Roger Williams U Updates Design Studio, Learning Lab with Interactive Technologies
Roger Williams University (RWU) has launched a new initiative that aims to transform existing student workspaces into collaborative learning environments. The multi-year project will update labs and learning centers at the Bristol, RI institution with new interactive whiteboards, display, and cloud technologies from Samsung.
RWU's project began last fall with the creation of the Samsung Design Studio at the School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation. The pilot program outfitted student workstations with 100 27-inch Samsung LED monitors. Architecture students were able to connect their personal devices to the monitors, access applications -- including AutoCAD, Revit, and Adobe Creative Suite -- via the cloud, then create and share their on the new displays.
RWU will continue the program this fall. The institution will expand the design studio with an additional 275 Samsung LED Monitors as well as eight interactive touchscreen displays and eight zero-client cloud displays. The LED monitors will be installed at student workstations while the touchscreen and zero-client cloud displays will be located in shared learning areas for "presentations, reviews and group discussions," according to a statement from Samsung.
The school will also launch the Samsung Collaborative Learning Lab in its School of Continuing Studies. This lab will include two touchscreen displays and "25 zero-client cloud displays for student use and the delivery of online courses."
The university plans to continue its collaborative learning environment initiative – using the current programs as templates for expansion -- as part of its Affordable Excellence program.
"Through the expertise and the generosity of Samsung, we will not only be able to regain classroom space by eliminating many of our current computer labs and offer more affordable technology options to students, but we will also create a richer, more collaborative academic environment," said RWU President Donald J. Farish. "That’s the entire point of the Affordable Excellence initiative we launched a year ago. This forward-thinking partnership reduces student costs, and most importantly, results in a hands-on, technology-driven learning environment that will prepare our students to thrive in the professional worlds they will encounter after graduation."
Roger Williams University is a private institution offering 43 majors in the liberal arts and professions. Additional information about the school's Affordable Excellence program can be found online. .
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Kanoe Namahoe is online editor for 1105 Media's Education Group. She can be reached at [email protected].