Active Learning Environments: Dealing with Internal Friction

When preparing to implement a new active learning space, get ready for politics. Issues will most certainly arise if one department is being funded over another. Registrars in particular can make some noise because the more space given to active learning means increased difficulty for them to schedule courses with fewer available classrooms.
This means it is essential to gather your support and go to the board with a plan to present the benefits of active learning and evidence that the space is desired by a large group of people. After getting the go ahead, do some surveying. Get an idea of how students and faculty feel about their current classroom (the traditional learning space). After a semester of active learning implementation, survey again.
These polls can give insight into what worked about the new space and what didn’t. User input is critical when their education is on the line. If the space was overall successful, that result increases the chances of active learning space expansion in the future. If not, you can tweak where necessary to yield a better outcome a semester down the road. Work to find the right balance and active learning will transform any classroom for the better.
(Source: Campus Technology)