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Active Learning Classroom Guide: Home

Bell Library Active Learning Classroom Information

 

This image shows the Active Learning Classroom, room 126 from the main doors.

 

The Bell Library Active Learning Classroom is located in room 126 on the library's first floor in the Learning Commons Area. 

The Active Learning Classroom is an instructional space designed to facilitate active, collaborative learning experiences and support multiple instructional modalities, including hybrid. The Active Learning Classroom's layout and furniture are designed to seat a total of 42 students in table configurations optimized for small-group work and content sharing from multiple student devices.

This image shows a view of the Active Learning Classroom from the Seminar area.

Room Capacity, Features, & Spaces

  • Seats 42 students
  • 1 "reception area" on the left side of the main door where Active Learning Classroom Student workers are based.
  • Instructor podium with computer and touchscreen monitor.
  • 1 instructor microphone (broadcasts to room speakers) and 7 table microphones (broadcasts to Zoom or Teams calls) for hybrid Zoom or Teams and in-person classes.
  • 2 teaching areas - 6 pod configurations for group work, 1 seminar area with whiteboard wall
  • 1 student table can seat 5 (or more) students; the seminar area is equipped with 12 seats.
  • 7 rolling whiteboards
  • 2 mobile charging tables

Laptops and Devices in the Active Learning Classroom

The Active Learning Classroom is a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and does not have a computer for each student, unlike a traditional computer lab. 

If you are teaching or attending a class in the Active Learning Classroom, you have a few options for checking out a laptop if you do not have a device to bring.

This image depicts the ViewSonic board and the laptop cart inside the Active Learning Classroom. The laptop cart contains 30 laptops for student use in the ALC.Active Learning Classroom Laptop Checkout

Faculty reserving the Active Learning Classroom for librarian-led and faculty-led classes now have the option to reserve up to 30 laptops for students in the Active Learning Classroom. Please indicate your preference to opt for laptops and upload your class roster to enable checkout on the Library Instruction Request Form.

This image shows the 1st floor laptop checkout kiosk. View the paragraphs to find out more about how to check out laptops from the library!Bell Library Laptop Kiosks

A limited amount of laptops (24 laptops total) are available for 3 hour check out at two laptop lending kiosk stations. Students attending a session in the Active Learning Classroom can check out kiosk laptops with a swipe of their SandDollar$ ID. Or faculty may choose to check out laptops for student use.

 Kiosk 1 (12 laptops) is located on the 1st floor right inside the front door and opposite to the Circulation desk. 

Kiosk 2 (12 laptops) is located on the 2nd floor near the Immersive Reality Lab (IRL). 

 

This image shows a table computer in the Active Learning Classroom. Students can log in with their IslandId to use this computer if needed.

 

 

Each one of the Active Learning Classroom's student tables have a single computer with a large adjustable monitor, keyboard, and mouse that students without devices can share.

Log in to these computers with your IslandID and password the same way you log into library and computer lab computers on campus. 

There are also charging devices at each student table to continue working uninterrupted while ensuring devices remain powered.

Need Assistance?

Active Learning Classroom (ALC) Student Workers

ALC Student workers are now available to offer basic assistance for instructors before, during classes, and after classes in addition to helping students check-in with STARFISH.

For technology assistance in the Active Learning Classroom during business hours Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, please contact Library Technology Services at LibraryTechnologyServices@tamucc.edu or 361-825-5528. 

For technology assistance in the Active Learning Classroom outside business hours, please contact the IT Service desk at 361-825-2692 or online.

How to Reserve

Faculty may reserve library classrooms for faculty-led instruction for a single instance (not for an entire semester) using the Instruction Request Form. 

Priority is given to faculty-led First-Year classes, I-Know classes, and librarian-led instruction sessions before March 15th in Spring Semesters and October 15th in Fall Semesters.

Requests for faculty-led sessions outside of these categories for dates before March 15/October 15 will be considered on an individual basis depending on availability. 

Active Learning Classroom Reservation Schedule

Check the Weekly Listing

The Computer Availability in the Library page contains a new tab for the ALC displaying the current week's scheduled classes, a 3D image of the room, and short description advising users of the room's BYOD status.