Dissecting molecules on wall–sized touch screens or changing weather patterns with the tip of your finger may sound like scenes from a science fiction movie, but for students at some international universities, it's just another day at school.
Driven by a desire to spur collaboration and creativity, universities worldwide are investing in technologies they hope will prepare graduates for a rapidly evolving job market.
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At Canada’s University of Calgary that means installing gaming consoles, DJ booths, wall-sized touch screens, and a digital video globe at the newly opened Taylor Family Digital Library. Using the new technologies and software packages beefs up graduates’ résumés by adding digital skill sets, says Shawna Sadler, technology officer at the library.
"Who does work just by pencil and paper anymore?" asks Sadler. "It’s all digital. We want to make sure our students have access to these new forms of expression." Each digital element at this cutting–edge library is designed for both fun and academics, Sadler says.
A history student interested in video games can analyze scenes from the library’s contemporary and retro game collection for instance, then use that expertise to design historically accurate scenes for the gaming industry, Sadler says.
Installation of the gaming rooms and DJ booths won’t be complete until January, but students are already using touch screen tables to pull molecules apart and studying weather patterns on the digital globe. They are also filling up collaboration rooms outfitted with group sharing software.
"A library is no longer a place you go to read," says Jagmeet Sekhon, a political science and commerce student, who uses the new library several times a week for solo work and group projects. "These collaboration rooms are a reflection of what's really out there in the real world," Sekhon adds.
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As students flock to touch tables in Calgary, their peers in Brisbane, Australia, are stampeding toward CoWs, says Geoff Mitchell, director of learning environments and technology services at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Classrooms on wheels, or CoWs as they’re known at QUT, are equipped with large–screen displays, video equipment, and wireless Internet access. They also utilize TeamSpot, software that allows multiple students to login to one CoW and use it as a joint workspace, moving documents and images from their personal laptops to the display screen.
The system transformed a group work approach that typically involved a project leader at the computer while their teammates talked on cell phones and flipped through books, Mitchell says.
"They’re digital campfires," he says. "Students are automatically attracted to them." Now students work on documents and brainstorm as a true team using the portable workstations, Mitchell adds.
Students surveyed by QUT say the CoWs encourage group work by giving them control over their meeting space and allowing everyone to access a shared display screen.
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That ability to work collaboratively is essential in today’s job market, says Johanna Frelin, CEO of Hyper Island, a digital media college in Sweden. Degree programs include Interactive Art Director, Mobile Applications, Motion Graphics, and a post-graduate Interactive Media Management track. While the school only has one master’s program, the majority of Hyper Island’s students already have an undergraduate degree or prior work experience, Frelin says.
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