels,” Watkins says. “All of those updates make collaboration easier, and we’re internet hosting two new programs right here this fall that may make the most of the up to date area: a recreation growth course and an AI in fintech course.”

Along with being supportive of collaboration and classroom dialogue, the lab additionally showcases a mural depicting well-known Morehouse alumni.

“Our imaginative and prescient was an area for college students to return for lessons and labs, but additionally to collaborate on initiatives, for coursework or their very own analysis initiatives,” Watkins says. “And as they establish wants for extra know-how, we would like to have the ability to meet these wants and provides them entry to no matter they have to be profitable.”