Auburn University’s College of Sciences and Mathematics is shaking things up and flipping some of their classrooms, according to Nicholas Giordano, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics. Giordano said this new type of classroom is called the Engaged Active Student Learning (EASL) classroom.
Giordano said research states that students learn better when they are engaged. Rather than teaching at students, he said it’s better for them to hear something and then apply it in small groups. He said each student brings something different to the table and they work together to figure out the problems and learn from it. They also teach each others, which helps them learn more.
Giordano said the classroom is in the Science Center Classroom building and it isn’t the first EASL classroom. He said it was opened August 2014. He also said the first was in the Haley Center and it holds 30-35 students.
According to Giordano, as well as John Gorden, associate professor in chemistry and biochemistry, the room holds 72 students and each table holds six students. They said the classrooms have lots of technology, white boards and glass boards.
According to Giordano, the department of science and mathematics were one of the first to jump to the opportunity of having the EASL room in their building, and even though the room is booked, when there is an opening to use the room anyone from any department can use it. He also said that there will be a new building being built this summer in front of Ralph Brown Draughon Library and it will have eight or 10 EASL classrooms for any department to use.
Giordano said he has gotten many comments from both students and faculty. He said for some students the change was hard and some said the room was great, but asked when they were going to learn something. He said the students weren’t noticing that they were learning from the activities. He also said the professors had a hard time changing the way they teach and getting used to the new classroom.
According to Gorden, it is difficult getting used to the different method of teaching.
“I am comfortable with standing in front of a class and lecturing,” Gorden said. “When you take that control away and let the students be more active, I become the facilitator. It’s a challenge for me to keep my mouth shut and let the students do the talking and teaching and not joining in and giving them the answer. It’s a challenge for me to let the students work through things and let them struggle a little bit. By letting them struggle they eventually figure it out with the group and that’s really exciting for them because of that sense of accomplishment.”
Both Gorden and Lynn Mandeltort, lecturer in chemistry and biochemistry, said they would prefer a mixture of the two rooms. Mandeltort said it is because she likes the small classes.
Madeltort said the lessons are completely different and she thinks the students like the class, but it depends on when you ask them. She said at first the students were frustrated and they thought she was there to provide the information. She said getting the students to do things in class and interact with each other required some energy.
“The EASL room gives students the chance to engage in authentic practice of problem solving,” Mandeltort said. “In the real world they’re going to have to interact with each other, they’re going to have to interact with their bosses and customers, so having interaction apart of the learning process is something that should be done as early as possible in college. It’s one of the most valuable skills that you learn when you get educated. I thinking bringing that into the introductory classes is something that is going to be valuable.”
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