At a recent meeting of the University of Montevallo’s Board of Trustees, we were delighted to join a tour conducted by Dr. Anna McEwan, dean of our College of Education.

The tour focused on the new Malone Center for Innovative Teaching, Learning and Technology, which was made possible through state-funded grants and internal university funding.

Through the Malone Center, UM faculty, staff and students will now have access to two computer labs, seven multimedia classrooms, two state-of-the-art video conferencing facilities and other high-tech learning spaces. Additionally, the Malone Center will offer support for these facilities and provide a wide range of training to enhance instruction.

One of the more prominent features of the Center will be its digital café, a leading-edge learning space that will include easily reconfigurable furniture, a laptop bar (to support student laptop use), small-group work areas with 32-inch LCD monitors and laptop ports, mobile whiteboards, a 60-inch LCD monitor for large-group multimedia presentations, a podcast theater for recording and archiving video podcasts and an open student lounge.

In addition to serving as a more traditional classroom when necessary, this flexible facility is primarily intended to serve as an incubator space to promote experimental, non-traditional and highly innovative models for teaching and learning.

Based on sound predictions of the steady proliferation of new instructional delivery methods such as video conferencing, distance education and online learning systems.

Many of the proposed services of the Malone Center are increasingly essential to meet the needs associated with the rapidly evolving scope of technology-enhanced teaching and learning on today’s college campus.

The new Malone Center for Innovative Teaching, Learning and Technology will serve to highlight the University of Montevallo’s ongoing commitment to exemplary teaching and learning in higher education.