Work to transform the second floor of Volker Hall into an Active Learning Center begins in mid-July.
The active learning center, made possible by a philanthropic gift from the Heersink Family Foundation, features a “flipped classroom,” where students collaborate in small groups, using digital teaching tools, while the instructor moves between groups.
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting body for MD-granting programs across the U.S., expects medical schools to include adequate time for self-directed learning in the curriculum, and UAB has set a goal to reduce the number of lectures during students’ preclinical coursework. This new active learning center will accelerate the move toward interdisciplinary, engaged learning.
The active learning space is the second of planned projects for the building. The sixth floor was recently renovated to move administrative and faculty offices previously housed on the second floor to make room for the active learning center. The updated sixth floor includes 20 offices, 20 work-stations, three small group rooms, three communal work/study spaces, six individual restrooms, conference room spaces and private lactation room.
Construction on the second floor is expected to be completed in Spring 2023.