Collaboratory

We advance education by placing the learner at the heart of every design choice. Technology becomes powerful only when used with intention, clarity, and a focus on genuine learning, serving as a tool that invites us to think creatively and through innovation, rather than simply follow trends.

• Empathy-Driven Innovation: We prioritize understanding the real-world needs, challenges, and aspirations of all users (K-12 students, pre-service teachers, faculty, and administrators, community members). Innovation is successful only when it genuinely improves the human experience of teaching and learning.
• Iterative Creation: We embrace design thinking, which involves continuous cycles of Prototyping, Testing, and Refining. The Collaboratory is a hub for applied practice where failure is viewed as a necessary step toward innovation.
• Accessibility and Equity: We ensure that the design of technologies and learning environments is inclusive, working actively to eliminate digital barriers and promote equitable access to cutting-edge tools for all learners. 

The Collaboratory is not simply a repository of new gadgets; it is a catalyst for exploring how immersive, emerging, and intelligent technologies can fundamentally reshape pedagogy and research. 

• Experiential Learning: We utilize tools like Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) to create realistic, engaging, and safe environments for practice that are often impossible in a traditional classroom (e.g., teaching high-risk skills, exploring historical sites).
• Cultivating Technological Imagination: We equip current and future educators with the critical, creative, and ethical capacities needed to engage AI, robotics, and data science not merely as consumers, but as intentional designers and reflective practitioners who shape meaningful learning experiences.
• Transdisciplinary Collaboration: The technology in our space acts as a common language, encouraging faculty, students, and community partners from diverse fields (Engineering, Arts, Education, Health) to come together to solve complex, real-world educational challenges. 

In a rapidly changing world, our highest philosophical aim is to support human flourishing by fostering a conscious, intentional relationship with technology. 

• Responsible Integration: We teach educators and learners how to evaluate technology critically, moving beyond simple consumption to consider its ethical implications, psychological impact, and social justice dimensions.
• Focus and Well-being: We actively promote practices that counteract digital distraction and cognitive overload. Our programs help users develop the self-regulation and awareness necessary to leverage technology powerfully without sacrificing mental health or deep engagement.
• Sustainable Practice: We advocate for the long-term, sustainable integration of technology that enhances, rather than overwhelms, the educational ecosystem. This means designing solutions that are adaptable, resilient, and focused on enduring learning outcomes.