Engage
Mike Boorman
Experiential learning is taking on a whole new emphasis at the University of Calgary with the creation of the Energy, Environment and Experiential Learning Building (EEEL). This new facility will bring together students and faculty members who want to examine energy and environmental issues in ways that engage students more actively in the process.
“The university has always encouraged students to become active learners and to work with others from a wide range of faculties and areas of expertise. Not only do they get better thinking and results – but working in groups and collaborating are skills that serve them well during their time in school, and certainly after they graduate,” says Dr. Mike Boorman, program manager of the new building, and the former dean of science.
“This new facility brings recognition to how important we think it is to mindfully create a space
that encourages students from a wide range of faculties to do projects together,” says
Boorman. “EEEL will also have the state-of-the art tools they need to solve problems and do
great research. New laboratories, break out rooms with internet access, and more common
social areas are all important features.”
The new building will be the catalyst for experiential learning and will be designed with the
flexibility to morph as learning styles change, and as research demands evolve over the next
couple of decades. “We’re also excited to be able to use cutting-edge environmental
practices and design to ensure we minimize our impact on the world in which we’ll be
operating,” says Boorman.
“It’s all about enriching the students’ experience and helping them develop the skills,
experience and confidence they need to do prepare them for a workforce that demands ever
better results.”
New ways the U of C is enriching students' experiences
• Child Development Centre – Canada’s most advanced child development research and
practice centre.
• Murray Fraser Hall – larger and better learning space for law students.
• Dr. Fok Ying Tung International House – expanding international efforts and providing
more residence space for students and visiting scholars.
• Faculty of Veterinary Medicine – using innovative learning models that partner with
public and private businesses and community facilities to conduct research, build sector
capacity, and create talented practitioners.
• The Taylor Family Digital Library – reinventing the concept of a library. In addition to
housing our current vast collections in a new High Density Library, it will also offer the
latest in learning tools: 3-D theatres, where architecture or history students can literally
walk through a 3,000-year-old Egyptian temple; or business or mathematics students
can project a formulae on the wall and then actually interact with the data, moving it
around, adding more background, and seeing how the pieces fit.
• Energy, Environment and Experiential Learning Building – new technology, learning
spaces and interdisciplinary collaborative opportunities that push thinking, attitudes and
action in the areas of energy and environment.
• Revitalized laboratory and work spaces – innovative learning and research tools.
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