A new classroom in the University of Iowa College of Education’s Lindquist Center will change the way students learn and teachers teach.

The space, 105 Lindquist Center North, was renovated over the summer to include exciting new technology and is being used by a full slate of classes this fall.

The college will celebrate its new space with an interactive grand opening celebration starting with refreshments at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26. Dean Nicholas Colangelo and other college leaders will give brief remarks at 1:45 p.m. and guests can step inside the room to try out the technology in an open house style event lasting until 3 p.m. The celebration is free and open to the public.

The purpose of the $750,000 renovation was to “equip a classroom that will better support collaborative active learning pedagogies with online education capabilities,” says John Achrazoglou, the college’s chief technology officer.

The online education capabilities make the room different from other technologically advanced TILE classrooms on campus.

The room, which will be named at the grand opening celebration, is arranged around four tables seating six students each. Each table has two wireless laptops with built in web cameras, microphones, a flat screen TV for sharing materials among table groups, and outlets to support student devices. The teacher’s lectern features controls over all of the room’s laptops, built-in speakers, microphones, and cameras for effective online teaching.

The College of Education offered 202 online courses from spring 2013 to spring 2014, allowing 3,259 enrolled students to earn 8,500 semester credit hours. Those numbers are expected to grow thanks to the new classroom.

After the first week of using the room in two of her courses, Renita Schmidt, an associate professor in Teaching and Learning, had a glowing review of the new learning space.

“The experience was glorious for me, and my students’ reactions were so positive,” she says. “It’s really an amazing opportunity for us to have this classroom in the Lindquist Center.”

The College of Education has long been a technology leader at the UI—the college’s master’s degree in Educational Leadership was the first at the UI to be offered completely online.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend the grand opening celebration, contact Elizabeth Holm in advance at 319-335-6111 or elizabeth-holm@uiowa.edu .