Campus Learning Environments

VISION STATEMENT

Campus Learning Environments (CLE) creates and renovates learning spaces to enable active learning and enhance student success. The goal of each learning space project is to foster student engagement and thereby improve student learning outcomes. Projects are both research-driven and user-focused to support the University’s strategic priorities.

RECENT PROJECTS

Academic and Residential Complex (ARC)

The complex is made up of a 54,000-square-foot, two-story academic wing as well as a 146,000-square-foot, 10-story residence hall, which includes 548 beds.

The academic wing includes seven active learning classrooms, ranging in size from 32 to 288 seats. It also houses small group study rooms, a tutoring center, and numerous collaboration spaces.

• UIC opens new state-of-the-art living and learning community
• Super-Sizing Active Learning

Lecture Center C

This two phase project will be executed over the summers of 2019 and 2020. When complete, the project will result in a new floor configuration to enable active learning, new finishes; furniture, audio-visual systems, mechanical and electrical systems.

Burnham Hall 3rd Floor

This project reconfigured the size and orientation of all third floor classrooms and renovated all interior finishes, furniture, audio-visual systems, and mechanical and electrical systems. The build-out created two 24-seat and three 55-seat active learning classrooms and numerous oases (informal learning) spaces with approximately 30 seats.

Science and Engineering South 201

This 120-seat active learning classroom enables the use of active learning pedagogies in large enrollment courses. The room design was based on results from an experimental classroom study, input from faculty and students, and a nationwide benchmarking analysis.

• New space promotes active learning

Thomas Beckham Hall Classrooms

The scope of the Thomas Beckham Hall project was to convert approximately 17,000 GSF of retail space on South Campus to general use classrooms in support of UIC’s growing student enrollment. The build-out created five 32-seat and two 78-seat classrooms for a total of 316 seats, Oases (informal learning) spaces with approximately 80 seats, a C-Stop with help desk, printing and recharging capabilities and offices for UIC Global/Shorelight Education staff.

• From retail space to learning place

RECENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

During the fall semester of 2017, Campus Learning Environments, together with the Academic Computing and Communications Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), conducted a research project to compare and evaluate the perceived performance and effectiveness of different furniture types, and wireless collaboration systems for teaching and learning. Attendees participated in a team-based learning exercise and the data was collected, analyzed and a report was created.

• Experimental Classroom Report

Think Tank Explores Health, Safety, and Welfare

Third annual Legat/DIRTT symposium brought together leaders in healthcare, education, law enforcement, sustainability, and design to consider the future of performance-enhancing environments. David Taeyaerts presented on active learning environments for health science professionals.

• Chicago Design/Architecture Think Tank Explores Health, Safety, and Welfare

Faculty Focus Group – Active Learning Spaces

“What is the Role of the Physical Space on Active Learning?”

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching-Learning Communities invited us to lead a conversation on 1/25/17. The focus was on the role of the physical space on active learning and the conversation was attended by 24 faculty members. Attendees participated in a team based learning exercise and the data was collected, analyzed and a report was created and posted to our website: Faculty Focus Group on Active Learning Spaces.