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| Myron Anderson has redesigned the Education Resource Center into a "21st century learning environment." |
Myron Anderson came to Metro State; he saw; he conquered (through redesign).
“My charge at Metro State is two-fold,” Anderson says. “I teach technical application theories to enhance our students’ teaching abilities through technology, and I also am in charge of the Education Resource Center.”
In a process that began when he arrived at the College three years ago as an assistant professor of education technology and is in its final stages this year, Anderson redesigned the Education Resource Center, creating what he calls a “21st century learning environment” from what had been “some tables with a few computers.”
Anderson was a natural fit for undertaking such a project at Metro State. With a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, he earned his doctorate in instructional technology part-time while working as an administrator at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He explains that the combination of experience in teaching and administration and the theoretical underpinnings from his doctoral research (part of which was on nonverbal barriers in education) all informed his work in the lab redesign. His 15 years as a college administrator, he says, enabled him to design the center with a mind to the department’s needs.
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| The Education Resource Center is located in WC 258. |
“We started (the redesign) with one goal in mind: How can we create a learning environment where our students can have the best opportunity to learn?” says Anderson. “We improve the lab every year, with that goal in mind.”
The new lab combines the technology to teach theoretical constructs and apply the concepts directly. With what Anderson calls “hide-away computers,” professors are able to teach the theory first; then students can pull out the computers and apply what they’ve learned. The design also saves space in the department, as it can be used for both a classroom and a lab.
“The redesign was a three-year process,” says Anderson. In the first phase, which he undertook in fall 2004, his first semester at the College, Anderson asked faculty and students what they needed to best facilitate instruction delivery.
Anderson credits his colleague, Professor of Education Technology Sue Joseph, with sharing her deep experience with instruction delivery at the College. “She knows the students. Her knowledge base was very valuable in creating the design and serving the needs of the students,” he says.
Over fall break that semester, Anderson completed all the paperwork and met with all the people he needed to, in order to ready the lab for renovation. By winter break, new equipment was delivered and the spring 2005 semester brought the start of the physical changes at the lab.
The renovation carried a total price tag of about $90,000. “We were fortunate in that we were able to piggyback off some other grants at the College,” says Anderson. He credits the Adventure of the American Mind-Colorado for providing some funds (“We worked with Peggy O’Neill Jones to incorporate primary source work into the curriculum”), as well as the dean of the School of Professional Studies and the Teacher Education department.
The new design incorporates new computers, a “smart board” (where professors are able to print or e-mail what they’ve handwritten on the board), video projection capabilities, a formal presentation station and a schedule for students to receive free lab time and training in how to prepare electronic portfolios (e-folios).
“We survey our students every year and I’ve gotten really positive feedback. Students love the fact that we can interact, do group work, get technical support and use software unique to teacher education.”
To read more about the Education Resource Center, visit its Web site at http://www.mscd.edu/~ted/resources/erc.shtml.
