Collaborative learning spaces technology helps students with group projects

Collaborative learning spaces at Penn State are popular with students, said Mary Ramsey, manager, learning spaces, because they make group project assignments easier to complete. “To do group projects, it’s nice to be able to work together in the same location as opposed to say being in different dorms,” Ramsey said. "Having a place where you can go and work together helps expedite the project.”
 
Along with furnishing these spaces with comfortable furniture that students can arrange to meet their group work needs, TLT has installed technologies designed to assist students with collaborative projects. Ramsey said there are several technologies that are available to students. Also, wireless is available in these spaces if they opt to bring their own laptop.
 
In 201 Pollock, there are two TeamSpot stations. TeamSpot enhances students’ ability to collaborate on group projects via technology that allows them to transfer files, collaboratively edit documents, and share individual computer screens on a large, central monitor. “We have a very large screen with a couple of computers around it. It’s great for collaboration,” Ramsey said. “For example, someone can be working on an intro to a project paper; somebody else could be working on the analysis part, the final report, the appendix, and so on. 
 
“Thus, you can have different people working on various aspects of the same document and when it is pulled up on the large screen, everyone can see it, share it, and modify it.”
 
The TeamSpot station features Windows computers, with either a 37" or a 40" shared LCD HD monitor, tables for 2-6 students, wireless access, and a semi-private location. Ramsey said that it may take a while for students to fully comprehend how all this equipment can help them. “TeamSpot is a good collaborative tool, but it is a little more complex to use and to understand its concept,” Ramsey said. “Students may walk in and wonder ‘why do we have these computers around here, and what do we do with the big screen.’” 
 
Ramsey added an instructional video on using TeamSpot is in development. This video would not only include how to use the tool, but why you would use it.
 
Another collaborative technology available for students is the CopyCam, located in 107 Warnock and 102 Wagner, which enables students to write on a regular whiteboard and then electronically save and share notes, drawings, etc. “It’s a white board with a big camera that comes out in front of the board to capture what is being written on the board. You write on the whiteboard like you normally would without CopyCam,” Ramsey said. “Instead of taking time to copy down the notes that were on the white board, you simply press a button and save it to your flash drive. CopyCam is not extremely complicated, so it doesn’t require any training.”
 
In 107 Warnock, students have access to a different sort of collaborative learning tool, the MIDI keyboard with a microphone is installed on a Windows computer. A MIDI keyboard is also installed on an Apple computer in 201 Pollock.
 
Unlike the other technologies, the MIDI keyboard is for music creation. Instead of a computer keyboard, students use a music keyboard, like on a piano. Along with the MIDI keyboard, there is a microphone for vocal input as well as software to help students record and edit music.
 
“It’s not a collaborative tool like TeamSpot where you are working on a document collectively, but instead you are writing music,” Ramsey said. “We put the MIDI keyboard in Warnock because so many music students live in North Halls and it gives them easy access to it.”  
 
TLT also offers music students a variety of software for use with the MIDI keyboard. Among the types of software available include those that offer students “virtual musicians” for accompaniment, produce sheet music, teach how to play piano, produce dance music, music editing and production, and more. To see a complete list, go to http://clc.its.psu.edu/Labs/Windows/Software/music_software/musicworkstation.aspx .
 
Also in Pollock is the Interwrite electronic whiteboard. The e-whiteboard enables students to interact and write on the board using dry erase markers, then have their work save electronically to a file. This allows more efficient use of time because students do not have to copy the information on the whiteboard to a notebook, they can merely save it.
 
To learn more about collaborative learning spaces and available technologies, go to http://tlt.its.psu.edu/learningspaces/. This site will be updated later in the fall, so check back soon for the latest information.