Physical and Digital Whiteboards In previous semesters, I’ve written about the variety of ways that Indiana University instructors use writable surfaces (white boards and glass boards) in their classrooms to facilitate active learning, including supporting collaboration, encouraging class discussion, and facilitating ice breaker activities. Writable surfaces are one of our most popular learning technologies at… Read more »
Feedback
Active Learning with Verb Boards (or any writable surface)
What features do your instructors most like to have in a room? What classroom tools or technologies do they like to use most for teaching? I’m frequently asked these questions at conferences and from colleagues at my own and other institutions. My response: easy-to-use, writable white or glass board surfaces are most often requested by… Read more »
Student Evaluations and Your Active Learning Classroom
Today we welcome to the Mosaic Blog, Suraj Uttamchandani, who has been our Mosaic Research Intern since 2016, and is currently a Learning Sciences doctoral candidate at Indiana University. Suraj shares his take on how instructors can use student evaluations to get feedback on their experiences not only in your course but also in your… Read more »
Teaching Tips: Hine Hall 118 and Hine Hall 231

We recently interviewed three instructors who taught in Hine Hall 118 and Hine Hall 231 located on the IUPUI campus, and asked them to share their perspectives on teaching in these unique learning spaces. In this blog, Fawzi BenMessaoud, Andy Harris, and Sarah Johnson, generously share their experiences engaging students in these similarly designed active… Read more »
The Mosaic Fellows’ Reflective Portfolio
In this blog I want to highlight a key artifact that our Mosaic Fellows produce during their tenure in the Mosaic Fellows program: the Mosaic Fellows’ Reflective portfolio. At each Fellows session, and based on prompts we provide, the Fellows are asked to reflect (in writing) on the meeting activities and readings. Then, after the… Read more »
Teaching Tips: GISB West Wing Edition
We recently interviewed four instructors who taught in the west wing large classrooms of the Global and International Studies building — (GISB) rooms 1100, 1106, 1112, 1118, 1122, 1128, and 1134, on the Bloomington campus. We asked instructors to share their perspectives on, and experiences with, teaching in the building’s larger classrooms, which seat around… Read more »
Teaching Tips: Student Building SB015 Edition

We recently interviewed several instructors who taught in Student Building 015, located on the IU Bloomington campus, and asked them to share their perspectives on, and experiences with, teaching in this unique learning space. In this blog, Bloomington instructors Tessa Bent, J Duncan, Shabnam Kavousian, Julie Knapp, Jill Robinson, and Susan Siena, generously share their… Read more »
Teaching Tips: IUPUI’s Lecture Hall LE104 Edition

We recently interviewed five instructors who taught in Lecture Hall LE104, located on the IUPUI campus, and asked them to give their perspectives on, and experiences with, teaching in this unique learning space. In this blog, Pat Clark, Lisa Contino, Modupe Labode, Gina Londino, and Kathy Marrs generously share their experiences with engaging students in LE104… Read more »
Reflecting on the ALCOT: an Observation Protocol for Active Learning Classrooms
One of the most common requests we’ve received from faculty who teach in our active learning classrooms, called Mosaic classrooms, is this one: Can you come and observe my class and see if I’m using the room optimally/correctly? As the number of active learning classrooms has grown on our campuses, so too have the requests… Read more »
The Mosaic blog: looking back on 2018
Last year, we launched the Mosaic Initiative blog to share our story of research, classroom designs, and resources for teaching in Indiana University’s active learning classrooms. We’d like to take a moment and reflect on the 2018 blog entries, and highlight the many people who contribute to and shape this initiative. Instructors Over the last… Read more »