Graduate School of Arts

Just realised that Bates Smart are in the midst of giving the Old Arts Building at Melbourne Uni a bit of a speedy spruce up. Construction started in November and it all has to be done before Semester 1 starts. Someone didn’t get a holiday. The project includes two new lecture theatres and three new collaborative learning rooms.

Collaborative what you may ask?
Teachers who use collaborative learning approaches tend to think of themselves less as expert transmitters of knowledge to students, and more as expert designers of intellectual experiences for students-as coaches or mid-wives of a more emergent learning process… Instead of being distant observers of questions and answers, or problems and solutions, students become immediate practitioners. Rich contexts challenge students to practice and develop higher order reasoning and problem-solving skills. [ PDF LINK ] ie a less lecturin’, a little more conversation. ie newspeak for tutorial rooms? Anyway, it’s probably a good idea in an age of under-resourced lecturers and easily-bored students.