By Jerad Godsave–

The third floor of Ekstrom Library was bustling with students and faculty on Sept. 26, as the grand opening of the Teaching Innovation Learning Lab (TILL) signaled another construction completion on the University of Louisville’s campus.

Many high-profile U of L faculty – including Acting President Neville Pinto and Acting Provost Dale Billingsley – were present. Three simultaneous cuts to the ribbon stretched across the entrance of the TILL were made by Pinto, Billingsley and Associate Provost Gale Rhodes, signaling in a new period of higher learning for Ekstrom.

The university has seen its fair share of bad press amid accreditation whispers, allegations and investigations. With the TILL’s opening, U of L hopes to move in a new direction focused on academics rather than scandals.

Dr. Alan Attaway, Interim Dean of the School of Business, said that he expects the TILL to provide a new approach to academic pedagogy, collaboration and engagement.

“Clearly, we need different kinds of classrooms and different utilization of space that we have now, because things that you would like to try you cannot in a tiered, fixed classroom,” Attaway said. “Reconfiguring the classroom gives the student more access to learning opportunities.”

The TILL also provides many new technologies available for students and faculty, including:

  • Student microphones (Catch Box Pro)
  • Ceiling-mounted speakers
  • Wireless presentation and collaboration systems at tables for students to display and share content
  • Wall-mounted cameras with ability to record classes for evaluation, review and training
  • Wi-Fi and hard-wired data ports

The TILL will also be equipped with one or more of the following notable construction designs as well:

  • No “front-of-room” orientation
  • Flexible and highly configurable furniture
  • Multiple points of projection via flat panel video wall displays and projection screen

Some of the U of L faculty present spoke on how the process of learning in a classroom is often one-sided, with the students receiving and internalizing information from the professor. The TILL’s collaborative approach, according to Pinto, is more interactive.

“It’s important to engage students in the learning process, and one of the best ways to engage them is through collaboration,” Pinto said.