Page 28 - Campus Technology, October 2017

C-Level View
Rethinking Traditional Laboratory Spaces
Penn State’s Kyle Bowen believes the key to innovation in computer labs is not to think about them as lab spaces, but as learning experiences.
By Mary Grush
Penn State’s Design Experiences Lab
The computer lab may not be the first place one thinks of when imagining cutting-edge learning spaces. But Kyle Bowen, director of education technol- ogy at Penn State University, sees their potential. He maintains that older com- puter labs can be transformed to support engaging, targeted learning experiences based on innovative technology and de- sign choices. And often, the computers are no longer necessary!
CT talked with Bowen about his institution’s “experience labs,” drop-in spaces where students can receive expert guidance for hands-on projects.
Campus Technology: Why are you changing your ideas about computer laboratory spaces?
Kyle Bowen: Historically, we’ve talked about learning spaces from the perspective of classrooms, but of course, we do have other kinds of spaces. You may immediately think about the computer lab — a familiar kind of place. But it’s time to challenge as- sumptions about what these labs really are, why we use them and what they could be- come. We can start to do more interest- ing things with these spaces, things that complement coursework in even greater ways than traditional labs have.
CT: How do you begin to change your thinking about computer labs
on campus?
Bowen: The computer lab is a generations- old model, based on an idealized solution,
28 CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY | October 2017
Courtesy of Penn State University