College's "learning studios" are classrooms of the future

Lynh Bui, The Arizona Republic

Avondale— Take away the rows of desks, the four white walls, and the chalkboard in front.
   Replace them with tables on wheels, bright blue walls and five white boards around the room.
   Is it still a classroom?
   Officials at Estrella Mountain Community College call it a "learning studio".
   And the school's newest building, Ocotillo Hall, has 22 of them.
   The new style of classrooms should set state and national standards to create engaging learning environments, according to EMCC leaders, who expect 1.6 million people to pour into the Avondale school's service area by 2030.
   "It's not so much about the building but about what goes on inside," President Homero Lopez said.
   Inside, designers tried to create class spaces that strayed from the traditional rows of desks with a talking head in the front of the room, said Sally Buston, vice president of administrative services.
   "We tried to move away from a rectangular room," Buxton said. "We put the furniture on wheels and configured things so that you can push things around and redesign the space in a heartbeat."
   Computer labs before had monitors and towers lined up on tables that ran across a classroom.
   The configuration meant blocked views and an intimidating environment that made it hard for students to work in groups or with teachers, Buxton said.
   In Ocotillo Hall, round tables sit in the classroom with laptops instead of desktop computer systems. The idea is to have flexibility, so students can switch between working individually, in groups or with teachers, Buxton said.
   Education student Carlos Gonzales has two classes in Ocotillo Hall this semester and likes the different style of classroom.
   "It's nice. It's not old-fashioned," Gonzales said. "And the laptops make it more convenient to do my work."
   The building is the first project finished in the Maricopa County Community College District using voter-approved funds from a $951 million bond. Of that, about $71 million went to EMCC to expand and improve the campus.
   Because Ocotillo Hall was the first building to come from the 2004 bond, other campuses will be looking to it as a model, district Chancellor Rufus Glasper said.

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