21st Century Classroom

About the Space 

The 21st-Century Classroom, located in the School of Nations, is a place designed to allow faculty and students to use, experience, and try the latest in classroom technologies. The room is equipped with the latest technologies for digital collaboration, video teleconferencing, and group work.

Our Donors

Principia College Alumni classes of 1962 and 1963 generously donated funds to build and maintain this classroom.

Development & Concepts

This room was designed with faculty and student input as they considered what the classroom of the future should look like. Three main concepts are behind the design of this room:

Flexibility

The classroom of the future should be flexible. This means it should be able to accommodate any kind of activity. So everything in this room was designed with that in mind. All furniture and technology carts are on wheels and can be plugged with easy in any of the 32 ports around the room. Flexible also means that the room should be able to accommodate any technological device brought in, so the room is designed so any mobile device or computer can be connected and display to any of the displays available in the room.

Training is offered each semester. Training consists of three one-hour sessions. After training you may apply to hold your classes in the 21st Century classroom. 

If you would like to teach in the 21st Century Classroom, you must complete the required form. 

Contact the Academic Technology office with any questions.

Collaboration

The room is designed to support instructional flexibility and encourage collaboration. The tables can be arranged in different configurations. Whiteboards can be taken off the wall so groups can use them around the room. Also, each cart can be used by any computer as a collaboration station. With the use of a simple piece of software, students can connect to the cart wirelessly using their own laptops and work together as a team.

Connectivity to the World

This room was built to allow classes to communicate with the world. It can accommodate any kind of communication session from a telephone conversation to a high-end video call with a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. The room has microphones around the room so everyone in the room can participate in a remote session. The technology in the room has also allowed for us to bring in teachers that are living in other parts of the world and teach classes regularly from afar.

If you would like to use this room for your class during a semester please fill out the following form: