Student Response to a Technology-Rich Cooperative Learning Environment

Student perceptions of how classroom environment impacts learning before and after a major renovation are explored. The research question is "How do students perceive the physical and technological factors of their classroom environment in terms of impact on learning?" A survey in four general categories and five specific technology categories was administered in nine courses before and eight courses after the upgrade. Results demonstrate statistically significant improvements from 0.7 to 1.3 out of 5 points in perceived impact on learning for general aspects of the environment, with group work experiencing the greatest movement. Before renovation, 22% of students felt negatively impacted and another 25% felt no impact on learning from the facility. After renovation, 98% of students felt positive impacts on learning. For specific technologies, all categories were perceived as potentially beneficial before renovation, and LCD projectors, Smart Boards, and octagonal tables made greater impacts than expected. These results demonstrate the value of creating educational environments aligned with best practices and ABET a-k criteria