Technology is modernizing the traditional instructional environment. The modern college student arrives on campus with more than just a suitcase in tow. An array of gadgets will also be on hand, including a tablet computer, a smartphone, an MP3 player, perhaps a laptop.
How flipping classrooms will alter classroom design, furnishings and technology to help students learn more.
- By Michael Fickes
- 06/01/13
Business (Managing K-12 Education)
Strong opinions aside, the truth is that many school districts outsource one or more services, and for reasons that include financial savings, as well as enhancing organizational flexibility, economies of scale, risk avoidance and access to capital invest
Collaborative learning involves teamwork, as does the designing of environments in which collaborative learning can thrive. Educational facility design experts know what works - and what doesn't - when it comes to creating collaborative spaces that allow for multiple uses and accommodate multiple learning styles. When creating collaborative spaces, keep the following in mind.
- By Tod Stevens, Stuart Rothenberger
- 06/01/13
Facilities (Campus Spaces)
As with other campus spaces, fostering collaboration is a decisive influence in the design and function of todays campus libraries.
- By Scott Willyerd
- 06/01/13
Facilities (Learning Spaces)
Creating a sustainable building envelope can be complicated, but worth it. Think about today and tomorrow. Educational institutions need to plan for sustainable management of their built assets both now and in the future. Building envelopes are part of that effort.
Safety & Security (Prepare and Be Aware)
Affordable new access control technologies are changing the way students get into college buildings.
- By Michael Fickes
- 06/01/13
Safety & Security (Prepare and Be Aware)
Will your school access control approach really stop a determined aggressor? Important information and observations on access control.
- By Michael S. Dorn
- 06/01/13
Facilities (Campus Spaces)
Keeping historically significant facilities weatherproof and energy-efficient while preserving architectural features takes care and planning.
Business (Managing Higher Ed)
Here are five metrics for establishing and tracking performance and customer satisfaction in your outsourced campus services.
So what is the solution to IEQ factors, acoustics, daylighting, thermal control, air quality and the effect each of these places on the other? The short answer is proper planning and coordination.
- By Steven Thorburn
- 05/01/13
Federal law requires that schools prepare an individual educational program (IEP) for each student with a disability, providing related services known to include safety in an emergency. Codes stipulate warning systems and require regular drills for all st
While increased enrollment is widely regarded as a positive development, understanding ways to manage the influx of additional students, providing a high-quality educational experience, meeting academic goals, and staying within budget requires administrators and architects to minimize new construction and maximize existing space.
- By Jeffrey Fenimore
- 05/01/13
From projectors to iPads and iPod Touches, YouTube and teacher-created textbooks, multimedia lessons and the technology needed to run it are throughout New Braunfels Independent School District (ISD) in New Braunfels, Texas, from kindergarten
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 05/01/13
For the past decade, fire safety programs on college and university campuses have focused on keeping students safe while in campus residence halls and fraternity and sorority houses, buildings that are often most at risk. While from a numbers standpoint, campuses are relatively safe from the effects of fire, there are a number of small, too often deadly, fires in student housing on campus generally caused by student carelessness. There are a number of ways to enhance student fire safety.
- By Michael Fickes
- 05/01/13
Today, in college classrooms, instead of the silence of students taking notes in notebooks, one may hear the soft tapping of laptop keys. Technology in the classroom has been evolving at a rapid rate, leaving teachers and students sometimes running to keep up. Multimedia technology, which specifically refers to technology related to audio and video, is no exception.
Something old, something new? That may work great in weddings, but how about campus renovations? In constructing new buildings, assuring good indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is a basic consideration. But when it comes to renovating older facilities, special efforts must often be taken to apply modern standards in acoustics, daylighting, thermal comfort, and air quality.
The world outside has a lot to teach pre-K-12 students and educators are finally learning to take advantage of that world. Outdoor playgrounds and classrooms can help overcome the disconnect to nature caused by technology, enabling students to build
- By Michael Fickes
- 05/01/13
Sure, it’s easy to toss trash into the proper receptacles and to turn off the lights when leaving a room, but how does a university with thousands of personnel, administrators, and students on campus initiate a greener place to live, work, and study? Green initiatives for the higher education sector are everywhere, and there are so many ways that colleges can get involved, from implementing cleaner technologies that use less power consumption to offering vegan dining choices in the cafeteria to properly disposing of old, outdated printers.
Intelligent services combine technology, proprietary analytics and expertise in heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to continuously collect, interpret and act upon data from building systems and controls to optimize operational perfor
There are many ways to "go green." There are a plethora of examples of schools and districts that are working to reduce their environmental impact while educating their communities about the sustainability challenges of the 21st century.