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Transformative Education Environment
Teacher Quality Partnership
University of Northern Iowa
“Effective teachers for all learners”
The Transformative Education
Environment (TEE) emerged from
the work of the UNI Teacher
Quality Partnership Grant’s
research team on effective
teaching. Their work led to the
creation of the Emerging Quality
of Effective Teaching Continuum
(for more information:
http://www.uni.edu/tqp). One of
the touch points of that model is
Transformative Learning: Teacher
& Student. As team members
actively sought out ways to further
enable this type of teaching, both
by university faculty, as well as
preservice teachers during their
field experiences leading up to
student teaching and licensure,
the idea to create an environment
that affords this type of teaching
emerged.
While it’s true, simply purchasing
equipment and installing it in a
classroom is hardly
“transformative,” the vision
behind the TEE is the creation of
an environment that has the
potential for transformation in how
faculty and preservice teachers
teach, which is then supported by
ongoing professional
development. This was and
continues to be the goal of the
TEE.
The following pages provide an
overview of the TEE and
associated ongoing professional
development.
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Physical Learning Environment
The physical learning environment has four distinct characteristics, which affords instruction that is student-centered,
collaborative, and project-based. These characteristics include: flexibility, collaborative, accessibility, and comfort. Each
of these characteristics is briefly described below.
Flexibility
Lightweight, flexible furniture was deliberately sought out for the physical environment
and is what sets this physical space apart from many others. It was necessary to find
tables and chairs that allow faculty and students to move as needed to meet the learning
needs of students and the context of the learning taking place in the classroom. Too
often, students and faculty don’t have the time or energy to rearrange heavy furniture to
meet their learning needs. This environment removes this barrier.
Collaborative
A logistical challenge faced by many instructors when they have their students do group
work is that it is difficult for students to see what others in their group are doing. This
usually equates to turning the computer around so others can see, moving heavy
furniture, or simply collaboration doesn’t occur. In the TEE, we take a different approach.
There are three collaborative work areas of the physical environment where students can
interact to complete projects and solve problems using both high- and low-tech tools.
Accessibility
Access is important, whether it’s having seating for all body types, or having a reliable
connection to the Internet. In traditional classrooms, access isn't always considered and
learners suffer. TEE takes access to a new level by creating workspaces that meet the
needs of all learners. While students are welcome to bring their own device, they also
have access to both laptops and iPads to facilitate their learning. Access also extends to
the number of devices that can be connected to the WiFi at any one time.
Comfort
Comfort has traditionally been sacrificed in classrooms. In the TEE, comfortable seating
was sought out not only to make the space more inviting, but also to create a different
type of meeting space within the classroom. We’ve created a space where faculty and
students can be comfortable, whether they are working within a small group of their
peers, virtually via video conferencing and social media with K12 teachers and students,
or if they needed a space to work by themselves.
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Virtual Learning Environment
The virtual learning environment is just as crucial as the physical environment. However, there are varying definitions of
how a virtual learning environment should function. In many instances the virtual learning environment is nothing more
than an online repository with very little if any learning taking place through this medium. The TEE challenges this.
Development of Multiple Literacies
As the world continues to change, so do the skills students need to be successful.
Problem solving, creativity, and interpersonal skills are just a few of the literacies needed
to be successful in this century. Developing these skills often requires more than the best
educator can provide in a traditional classroom. Online learning provides an opportunity
to develop many of these skills through student-student and student-faculty collaboration
around problems facing educators today without the constraints of time and space.
Personalized Student-Centered Learning
Online learning technologies have afforded faculty the ability to create custom studentcentered learning opportunities. Customized instruction based on individual learner
needs can now be created with relative ease and little, if any disruption to the natural flow
of the course. These personalized experiences need not be direct instruction or even
video-based instruction. Rather, students can engage with other students with similar
needs, a vast array of multimedia, as well as one-on-one discussions with faculty.
Access to Experts
Whether they are teaching the preservice teacher, a classroom teacher, an expert in the
field, or a student in a classroom, experts are all around us. Rather than limiting
ourselves to the experts in the university classroom, the TEE virtual learning environment
seeks to tap into those experts beyond the four walls of our institution through the use of
social media and video conferencing technologies.
Access to Information
Access to information has never been greater. However, the traditional classroom often
limits that access. While faculty curated information will and should remain, there is a
wealth of information available that can change faculty and student perspectives on the
content being learned. This information could be though mediums like teacher blogs,
social media, journal articles, or research papers. The virtual environment provides a
means through which faculty and students can co-curate this information.
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Image Credit: TPACK.org
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TQP Professional Development
Overview
TQP professional development uses the Technological
Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework for teacher
knowledge as a guiding framework. In order to reach
transformative learning, often the path requires the effective
use of educational technologies. Therefore it is necessary to
develop participant knowledge of content, pedagogy, and
technology, as well as how they interact with each other.
TQP professional development strives to develop this
knowledge by engaging participants in collaborative,
problem-solving experiences surrounding the authentic use
of an educational technology. For more information:
http://www.uni.edu/tqp/tqppd.
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Cornerstone Technologies
Three Examples
One-to-One Computer Access
Wireless Projection Capabilities
State-of-the-Art Video Conferencing
The TEE physical environment has a
Collaborating with others tends to be
While there are experts leading the
large bank of laptops available for faculty
difficult enough without the technology
courses, there are many more experts
and students to use whenever they need.
getting in the way. Too often the
beyond our borders. As we sought ways
Having access is important for much of
technology is a barrier for completing
to connect with these experts, having a
what teachers do today. Whether it is
group projects, especially when under
state-of-the-art video conferencing soon
looking up a topic to deepen content
strict time constraints. In the physical
became necessary.
knowledge or connecting with an
environment however, are three Apple
educator across the world about a lesson
TVs that allow anyone with an Apple
they shared or collaborating with others
device to connect wirelessly to one of
in the classroom on a project, it is
three large TVs in the classroom. This has
necessary to have the tools available to
created an entirely new level of flexibility
enable this kind of learning. There are
within group projects and now allows for
enough laptops in the physical
groups to share much more efficiently
environment for each student to use
and effectively.
during regular class meetings.
In the physical environment is a Polycom
video conferencing unit, which has the
ability to move the camera to the person
actively talking. This becomes especially
helpful when a large class is talking with
a teacher in a school or a group of
students. This unit also has the ability to
record and playback later, which has
For non-Apple devices, there is a
made creating videos for preservice
Along with the laptops, there is a smaller
physical connection to each TV available,
teachers much more streamlined. This
number of iPads for faculty and student
further enabling each participant’s active
device can connect with virtually any
use during class meeting times.
participation.
other platform using a technology called
Zoom.us.
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In partnership
with:
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For more information, contact:
Daniel Mourlam, Technology Specialist
Teacher Quality Partnership Grant
University of Northern Iowa
525 Schindler Education Center
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-273-7673
daniel.mourlam@uni.edu