New teaching and services centre
The future student services and teaching building
June 20, 2011: - The next generation of teachers will have a new space to prepare themselves for the classrooms of the future with the construction of an education and student services centre on James Cook University’s Townsville campus.
To be built on the site of the old gym and squash courts in the central core area of the Douglas campus, the multi-million dollar, two-storey development is expected to be ready for the 2013 intake of students.
Preliminary work and demolition of the old buildings is expected to commence next month with building set to begin in October.
Professor Nola Alloway, the Pro Vice Chancellor of JCU’s Faculty of Arts, Education and Social Sciences, said that teachers face enormous challenges in harnessing new communication and information technologies to educate techno-savvy students.
“The classrooms of the future are likely to be very different from what we have been used to for many, many years,” Professor Alloway said.
“With increasing use of communications technology and the speed and interconnectivity that will be available, we have an obligation to prepare the next generations of teachers for these changes now.”
The new facilities will allow School of Education staff and students to explore, research and demonstrate the nexus between technology, space and the next generation transformative pedagogies.
While the School of Education will occupy the top floor, the ground floor will become the “shop front” for the University for both those already enrolled and prospective students.
It will be the hub where Townsville students can access a range of support services provided by the University to support them during their studies..
Linked to the present student mall, the building will eventually connect to the Library and other areas of the University through the proposed verandah walkway.
The building will include:
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150 seat collaborative lecture theatre
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72 seat flat floor active learning space
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48 seat collaborative teaching laboratory
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48 seat collaborative wet teaching laboratory
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36 plus seat flexible flat floor seminar/conference room, and
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peer to peer learning centre.
The University has received funding from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Capital Development Fund for the integrated Student Enquiry Centre and the Department’s Teaching and Learning Capital Fund for the specialist teaching facilities for the School of Education.
These have been combined with the funding from the University itself for the new building which is being designed by Wilson Architects in conjunction with Architects North.
Contact: Professor Alloway 07 4781 6818
JCU Media Jim O’Brien 07 4781 4822 or 0418 892449
Issued: June 20, 2011