The 172,000-sf, 400-room building, recognized by the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the most technologically advanced teaching facilities in the country, is the result of a four-pronged vision set forth by University officials. The building is designed to serve as an experimental lab to accelerate learning and educational solutions, an incubator for new ideas focused on developing authentic student-centered education, a portal for creating customized educational experiences, and a test bed for evaluating and analyzing the effectiveness of learning strategies and space designs.

"The design phase was exceptionally challenging based on the goals we had set for the building," says Linda Seestedt-Stanford, assistant dean of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions. "We wanted a building that could do everything, but we needed to work within a realistic budget. We took some major, yet very calculated, risks such as the commitment to technology with the expectation that the high-tech environment would support our teachers and engender independent learning among the students. Now, people are banging on our doors for a chance to teach in this building."

Construction of the multipurpose building began in June 2002 and full occupancy was achieved in January 2004. The building accommodates a wide range of health programs, including neuroscience, clinical psychology, speech language pathology, audiology, physical therapy, health fitness, health administration, public health, health education, physician assistant, athletic training, physical education, and sports administration. Occupants include approximately 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as about 100 faculty and staff members.

The successful completion and operation of the building is attributed, in part, to the extensive planning that was started in 1998—four years before ground was ever broken. At the time, faculty and staff members from the College of Health Professions were housed in five different buildings.

"We spent a lot of time talking about how to develop a technology-use culture and how to shift the teaching paradigm in our college," says Seestedt-Stanford. "It was important to think differently about the role technology could play in teaching and learning."

Technology Features

The total project cost was $50 million with $7 million invested in technology equipment and nearly $4 million in furniture and other items. University officials estimate it will cost about $250,000 per year to keep the technology up to date and to pay for necessary equipment replacement.

"It is unique for an allied health building to have the level of technology and diversity that we have in this building," says Seestedt-Stanford. "Faculty members have always had ideas about things they wanted to do, but they never had the instrumentation to support their vision. The technology and the support staff are now providing a bridge between faculty ideas and implementation."

Technology includes wireless Internet access throughout the facility, video cameras in 70 locations, more than 50 multi-image projection screens or video walls in classrooms, portable plasma screens, a virtual reality simulation lab, a master control room, six wet labs, a cold room, five different seating options for classrooms, a therapeutic pool, a darkroom, a radioisotope room, 13 fully mediated labs, and portable laptop units that allow every classroom to function as a computer lab.

The plasma screens can be moved throughout the interior and exterior of the building for use in clinical areas, the courtyards, atrium, or conference rooms.

"The multiple-image screens are an important teaching and learning tool. We can project as many as five images at one time. Video can be sent to classrooms from any of the 70 cameras located in the clinical and laboratory wings. Images can also be sent directly to a master control room and then routed to anywhere in the building, including faculty desktops or around the world," says Seestedt-Stanford. "For example, our researchers in neuroscience are able to send images from their microscope directly to their colleagues in France so they can collaborate on projects."

The technology can also be used to allow students in a classroom to observe clinical work as it is being performed on a patient. Students are invested in the technology and are excited about what it means to their education.

Faculty members receive ongoing formal and informal technical assistance in using the equipment. A help button is available at their fingertips in case they encounter a problem with the technology in their classroom.

Developing a Technology-Use Culture

"We were afraid that if we didn't prepare the faculty for this high-tech building, the technology would just sit there unused," says Seestedt-Stanford. "In order to avoid this, we made a commitment to change the way people looked at teaching and learning."

The process of creating a technology-use culture actually began four years before construction of the building. Faculty development and enrichment programs were implemented with the goal of rethinking traditional pedagogical practices. The scientific foundations of learning and traditional assumptions about student learning were actively explored.

"We didn't preach technology because we discovered that when we did, faculty resisted. Rather, we focused on innovative teaching and methods to enhance student learning. Technology was a natural segue to accomplish this."

As a result of these ongoing discussions, University officials realized the need to foster communication between the faculty and the designers, architects, and technology consultants so that teachers' ideas could become reality with the proper building design and technology plan.

"We wanted to re-purpose our faculty from dispensers of knowledge to designers and architects of learning experiences," says Seestedt-Stanford. "We wanted to introduce them to strategies and practices that empower student learning."

Asking teachers to create innovative pedagogy to support teaching and learning would be difficult without providing them with the necessary tools and technology assistance. To this end, a "Champions Project" was initiated to support faculty in their transition to the new Health Professions Building and its technology-based teaching environment. Ten faculty volunteered to use technology and produce new teaching materials. Through their efforts, other faculty acquired a comfort level with the equipment, processes, and support system in place.

"The Champions Project engendered discussion, new policies related to faculty technology use, a revision of technology-related staffing needs, and a resurgence of excitement in teaching," says Seestedt-Stanford.

Maximizing Utilization

The utilization level in the building, which consists of two floors and wings for clinical space, labs, and classrooms, is currently about 85 percent. The design of the building and the use of technology have been well received by faculty, students, and individuals who work at other locations on campus.

The features of the building promote collaboration and result in high utilization. Special features include a central atrium where educational and social events can be held, courtyards, a waterfall and fountain, an open atmosphere with plenty of windows, movable furniture, and numerous places for students to gather.

The building is designed to be inviting and to encourage peer-to-peer learning.

"Collaborative learning is one of the most powerful things we can engender with our students," says Seestedt-Stanford.

Utilization and collaboration are further enhanced by shared labs, 24/7 access for graduate students through an electronic security system, classrooms/computer labs, and flexible classroom setups that can be adapted to suit a particular learning environment.

Hand-held transmitters are also available for use by the students to provide immediate feedback to teachers on how well they understand a subject. The teacher asks the students if they comprehend a certain point of the lecture and they respond by pressing the appropriate button on the transmitter, providing real-time feedback to the faculty member.

Commissioning

Commissioning at the beginning of the project helped the University achieve a smoother move into the facility. It provided direction and sequencing to the building schedule and prevented problems from occurring.

"I would never construct a building without it," stresses Seestedt-Stanford. "Commissioning holds the contractor immediately accountable for installation issues, thus preventing problems from occurring. It also eliminated a lot of headaches on move-in."

Commissioning provides a liaison between the owner, architect, and contractors. If a problem does occur, it is properly documented to avoid any confusion or miscommunication in the future.

By Tracy Carbasho