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The Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law has received a $25,000 “Learning Environments Grant” from the IUPUI Center for Teaching and Learning. The funding will be used for renovation of a classroom in the Ruth Lilly Law Library to create an “active learning center.”

“This innovative proposal is just one of the many projects undertaken by the faculty and staff at the law school to improve student learning outcomes,” said Professor Shawn Boyne. She is one of the people at the law school who worked on the grant proposal. “The law school’s growing online and experiential learning programs have helped create a teaching culture where innovation is the norm.”

Professor Boyne and Ruth Lilly Law Library Interim Director Miriam Murphy worked with the law school’s Director of Technology Services, Terri Cuellar, to write the grant. The new classroom will feature six group-learning stations, computer stations, and a smart board. The new classroom will help professors create active learning sessions, where students may collaborate on assignments and receive immediate feedback from the professor. This active-learning centered approach will encourage students to apply the theory learned in class to real-world assignments like drafting a contract, developing a corporate computer use policy, or researching a due diligence report. The goal of these kinds of learning experiences is to better prepare students to enter the job market.

“We are excited to see the transition of an underutilized room into a destination location where students can work together collaboratively,” said Murphy. “I’ve seen the success of these renovations in other buildings on campus and look forward to the implementation here at the law school.”

“We’re delighted this initiative was funded,” said Vice Dean Antony Page. “Miriam Murphy and Shawn Boyne deserve full credit for putting together a creative, innovative proposal. We are confident this new learning space will enhance the McKinney student experience.”