Teaching and Learning Lab

Teaching Learning Lab

The Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education Department at Virginia Tech offers a research resource through the Teaching and Learning Lab Facility. The laboratory is designed to inquire into the teaching and learning process. The classroom consists of multiple video cameras and educational technology to capture student engagement, facial cues of both teachers and students, and effective teaching methods. The facility is also equipped with a mobile lab of 20 laptops and three video cameras to allow for gathering data in diverse environments. Footage from the classroom and mobile setting can then be analyzed in the lab using the Noldus FaceReader and Observer XT software. FaceReader is the world's first tool that is capable of automatically analyzing facial expressions, providing users with an objective assessment of a person’s emotion. The Observer XT is the professional and user-friendly event logging software for the collection, analysis, and presentation of observational data. Teaching and learning is grounded in the science of psychology and sociology, however, new curricula, content, and improvement of how learning occurs must be developed to address the deficiencies of learners. With the addition of the Teaching and Learning Laboratory, the department invests its efforts in learning, discovery, and engagement of teaching and learning.