 "Photo: UIC")
Now well into November, it's not news that Lincoln Hall has been renovated, but on Nov. 19th students and faculty will have an opportunity to attend the Grand Re-Opening Ceremony for Lincoln Hall. A guided tour of everything new that Lincoln now has to offer to the campus will be given with the ceremony starting at 4pm.
David Taeyaerts, Director of the Office of Campus Learning Environments, commented on what he believes some of the most significant changes are in Lincoln Hall. "The biggest change was the introduction of natural light and the access to views - research shows that this improves learning outcomes,".
The new glass exterior walls of Lincoln are in place to create a visual connection with the outdoors and nature - a feature the Behavioral Sciences Building could not claim as its own.
'Oases' can be found throughout the campus, some in large open spaces, others underneath a stairwell in BSB, but what's new about the Oases in Lincoln Hall is that they are spread out in the building instead of in one part.
"We know a significant amount of learning happens outside the classroom, and we want to makes sure there's space for this learning to take place - so the oases are spread on all three levels of the building," said Taeyaerts.
Every classroom has been technologically updated with Integrated Audio-Visual Podiums. All components for Power Points, controlling volume and other medias have been integrated into one podium and can all be controlled from there.
Additionally, in response to student-filed complaints about not being able to hear their teachers in large lectures, acoustics have been improved so the sound can reach to the back of the room, too.
Plus, a dimmable lighting system has been installed. "It works in conjunction with the amount of daylight coming in. Harvesting of daylight is what it's called," added Taeyaerts.
Another changes that allows Lincoln Hall to be more sustainable includes its geothermal well system. The geothermal well system helps the building to maintain constant temperature - Grant Hall and Lincoln Hall are the only two buildings on campus that provide year round comfort. Bathrooms have been updated to be more green-friendly as well with sensors put on faucets and toilets to save on water.
The changes in place at Lincoln Hall "make the building more efficient than code mandates," said Taeyaerts.
One new change that can directly alter the way students do work on campus is the installation of Teamspot. It's a new software that is meant to facilitate team projects by students. Group projects on campus are typically divided amongst the members who work on their section on their own laptops. When the project is at its final stage, everyone has to contribute their part onto one person's laptop, and this person becomes a sort of compiler.
"It loses its collaborative nature at that point. This software allows you to work on your laptops, and wirelessly work on a common LCD screen so every one has the same final collaborate product. It's truly promoting collaboration the way it's mean to be from start to finish," said Taeyaerts on the new Teamspot software.
Starting at 3:30pm on Nov. 19th, demonstrations on the classroom technology, Teamspot and the sustainable features will be given. Following this will be remarks given by members of USG who provided a means through which students could voice what changes they wanted to see in the renovations, including design and even furniture choices.
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