Due to the introduction of online teaching and learning, our spring semester is already well underway. However, students are yet to return to campus, which begs the question: do students miss our campus and studying side-by-side in class?

To help students feel closer to the action, six study rooms (or classrooms) are presently being upgraded. This work aims to facilitate the better blending of online and offline teaching, with transformed rooms integrating flexible furniture as well as interactive and sharing technologies. These technical innovations will allow off-campus students to gain a real-time view of instructors and let them easily participate in discussions.

The design of the new rooms was influenced by the demands of pedagogy, technology and space. Crucial among these considerations was the principle of the "flipped classroom" - a student-centred (rather than teacher-centred) emphasis on interactive communication that cultivates students' abilities in active learning and collaborative problem-solving. Numerous whiteboards allow students to present their thoughts more comprehensively and the new rooms also boast unique colour schemes and inspiring pieces of artwork.

The University intends to test out the new rooms and gather feedback from students and lecturers.

These upgrades are only one example of several planned improvements to campus facilities and services. The Learning Technologies team and IT Services are presently working around the clock to prepare for the next phase of teaching and learning. On the "to do" list is a revision to UNNC’s digital teaching solutions guide and the revamp of over 100 classrooms, equipping them with ever more advanced technologies.