Each month a faculty member, nominated by their dean, is recognized for their efforts to integrate innovative technology into their classroom. September’s digital faculty member of the month is Matthew C. Mitchell, associate professor of International Business, College of Business and Public Administration. Read an interview with Matthew below:
What course do you use this technology in? I currently utilize Aliber 006 in my team-based capstone courses: MBA 260 – Strategy and MGMT 170 – International Management. Additionally, the entry level MBA 200 – Who is U.S.? An Interactive Guide to Globalization and Cross-Cultural Communication.
What type of technology do you use? Aliber 006 combines 16 shared screens with eight team-pods and wall-to-wall whiteboards. The Extron controls allow the professor to control the full room or enable the students to share their screens individually or with the full class. Furthermore, the room is equipped with one smart-board, live-streaming capability, and eight Bloomberg terminals at every team-pod table.
The digital design is fantastic, however, in my opinion, the best innovation/technology in this room is the elegant integration of the tables and whiteboards. The tables encourage sharing and the whiteboards invite creativity and collaboration through analog and digital media.
How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy? Aliber 006 is best-suited for team-based classes and seminars that include significant discussion. Lecture-based classes would not be well-suited for Aliber 006.
Where did you get the inspiration to make a change (colleague/seminar/administration/etc.)? I’m not sure where the original inspiration for Aliber 006 came from, but it was only realized through the hard work and determination of a collaborative team of Drake leaders from all over the university including Sheri Gavin, Tom Root and a small army of leaders from Drake ITS including Brad Toussaint, Jerome Hilscher, James McNab, Greg Christie, Jeremy Ray, and many others.
How long did it take for you to implement this technology? From design to initial testing it probably took about a year. I begged to let us into the space early and Drake ITS went out of their way have the classroom ready early so we could test out the bugs. However, we continue to test and learn all the functionalities of the space through to today. The technology isn’t difficult, but changing how we think about teaching, space and classroom design has been a fun challenge.
Did Drake ITS assist you in implementing this technology? If so, how? YES. Drake ITS was an essential leader and partner in the design, implementation and maintenance of this amazing space. Thank you!
—Jon Hurdelbrink, CPHS; Carla Herling, ITS
