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The Transform your Teaching podcast is a service of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio. Join Dr. Rob McDole and Dr. Jared Pyles as they seek to inspire higher education faculty to adopt innovative teaching and learning practices.
This is the Transform Your Teaching Podcast. The Transform Your Teaching Podcast is a service of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio.
Jared:Welcome to the Transform Me Teaching Podcast on the campus of Cedarville University. My name is Jared Pyles.
Rob:Yes. It is.
Jared:Yes. It is. And with me is Dr. Robert Ivan McDole. How are doing today?
Rob:I'm doing great. It's extremely hot outside. It is warm ish.
Jared:So in our previous episode, we met with some of our esteemed librarians here on campus to talk about their space and how students are using it to study, collaborate, and use the library for traditional library tasks, like checking out a book and reading books and all that stuff. But anyway, we were talking with our student workers at lunch about this episode and, you know, the library on campus and active learning spaces, which is part of our series here. And we decided to ask them some questions about where they study, how they study, because we were finding as we do this research on active learning spaces that students tend to study wherever they want. So we wanna kind of figure out what goes on in the minds of a student when it So comes to we have two of our student workers here, and I'll let Evan you start. Tell us who you are, where you're from, your major, as much stuff as you want to or as little as you want to.
Jared:Yeah.
Evan:So my name is Evan. I'm from a little town called North Star, Ohio. It's about an hour and a half away from Cedarville here. I'm a biblical studies major working towards my MDiv. A couple hobbies, I guess.
Evan:I really like music, so listening or playing. I really love playing guitar.
Jared:Oh, you play guitar? I do. Going up on the list even higher. Even higher. Good night.
Jared:Wow. Drew, you gotta work
Rob:on something. Here we go.
Jared:Keep going.
Evan:Okay. I also really enjoy artsy stuff. So I'm a big drawler. I like doodling. Really just sketching.
Evan:I feel like any time I use color, I ruin it. So usually just black and white stuff.
Jared:But yeah. You know, black and white are both colors.
Evan:You really Yeah. But they're not like
Rob:One is the absence of color and the other is all the colors.
Jared:Yeah. So actually, you're right. You're you're drawing in color. You just don't you don't see it that way?
Evan:Yeah. Yeah. I can't, I can't argue.
Rob:He's color blind.
Jared:Exactly. Which is funny because I'm actually color blind. So, like, I I don't draw in color because I can't see it. So it makes a difference.
Rob:So anyway He can't see green and red.
Jared:Green and red. Yeah. Yeah. Why is this becoming a me episode?
Rob:I don't know. Why?
Jared:Let's let our other student work introduce themselves. I know. It always does. Alright.
Drew:Well, my name is Drew Amstutz. I'm a I will be a junior web design major and I grew up here, actually in town most of my life, and then was in Springfield for few years, then eventually moved back. Yeah. Like I said, I recently switched web design from graphic design. A lot of my hobbies are just designing things, especially working on the computer.
Drew:So web design kind of is like where what I enjoy doing and what, like, is like an actual degree kind of come together.
Jared:First off, let me just say thank you again for coming on. We appreciate it. Yeah. Rob, do you have a question to ask our student workers?
Rob:I do. So after our conversation with our librarians, we had some good ideas about how they see students are using it. So want you to tell us a little bit about how you're using those spaces, specifically the library, or maybe even talk about how your study your studying and use of space on campus goes. So, Evan, you wanna start us?
Evan:Yeah. So I guess with the library to start, I think the library is a great study space for a few reasons.
Evan:Really, it's an open space. It's not cluttered. I don't feel like I'm shoulder to shoulder with people. So I've got my own space.
Evan:I've got enough room to where I can feel like I can get stuff done, which I guess would be the second point. When you go to the library, you're motivated to actually get stuff done. If I'm in my room, I'm far more motivated to slack or do something else because I don't wanna do my homework. So when I'm in the library, I've actually went to a place. Mhmm.
Evan:So I feel like I have to get something done. If I don't, it's like, crap. I spent all this time and did nothing. So I guess the library makes me feel like I actually will get stuff done more compared to studying in my room or some other place like that.
Rob:So it's a bespoke place for you to actually do work. And that's how you see it and that's how you go there just to do that.
Evan:Yeah. And there's always a thing, like, there's a ton of people in the library. So if you wanna be around others, there's people there. It's got every resource you probably need. So it's just like a great all in one type place.
Jared:Do you headphones? No headphones? Do you like isolation of being of being quiet? Or?
Evan:Both. If I really wanna be around others, no headphones. If I'm, like, reading or, no, I really have to get this thing done, I'll put in headphones.
Rob:Okay. So there's a communal nature to it as well is what I'm hearing you say.
Evan:Yeah.
Jared:Drew, what about you?
Drew:Yeah. I used the library quite a bit just for studying. I think the first time I actually had to use it for books was this past semester and to actually get some out. Used like the it was like a high link or whatever where I'd bring books in from other places. So I usually do tend to study more on my own, so I do use headphones.
Drew:I'm usually down in the quieter section just trying to focus lot on.
Rob:Where's the quieter section?
Drew:Down in it's, like, all the way down the stairs and all the way in the back. So that's, like, where you go to really focus. Okay. And then although I'm not actually I'm off campus, and so I'm only really in the library when I'm on campus or trying to, like, you know, study for something or if I have some time to kill in between classes. Most of my studying is done off campus in my room at home.
Jared:So you're using the library more for its traditional aspects, more than Evan, where Evan said, you know, he wants to escape his not escape, but he wants to go outside of his dorm room to get work done.
Rob:Mhmm.
Jared:You don't see it as much that that way.
Drew:Not necessarily. It's just a consistent place that I can go to, yeah, just focus kind of like how my room is. It's, you know, nice and quiet. It's pretty much just me.
Jared:Okay. Okay. You mentioned, actually checking out a book. Talk about that. Like, what was the purpose?
Jared:Was it a class assignment? Was it, just for some recreational reading or what was it?
Drew:So, yeah, it was for class assignment. I had to get six books and six different articles. The articles I found online, but the books needed to be, physical, I think, was part of the assignment. So I had to bring those in and then take them and work on the paper. But, yeah, that's the first time I've had to actually use the library, like, as a as a place for books.
Jared:Okay.
Rob:Alright. I I wanna know. So let's transition here a little bit. Let's move away from the library. Let's talk about traditional classroom space.
Rob:What's your favorite of all the places you've been? And maybe it's not even here on campus. Maybe there's another one that you're thinking about even from your, you know, high school high school days as well.
Evan:Yeah. Well, I can start for this one. I think probably my favorite way a room is set up is when all the seating is at least facing or I'm not I don't wanna be looking away from the instructor. I wanna be facing the instructor just because of that engagement thing. I feel like if I'm sitting in a room where all the seats are completely straight, instructor is either off to the side or behind you or something like that, I don't really care for that because it's just easy to start daydreaming or just not stay engaged.
Evan:So when the seats are facing the instructor, instructor's in the center of the room. I also like having a lot of natural light, so plenty of windows. It just makes it a lot easier to focus. If you're in a dark room, shoulder to shoulder a bunch of people, you're not facing the instructor, there's like no motivators to actually want to pay attention. And a classroom is supposed to be a space, you know, that is designed to learn.
Evan:And so when it's not set up properly, it's either going to enhance it or it's gonna degrade it. So k.
Rob:Do you do you share his his thinking or do you have a different way?
Drew:I definitely show the idea of the the windows, a lot of bright light. Because if it is dark and dingy, or even if it's just not a lot of natural light, it's just it tends to, I don't just be more I can find myself more tired and not really engaged as much. I personally like to sit more towards, like, the middle or not necessarily, like, the front row, but more towards, like, the middle of the section, like, if it is a large, like, lecture hall so that I can, you know, stay focused more with the professor, not be, like, the back of the row and kinda disengaged. I'm also a fan of like some of the lab spaces we have where it's like tends to be smaller class sizes. You know, there's like 10 or 16 of us in there and the professor kind of lectures us from the center of the room and then we kind of break out and have like workstations and stuff to work on.
Jared:What rooms do you like as far as technology goes? And this is probably gonna land more for you Drew than for you Evan because of the nature of your major. But talk talk to me about what you found to be like technology wise the best classrooms to be in.
Drew:I've used two main rooms. I've used the one here right across or actually, like, right next door with all the Windows computers set up and the projector for computer animation. And then the ones in Tyler, all the Macs, the Mac labs for a lot of, like, the design work, for when it used to be graphic design, and then, for some of the web design stuff as well. Between those two, I don't really have too much of a preference because they're set up pretty much the same. So I find that they're both equally effective.
Jared:Okay. Evan, what do you think technology wise? What has been something that stuck out or, like, does technology make a difference to you when you're in the classroom or what? What do you think?
Evan:Yeah, I think technology has a big impact. Pretty much, I feel like a lot of learning centers on technology these days. Everybody's got a laptop or an iPad or something like that for notes just because it's quicker. I think a lot of times when you're in a classroom, you're trying to jot down notes, it takes a lot longer to write compared to type. So you can get a lot more of what the instructor's saying, especially when you're gonna be graded on possibly anything that they say.
Evan:So just knowing that I have it there as a comfort, which is why I think a lot of people use technology. So having it in the classroom, think is great, but there's also the impact, or I guess there's also like the side to where it could be distracting. I've seen that a lot in the classroom, which is why a lot of instructors, especially my major, aren't letting you use technology because people will be sitting watching YouTube or playing a game. And then when you see that, you're like, oh, I wanna watch them just because it engages for whatever reason.
Jared:Yeah. From the instructor side of things, having a classroom like you like where everyone's centered and looking at the instructor, kind of like a U shape or lecture style.
Evan:Yep.
Jared:The backside of that is that you don't see anyone's technology because it's all facing away. It's facing, it's between you and the instructor.
Jared:So as an instructor, yeah, it would be difficult to want to encourage using technology in the classroom when you're not sure what's going on there. Mhmm. They could be taking notes or they could be watching, like you said, YouTube or something like that. That's interesting. Interesting thought.
Jared:Now I noticed that you said natural lighting. Is that a stab at our student worker space that you guys are in right now? Where has one Where
Rob:they revolted and pulled out the cover to the window.
Evan:100%. Maybe
Drew:just a little bit.
Jared:You guys took out we had a window that was covered because we use it as a recording space for videos. You don't
Rob:want It is a after all.
Jared:You wanna have controlled lighting. And we I come in there once, and it's open. Are you trying to escape or something?
Evan:It was a dungeon. It was indeed. So now liberated the light.
Jared:Now, now, let's let's think about this. Because of your now little bit of natural lighting, has your work ethic improved?
Drew:Yes.
Evan:Yes. The productivity has went through the roof.
Jared:Is that Hey, man. Is is do you have data? Do you have, like, metrics to back that up?
Evan:I think just based upon the way that we've been working lately with the window, the results show.
Jared:Right. But neither of you even look at the window. You're faced almost away from the window still.
Rob:I think they like It's the light. The light. Feeling out of
Evan:the light.
Rob:Skin. Mhmm.
Drew:The vitamin d just improves morale. Yeah. It's great.
Jared:That one percent increase on vitamin d.
Drew:Is still an increase.
Rob:Of indirect light.
Jared:It's still more than before is what you're saying. Yes. It is. Okay. That's fair.
Jared:Alright. That's fine.
Rob:Back to the classroom, you had mentioned, you know, facing forward.
Jared:Mhmm.
Rob:Are there classrooms where you think, oh, I really like going there? I mean, specifically, I mean, I know you were talking generally, but are there certain ones it seems lighting seems to for both of you seems to be a big one. So I guess those classrooms I'm trying to think of classrooms that have a lot of natural lighting.
Drew:Maybe a lot in the BTS. Yeah. Some of
Rob:those BTS does have a few of those.
Evan:Yeah. My classrooms.
Jared:BTS is a building on campus for those who are not Cedarville people.
Evan:Yeah. Sorry. Yeah.
Rob:And it stands for?
Evan:The School of Biblical and Theological Studies.
Jared:Good job.
Rob:Very good.
Jared:You've you get your degree now because you can do that.
Rob:And that building does have quite a bit of glass. Yeah. Yeah. So it lets a lot of natural light in. Yeah.
Rob:Are there any other places on campus that have similar feels?
Drew:I don't think any that I am in personally. I've been in a few in the BTS, but most of mine are actually walled in, but they kind of compensate for that by just having a nice, like like, white natural overhead light instead of a more yellowy kind of one. Think that helps to just kind of Warmer light? Yeah. It's a it's a more cooler white light.
Drew:So Okay.
Jared:So let's talk about collaboration. Do you guys collaborate with others, I assume? Or should I just skip this question?
Drew:Not if I can help it. No.
Rob:He he did say he spends a lot of time studying in his room. Right.
Jared:That's true. True.
Drew:I had one group project I did. You loved it. He did not.
Jared:He didn't. The other guy in the group?
Drew:There was, like, four of us. It was okay. We ended up meeting up in the, like, the ENS up in one of those spaces up there, because it just worked out, the best Okay. For for everyone. I think that the space is helpful if it has, like, a lot of, like, whiteboards and stuff that we can easily mark up as we're, like, planning and thinking through things.
Drew:Okay. So those helped a lot. We did use those quite a bit. Several of the lab spaces have those as well.
Jared:What about you, Evan? Collaboration, where's your go to spot, or where do you like to collaborate with others when you do collaborate?
Evan:Yeah. Usually the library just to get inside open space, a lot of tables. It's really easy. Everything you probably need is in there. Plenty of computers that you can use too.
Evan:Some double monitors which is really nice if you got a Word doc you're working on and also trying to make a PowerPoint. So libraries usually go to place. If not, they're usually one of the dining places on campus because then you can also eat while you're getting your thing done. So it's just time efficient.
Jared:How important is that? That's something I wanna talk about because that's something that our librarians talked about was that, you know, since they attach Chick fil A to the backside of the library, they've allowed food. They think that's one of the reasons why there's such an increase in people
Rob:Traffic, for sure.
Jared:Traffic, for sure, coming in. How important is it to be able to eat in the same space that you study?
Rob:Or proximity.
Evan:I really enjoy it. For me, I feel like the worst thing when I'm doing assignments to stop halfway through because it's almost like you lose your groove, Especially with writing paper, like once you're locked into that paper and you're writing, things are going really well. The last thing I wanna do is stop because I have to eat or something like that. So just having food there, being able to grab it, and continue working. I don't really like taking breaks on assignments.
Evan:I'd rather start it and then finish it if possible. So just having Chick fil A right there is so much easier.
Rob:Chick fil A are tossed. Right? Tossed is there as well?
Drew:Tossed is there. Yeah.
Evan:If you want a salad.
Rob:If you want a salad.
Evan:I'm more about chicken nuggets.
Rob:Yeah.
Jared:It's fair. Yeah. Evan's entire MO is chicken nuggets. Right?
Evan:That's right. Someone say a connoisseur.
Rob:Chicken in the morning.
Jared:Chicken alright. Chicken nugget connoisseur. What's the
Evan:best chicken nugget? Are we talking, like, an actual restaurant or fast food?
Jared:Well, hold on.
Rob:He just went he just went a whole another level.
Jared:Let's do both then.
Rob:Fast food chicken
Evan:Fast food first. I would probably have to give it to Wendy's only because they have spicy ones. There's no other fast food that I've had that has spicy chicken nuggets. McDonald's had them for a little bit. They were decent.
Evan:You mean But they got rid of them.
Rob:Chick fil A doesn't have spicy nuggets?
Evan:Not spicy nuggets.
Jared:That's weird because they have the spicy
Rob:Yeah. They have the spicy sandwich.
Jared:Yeah. Spicy sandwich.
Rob:But no spicy nuggets.
Evan:They had that. Okay. Now
Jared:you'll have to help me here because I've never been to a fancy restaurant to have chicken nuggets.
Rob:Yeah. Usually that's not where
Jared:you go. That's usually not where you go for it. Usually, if it is, it's just something they grab from the frozen at GFS or Tyson. So what's the best fancy chicken nugget, which I can't still can't believe it's an actual
Rob:Non fast food chicken nugget.
Jared:That takes longer than ten minutes or five minutes to get out to you.
Evan:Yeah. There's this place close to my house. I know. It's an actual restaurant.
Jared:Not some guy's backyard.
Evan:It's not some guy's backyard. But they've actually titled them world famous. So they're they're great. I don't know exactly what it is. The flavors, top tier chicken just pulls apart.
Evan:It's as good as it gets.
Rob:I feel like I know more about chicken nuggets than I ever wanted to.
Jared:I guess it's our own fault.
Rob:Yeah. We ask the questions.
Jared:So yeah.
Rob:Yeah. On to other things. And in other news, in terms of collaboration, how much time do you guys think you spend collaborating with others just in general with your courses? Do you talk with your your fellow classmates about particular courses that you're in? Which ones do you tend to do more than others?
Rob:Can you speak to that?
Drew:Yeah. I've definitely done that before. It's a lot of even just discussing kind of upcoming assignments or past assignments. Yeah. Like asking questions on certain things.
Drew:Hey. Do you remember them saying this? Or was this how we're supposed to do this thing? Especially because sometimes classmates are a little bit more accessible than the professor themselves, especially if you have, like, their direct, like, phone number or if you're just sitting right next to them. So sometimes it's helpful, sometimes it's not.
Drew:But I'm not usually doing that too much outside of class unless I come, you know, across them. Again, being off campus, I'm usually home after five, so I'm not there, like, for the nightlife, if you will.
Rob:Okay. So we have our commuter student, and then we have our
Evan:On campus.
Rob:On campus student. So on campus student, what say ye?
Evan:I would say I collaborate a lot, but it depends on the assignment. I really like study guides. So like when exams or tests come along, I'm constantly doing study guides with other students because kinda like Drew said, if I don't know what the answer is because I didn't write it down, usually one of my other classmates have it. So usually just have a group chat of a bunch of the guys in the particular course I'm in and we'll just gather. Usually we'll eat and start working through those things.
Evan:So I would say I collaborate quite a bit. But if it's more like reading assignments, obviously, you're not gonna collaborate with a lot of people. I'd rather be in my room where it's quiet and I can read, for those kind of assignments. Here's a question I
Jared:just thought of. We didn't prepare you for this, so be ready. When it comes to collaboration, think about, you know, you guys are both juniors coming up. Right? In your last two years, which courses did you collaborate in more?
Jared:Your ones in your major or the ones outside of your major? Like gen eds? Probably in my major? Mhmm. Why do you think that is?
Drew:I've definitely worked, more with people in my major, especially in the classes in my major. I think a part of it is just as we all kind of go through the same classes, we get to develop much more of, a friendship than I would with just some random students I come across in biology or whatever. You know? So, as we then, you know, go through, we're more familiar with each other, and we can, kind of collaborate more. A lot of these classes, especially in my major, tend to be more creative or project based, there's a lot more, like, you can easily get feedback from fellow students or you can help each other out.
Drew:It is a really good way to, like, collaborate instead of just doing reading assignments or papers where you can't really do that as well.
Evan:Yeah. I feel like the material actually learning in your major is what you kinda came here to get. So professors really wanna make sure, like, you actually get it. And when you're able to collaborate with others, a fellow student will think of something that I don't think of. It's just how it goes a lot of times.
Evan:So you're able to, a lot of times, build off of each other and really just get like a greater grasp of what the professor wants you to understand.
Rob:It sounds like you spend quite a bit of time with these same familiar faces semester in, semester out. I'm I'm assuming it probably started somewhere in your freshman year, maybe toward the end of your freshman year, started picking up during your sophomore year. Now here you are in your junior year, and you've probably find yourself well, I'm I'm wondering, do you find yourself more now with that that group of classmates than you do others from other disciplines?
Evan:I'd say not necessarily. I feel like every time I'm in a new course, make new friends. So I still have, like, my core group of guys that I hang out with. But if I'm doing assignments with other people in the class, a lot of times I'm not reaching out to them unless they've taken the class previously. But I'm usually with those guys just for like the assignment stuff.
Evan:But yeah.
Jared:You're just a social butterfly, aren't you?
Evan:Sometimes. Okay. Alright. That's fair.
Drew:Yeah. Especially quite a few of my classes have been smaller size, and so I do end up with quite a few of the same people, semester after semester or class after class. So that's helpful. But in some classes, where there aren't as many people I already know, then, yeah, I will branch out and make new friends, but I'm also not necessarily going to, like, see those people too much, especially if it is more of a gen ed course or if it's a really large class that's like covers a lot of broad, like several different disciplines. I kind of know that I'm not really going to see these people too much ever again.
Drew:As
Rob:bad
Drew:as that sounds. But like so I don't necessarily try to reach out as much as I would with people, like, in the discipline.
Rob:Okay.
Jared:Okay. So to summarize, because I've been taking notes, when it comes to places that you want to study, I'm hearing open spaces, Lighting. Aspect natural of lighting.
Rob:Yes, natural lighting.
Jared:When it comes to classrooms, natural lighting, Evan said the U shape, but Drew said, you know, it doesn't really matter as long as there's technology because it's more to your major anyway. Is there anything I'm missing or anything you think should be added on to those descriptions?
Evan:One thing that I feel like a lot of classrooms here on campus don't really have that would be nice is professors really like group projects for whatever reason. I know a lot of students don't just because someone always picks up
Drew:raising my hand over here.
Evan:Someone always has to pick up more work than everybody else, which is why everyone hates group projects. Unless you get to pick your group and you know the actual people you're with. But a lot of professors really like group projects, and a lot of the classrooms aren't actually set up for that. It's a lot of tables that are bolted into the ground. You can't move them.
Evan:They usually have, like, nice, like, office chairs, like the ones that roll. You can move chairs, but you don't have, like, an actual space to set your laptop or your notebook down anywhere. So having the ability to maybe customize the room some would be really nice. I know there's a couple classrooms in one of the other buildings on campus that have those tables, but for the majority, a lot of the classroom spaces don't.
Jared:Mhmm.
Rob:They're bolted down and that's what you get. Yep. And group work can be a little onerous, Okay. It
Jared:What do you think, Drew? Anything to add? No. I think
Drew:that would definitely be helpful. One of the rooms I'm thinking of that when you mentioned that the tables can move around is I think the Lab 107 in the Tyler Communication Building. Mhmm. That one has their weird kinda like kidney bean shaped tables, but you can slide them around. Move.
Drew:They're really weird shaped, right? But they do all have wheels and there have been times where we're sliding around and we're meeting with the professor or with other students. So that's been helpful. But for larger classes, with group projects, it's not necessarily expected that we meet in the room because the room is more for the lecture itself. So we need to go out and find those spaces, which is why the library is helpful or those lab spaces are helpful because we can kind of go and decide where we wanna set up and work on it.
Jared:Well, thank you so much gentlemen for coming on and and getting taking time out of your busy schedule to help us out with this episode of the Transform Your Teaching podcast, which I've heard you both are listeners of because you told me.
Evan:Oh, yeah. We are. Yeah. About every episode.
Jared:We'll take your feedback, in our comment box in the office.
Evan:Sounds good. Sounds good.
Jared:Yeah. Which we don't have. So can we can
Drew:make one over the trash can.
Jared:Yeah. It's actually called the trash can. Student feedback here. Wow. Little.
Rob:No. We we we love you guys. You you do a great job. You do good work.
Jared:That's gonna do it for us on the Transformer Teaching Podcast. Be sure to like and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Check out our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog. And if you have any questions or would like to email Evan and Drew directly, email us at ctlpodcast@cedarville.edu. Thanks for listening.