Active Learning Spaces (2010-2022)

Active Learning Spaces at Carolina (2010-2022)

Research shows that students learn and retain more when they are active participants in the learning process, rather than just passive listeners. As a result, a growing number of  instructors are adopting a mix of lecture-based and active learning methods in the classroom. In order to accommodate a richer classroom experience, our learning spaces must facilitate sustained eye contact, instructor access to students, and the ability to move seamlessly between instructional modes.

Since 2010, the University has been experimenting with flexible classroom designs that support a wider range of teaching methods. The classrooms are closely aligned with the results of a campus faculty survey on classrooms and subsequent faculty recommendations made to the Classroom Policy Steering Committee.

Here are the primary classroom designs that have been implemented in some of the University’s general purpose classrooms. For more information on these classrooms, their evaluation results, and how to schedule one, follow the links for each.