Clemson University Opens 'Classroom of the Future'
The classroom of the future. A game changer. Technology showcase. These are all terms used to describe the new Edgar Brown Digital Resources Laboratory in Clemson University’s R.M. Cooper Library.
The newly renovated space resulted from a growing partnership between Clemson Computing and Information Technology (CCIT) and Clemson’s libraries to create a living laboratory space for use by faculty and students across campus.
Clemson University Libraries partnered with CCIT and Dell, with support from the National Science Foundation, to create the new space. A few of its key features include a visualization wall of 15 46-inch highdefinition displays; a 16-node computational cluster; laptops for 16 students with software customization available; network and video connections in the floor; and a high-definition video-conferencing system and four projectors, one of which creates a holographic-type image.
The technology found in this room is unparalleled in any classroom or laboratory on campus, and is in a central location in the Cooper Library to be a showcase to both current and potential students on Clemson’s intellectual capabilities.
While technology-oriented, the laboratory is intended for use by all academic departments.
“So many of the higher-tech rooms are within departments,” explains Dean of Libraries Kay Wall. “Our facility is available for any faculty to use.”
The room is available to all faculty members, who must propose their plan of use for the lab. This enables courses and group collaborations from across campus to conduct their courses or research in a world-class environment enabled by innovative technologies, such as network connectivity that enables high-speed transfers of large data sets to users of the room.
“The only criteria we have is that the technology is utilized,” says intern project manager Reggie Coachman.
The room’s technology, however, serves as a first step in advancing the technological capabilities of Clemson’s campus.
“This is a prototype for lots of other technological applications throughout Clemson’s system,” says Wall.
Rankings Announced for Top Computer Science Graduate Programs
Computer Science graduate programs have become increasingly popular among students — and employers. These programs span a wide variety of disciplines and potential careers in the public and private sector, but almost always incorporate theory, analysis and practical knowledge of computers.
Recognizing the exponential increase in popularity and need for those with a background in Computer Science, Graduateprograms.com has announced the Top Computer Science Programs in the U.S., according to graduate students. More than 40,000 students submitted reviews of over 1,300 graduate programs between Sept. 1, 2012, and Sept. 30, 2013.
According to student ratings posted on Graduateprograms.com, the top 10 best graduate Computer Science Programs in the country are at the following institutions: Carnegie Mellon University, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, University of Maryland University College, Boston University, Arizona State University and the University of Pennsylvania (tied for number five), Southern Methodist University, Princeton University and the University of Maryland, College Park (tied for number eight) and Stanford University.
For a complete list of the Top Graduate Programs in Computer Science, please visit www.graduateprograms.com/top-computer-science-programs.
Graduateprograms.com reaches current and recent graduate students through scholarship entries as well as social media platforms. Graduateprograms.com assigns 15 ranking categories to each graduate program at each graduate school. Rankings cover a variety of student topics, such as academic competitiveness, career support, financial aid and quality of network.
This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management December 2013 issue of Spaces4Learning.