Improvements promote active learning in Burnham Hall

A renovated space in Burnham Hall has seating that allows students to easily collaborate. “We want to support and encourage active teaching methods,” says Wendy Jeanes, Office of Campus Learning Environments.

Two classrooms in Burnham Hall were combined this summer to create a larger space where students can more easily collaborate.

Burnham Hall 204 and 208 are the most recent renovation projects completed by the UIC Office of Campus Learning Environments in partnership with the Academic Computing and Communications Center.

The rooms were combined to create a large rectangular room. Long rows of tables and chairs were added on the same platform level so that students can just turn their chairs around to work with classmates.

“Whenever possible, we try to create these active learning classrooms,” said Wendy Jeanes, assistant director of the campus learning environments office. “We want to support and encourage active teaching methods.”

Other improvements include acoustic treatments on the walls and ceilings, lighting enhancements, portable whiteboards and a multimedia podium.

“Students can capture their thoughts on the whiteboard, then take a photo using their smartphone and share it with the whole class through the lecture capture tool on Blackboard,” Jeanes said.

The renovations were completed with suggestions from an advisory board that is composed of students and faculty members, Jeanes said.

Similar renovations with swivel seats and multimedia enhancements were recently completed in another classroom in Burnham Hall and one in Douglas Hall, Jeanes said.

“We’ve had great faculty and student response,” she said.