Trendy, exciting and stimulating!The PBL digital classroom becomes a hot spot on campus

Tunghai University

With the Luce Memorial Chapel (designed by the world-famous architect I. M. Pei) as its landmark, Tunghai is the first private university and the second oldest university in Taiwan. Besides its long history and picturesque campus, Tunghai has earned wide recognition for its commitment to educational transformation and innovation.

Tunghai believes that it has the responsibility to empower its students with technology. In view of the growing digital trend, Tunghai offers Taiwan’s first master’s program in digital innovation with a focus on cross-disciplinary integration. Moreover, Tunghai’s success in building Taiwan’s first PBL digital classroom has caught the attention of the public and the media.

The PBL digital classroom: a fashionable and fun learning spaceYou will immediately get a feeling of professionalism and style when walking into Tunghai’s newly-designed digital classroom for PBL (Problem-Based Learning). This innovative classroom offers a fresh and exciting vibe. You may imagine yourself attending a high-tech conference in a multinational company or a large-scale brainstorming session for advertising ideas. Even Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s first “digital minister”, highly acclaims Tunghai’s efforts in building this PBL classroom, the first ever of its kind in Taiwan.

Some say Tunghai’s PBL classroom looks as cool as an NBA stadium given its all-round, 360-degree TV wall. Professor Jung-Sing Jwo explains the design of Tunghai’s PBL digital classroom, saying that the six displays hung on the wall are for group discussion while the four displays at the center are for lecturing or presentations.

The PBL digital classroom is amazingly practical

because it allows for quick content switching, idea

sharing and live capturing of students’ works.

Jung-Sing Jwo, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Computer Science

Chair, Master Program of Digital Innovation Chair, Software Engineering & Technology Center

Tunghai University, Taiwan

BARCO SOLUTIONS:

• wePresent WiPG-1600W

• wePresent WiPG-1000

BENEFITS:

• Enabling BYOD (strong cross-

platform capability)

• User-friendliness

• Full screen or split screen (quad

screen)

• Live camera

• System stability and reliability

• Effective IT management

www.barco.com/wePresent

A professor is like a coach, helping all team members realize their individual potential and work together for best collective results. And wePresent products can serve as great coaching tools! With the aid of wePresent, the PBL classroom motivates students to become good learners and team players.

Subtle intimacy and collaborative atmosphere in the PBL classroomWhen giving instructions, a professor is surrounded by its students in the PBL classroom. This creates a subtle intimacy and no student would feel ignored. The traditional blackboard is replaced by a large screen (display). Both the teacher and students, with their laptops or mobile devices connected to wePresent’s wireless projection system, can clearly present their viewpoints alone, sequentially or simultaneously, on the display whenever appropriate or desired. All these lead to a “dynamic”, “interactive” and “collaborative” classroom experience.

Collaboration is key to the success of PBLIn the process of problem solving, most people realize that a group is able to accomplish more together than they would have accomplished individually. As the saying goes, “teamwork makes the dream work.” Collaboration undoubtedly plays a significant role in PBL. Tunghai chose wePresent for its abundant collaborative features and strong BYOD solution (wePresent works with most devices, be it a Windows laptop, MacBook, Chromebook, iPad, iPhone or an Android tablet or smartphone.) In the wePresent environment, group activities and collaborative learning can be easily facilitated for the PBL curriculum.

An immersive and gamified environment boosts engagementThe building of Tunghai’s PBL classroom itself is a masterpiece of collaborative efforts. Students majoring in computer science develop some interesting apps which combine wePresent features with gamification designs. For example, a check-in app replaces the traditional head-counts or manual sign-in sheets to track students’ class attendance; students are rewarded with virtual gold coins for excellent performance in class. Aside from that, a graduate student, who runs an interior design company, adds some considerate and stylish touches to the classroom. Such joint efforts, together with wePresent’s core technologies, make it possible for students to enjoy an immersive and gamified learning experience with fun and pleasure.

Technology redefines education and sparks passion for learningThe traditional education approach is often criticized for hindering students’ creativity, and educators now place a greater emphasis on learner autonomy. In Tunghai’s PBL digital classroom, wePresent helps create an environment and even an atmosphere where students feel free to share ideas. A professor or teacher acts as a moderator to lead the class discussion, providing guidance and mentoring as a tutor whenever needed. As students feel encouraged to express their opinions and can receive immediate feedbacks from instructors, along with the incorporation of game-playing elements into the digital environment, their passion for learning can be easily ignited.

M30526-R00-0718-AN

Professors and students of various departments

are fascinated by this PBL classroom. This classroom

is in high demand and always reserved long in

advance.

Jung-Sing Jwo, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Computer Science

Chair, Master Program of Digital Innovation Chair, Software Engineering & Technology Center

Tunghai University, Taiwan