{"id":99768,"date":"2025-03-05T17:07:32","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T22:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=99768"},"modified":"2025-03-05T17:07:32","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T22:07:32","slug":"then-and-now-high-tech-learning-tools-evolve-from-bare-bones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2025\/03\/then-and-now-high-tech-learning-tools-evolve-from-bare-bones\/","title":{"rendered":"THEN AND NOW: High-tech learning tools evolve from bare bones"},"content":{"rendered":"

To mark\u00a0<\/em>Brock\u2019s 60th anniversary<\/em><\/a>, The Brock News is running a\u00a0<\/em>monthly series<\/em><\/a>\u00a0looking back at the University\u2019s history through photos.<\/em><\/p>\n

Classrooms have transformed dramatically over the past six decades, moving from blackboards and paper notes to digital touchscreens and interactive learning tools.<\/p>\n

In the early years of Brock, classrooms were defined by chalkboards, overhead projectors and handwritten notes.<\/p>\n

Professors relied on blackboards to illustrate key concepts, while students diligently copied notes by hand. Overhead projectors, a staple in the 1980s and 1990s, allowed instructors to display pre-written transparencies, but learning remained largely lecture-based.<\/p>\n

\"Students<\/a>

Anatomy Laboratory Supervisor Parker Holman leads a group of students through 3D virtual models of the human body in Brock\u2019s state-of-the-art anatomy lab. The high-resolution display allows for digital dissections and detailed views of anatomical structures, enhancing students’ understanding in ways previously unimaginable.<\/p><\/div>\n

Space was also a challenge. By the 1970s, rapid enrolment growth saw classrooms at capacity, leading to the University carefully balancing expansion with financial constraints.<\/p>\n

As Brock continued to grow, so did its approach to teaching.<\/p>\n

The early 2000s marked a turning point with the construction of the Walker Complex and new academic buildings, introducing whiteboards, digital projectors and enhanced lecture hall technology.<\/p>\n

By 2002, classrooms were equipped with electronic blackboards, video conferencing capabilities and high-speed internet, creating a more interactive and connected learning experience.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

Professor of Economics Joe Kushner using an overhead projector during a lecture in one of the Thistle lecture halls in the 1980s.<\/p><\/div>\n

Research was no longer confined to the library, as students began accessing vast digital archives and engaged in global discussions with the click of a button.<\/p>\n

Today, Brock\u2019s classrooms are high-tech learning environments. Interactive smartboards, digital tablets and virtual dissection tables provide students with immersive, hands-on experiences that were unimaginable decades ago.<\/p>\n

Advances in accessibility technology have also transformed the learning experience, making education more inclusive than ever. Features such as real-time captioning, assistive listening devices and screen-reading software ensure students of all abilities can fully engage with course material.<\/p>\n

Adjustable-height desks, voice-to-text tools and digital resources allow for flexible and personalized learning, breaking down barriers that once limited access to higher education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Classrooms have transformed dramatically over the past six decades, moving from blackboards and paper notes to digital touchscreens and interactive learning tools.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":99769,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3319,1],"tags":[13423,5682,2701,7488,75,13818],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99768"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99768"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99782,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99768\/revisions\/99782"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}