Looking at the Classroom of the Future, Today

Thanks to funding from the Provost, not only have the physical spaces been improved, but the technology in these rooms marks a new standard for teaching technology at UB, with computers, projectors and document cameras all controlled from a central teaching station.

With this in mind, it’s time to ask ourselves: what’s next?

Because the university experience is changing. While UB strives to create a more singular experience for students, real-time integrated technology is now a requirement, not a perk, for students and instructors alike.

Instructors: imagine the kind of classroom that syncs to you when you walk in, that knows what you’re teaching and knows your class plan, and has everything ready to go when you walk in. Imagine UB’s very own digital assistant like Siri or Alexa—we’ll call it Victor—that responds when you say “call today’s guest lecturer on the video screen.”

This is just one way the future of EdTech promises to bring the integrated, singular experience to the people who teach and study at UB. And to be clear—this is not the stuff of science fiction. Our cars have already been able to do stuff like this for quite some time. And the things I learn when traveling and talking to vendors make it clear this technology is indeed headed for the classroom, and sooner than we think.

Speaking of the classroom, there’s something we need to realize about the classroom of the future—it’s everywhere. We need technology that can facilitate a learning experience wherever students and instructors are, and keeps everyone on the same page even if they’re all over the globe. This is something we’re keeping in mind as we select and evaluate a new lecture capture solution in the coming months.

We’re fortunate to be at a university that’s willing to invest in the learning experience to the degree that we do. Keeping the conversation going is one way to ensure we can leverage that investment for the future. Share your thoughts by emailing ubit-communication@buffalo.edu or via UBIT's Facebook or Twitter.