Technology enhanced learning has been a rapidly expanding field in the 21st century, while most university classrooms and lecture halls look the same as they did one hundred years ago. A new classroom concept that seem to have potential to renew education is the so called Active learning classrooms (ALCs). The fundamental idea for ALCs is to furnish for active group learning with technology enhancement such as computers, digital screens, whiteboards and Internet connection.Today higher education settings are not only technology blended, but also blended in other ways. In the standard definition of blended learning the blend consists of traditional face-to-face education and technology enhanced online sessions. A subclass of blended learning is blended synchronous learning (BSL), a blend where on-campus students work together with distance students in common synchronous teaching and learning activities. The BSL concept should also build on active and collaborative learning in groups with participants from both the described student groups. The aim of the study was to analyse and discuss how active group learning in BSL settings are depending on the ALC furnishing and the technology.
The study for this chapter was conducted with a case study approach with two active learning classrooms as the investigated case units. Nine teachers and three persons from the service staff focus group were interviewed. Answers from the semi-structured interviews were analysed by use of the qualitative data analysis tool Atlas.ti. The more technical parts of the evaluation were analysed with the Technology Acceptance Model as a theoretical framework.
A result from the analysis was that there was not only one BSL model but two. The first one is more dependent on furnishing than on technology enhancement and the recommendation is here to choose a low-cost and low-tech 'light version'. Regarding the second BSL model with a synchronous mix of on-campus and distance students the recommendation is to go for high-tech equipment and- rich-media communication and communication tools. Finally, it seems difficult to reach any consensus regarding the spatial design, and the recommendation, for both BSL models, is a flexible design with movable furniture and enhanced communication and collaboration technology.
Chapter 7