My Outboard Brain.....
Eric Toefler and I have been playing with a wiki and with ideas of classroom studios. What do studios look and sound like? What are ideas of assessment practices? Is there any value to this concept?
Eric posted a link to an article which I have to share. It is written by a professor at the University of North Dakota and involves his thoughts about moving his geology classroom towards a studio model.
Organizing a Studio Classroom
"Studio classrooms have many different manifestations but all share common elements. They involve longer, fewer, class sessions with focused, intense, student activity."
"Lectures are de-emphasized or eliminated altogether. Students work on in-depth projects instead, generally in groups, sometimes moving from one workstation to another. Tables or benches are arranged so students face each other instead of the front of the classroom."
Teaching and Learning in a Studio Classroom
"In studio classrooms, the processes followed in the classroom are just as important (perhaps more important) than the topics covered."
"An important characteristic of studio classrooms is that students have more control and responsibility for outcomes than in traditional classrooms. Instructors and teaching assistants (TAs) are mentors, acting as learning guides, providing the learning environment and materials needed for students to create their own learning."
"Instructors help students start on projects and are on hand as resources for students to use. Besides the instructor, learning resources include traditional texts and other reading materials, and also student peers in a class."
"Consequently, a problem with changing from a traditional teaching format to a studio format is that lecture notes, projects, exams - all course materials - need to be redesigned. Although the instructor does not lecture in traditional ways, preparation takes lots of time and planning must be well done. Presenting the same material in fewer, but longer, time slots does not work. Evaluating students using standard objective exams may be inappropriate."
Assessment and Evaluation 
"Instructors must monitor student progress continually by observing student behaviour, talking formally and informally with students, using various short assessment activities, and other means. Traditional measures of learning that focus on content mastery, such as objective exams, receive less emphasis."
"The interactive classroom promotes holistic skills, including thinking, inquiry, creativity and reflection by students, frequently involving peer review and critiquing."
Anyone who wants to join us on the wiki, just let me know and we can let you in.
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