ALCs enable improved student performance

University of Minnesota Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs) are designed
to foster interactive, flexible, student-centered learning experiences,
and operate using central teaching stations and student-provided
laptops. The University of Minnesota ALC is a modification of the
"SCALE-UP" (Student Centered Activities for Large Enrollment
Undergraduate Program) concept
that originated at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the TEAL
(Technology Enhanced Active Learning) concept at MIT, and uses an
adaptation of the Projection Capable Classrooms (PCC) technology system.

Recently, the Science Teaching and Student Services Building was featured by NCSU as the largest SCALE-UP installation in the world, with 10 ALCs that can be divided into 20 SCALE-UP
based spaces, holding anywhere from 27 to 126 students.

Research conducted by U of M researchers J. D. Walker, D. Christopher Brooks, and Paul
Baepler confirms the strength of active learning classrooms: students
perform better, and teachers end up using more active, student-centered
techniques. The full story can be found here.

University of Minnesota collaborators:

Direct any questions about ALCs to OCM Director Jeremy Todd at 612-625-5379, Instructional Technology Coordinator John Knowles at 612-626-8650, or Scheduling Manager Sarah Kussow at 612-626-7086.

The
Research and Evaluation Services team at the Office of Information
Technology (OIT) explores the nature and effects of educational
technology used at the University of Minnesota. Learning environments research http://www.oit.umn.edu/research-evaluation/selected-research/learning-environments/index.htm

Center for Teaching and Learning, considerations for teaching in an ALC:

http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/alc/considerations/index.html