An Interview with the Centre's New Active Learning Classroom Coordinator

As part of the Toronto Metropolitan Classroom Refresh, one classroom is currently of being converted into an active learning classroom to allow interested faculty and instructors to experiment with active learning pedagogy. 

Sam Hossack, who recently joined the Centre as the Active Learning Classroom Coordinator, answered some questions about the project and how interested faculty and instructors will be able to use the space in the near future. 

Can you briefly explain what the Active Learning Classroom initiative is?

The Active Learning Classroom is a pilot initiative of the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, involving the physical re-design of KHW 057 to incorporate the latest research on teaching and learning spaces and to promote active learning. What this means practically, is that KHW 057 has been transformed into a fully flexible teaching space: There is no defined front to the room and the furniture can be easily reoriented to allow for greater interaction between students and instructors, and allow instructors to adapt the room to the type of content they are teaching. 

The Active Learning Classroom itself is also designed using our Indigenous Learning Spaces Guidelines, which means that the physical space of the classroom is intentionally designed to be welcoming to our Indigenous faculty, staff, and students. We are incorporating many natural elements, as well as Indigenous art (an Indigenous student has been commissioned to complete a beautiful mural for one of the walls!) into the room.  

Of course, the project is not only about the physical space: The physical classroom located at KHW 057 is a key component of promoting active learning on campus, but it is part of a broader project to provide faculty and staff at TMU with the tools and resources they need to continually develop their teaching practice and improve learning for students. As part of this project, we are also developing training and resources to support faculty and staff who are using this classroom, and future active learning spaces on campus.

What is your role within this initiative?

My role as the Active Learning Classroom Coordinator is to design and develop the processes and materials for the Active Learning Classroom. This includes everything from creating the booking and scheduling process, developing and providing technical and pedagogical training and support for those using the classroom and its many features, and collecting feedback to evaluate the success of the project.

How can Faculty and Instructors make use of the Active Learning Classroom? What will be the process for using it?

The purpose of the Active Learning Classroom is to support innovative teaching, so we encourage faculty and instructors to use the space to experiment with teaching and learning pedagogy and to develop and implement active learning practices in their classes. The space is flexible and supports a variety of approaches to teaching and learning, so we are excited to see what kinds of teaching ideas our faculty and instructors have when they are not constrained by space and layout. For instructors who are interested in experimenting but not sure exactly how to do so or what to try, we will also be providing training and support through CELT. 

The Active Learning Classroom is managed by the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, which means that we can coordinate the use of the room as well as all training and support for the classroom. Faculty and instructors who are interested in incorporating active learning into their classes can contact me through the Classrooms Website. We can schedule a Winter term class in the Active Learning Classroom space and work together to ensure that the physical classroom space best supports their vision for incorporating active learning activities into their teaching practice.

I will also note that, although the primary focus of the Active Learning Classroom programming is for full-term courses, there are also opportunities for shorter-term or one-off events to use the space. We also will be prioritizing uses by our Indigenous community. Anyone interested in using the room for these types of events can also contact me via the Classrooms Website.

How do you see the Active Learning Classroom benefiting Faculty and Instructors in their course delivery? What do you think will be the impact when it comes to Learning and Teaching?

The Active Learning Classroom is unlike most learning spaces on campus because it has been intentionally designed to support the process of learning and teaching based on the latest research on active learning pedagogy and learning space design. Students and instructors alike have noted that the physical space in which they learn and teach can be a barrier to success. With the Active Learning Classroom, we have tried to address that barrier by ensuring that the physical space supports student well-being in the classroom, provides the tools necessary for instructors' teaching choices, and promotes interactivity between students and their instructors, which we know improves learning outcomes. As an instructor, I know how frustrating it can be to want to teach in a certain way, to want to have students work with each other to solve problems in class, and then to find myself in a classroom where I have to stand at the front of the room with students in rigid desks - few of whom I can properly engage with because I can't even see over the podium! The Active Learning Classroom enables faculty and instructors' creativity in teaching by providing the physical space and resources that can support their ideas and best practices in higher education learning and teaching.

The Active Learning Classroom is expected to be fully functional in Fall 2022 and available for full-term teaching activities in Winter 2023.