Launched last week at the headquarters of the nonprofit Michigan Virtual, the new Innovation Design Studio can accommodate up to 45 people and is equipped with TVs, smart boards, cameras, microphones and speakers, according to the organization's website. The studio also includes adjustable furniture layouts and automated cloud recording systems. The goal is to give educators a hands-on environment to explore how classrooms can evolve alongside technology, particularly artificial intelligence, Michigan Virtual leaders said in a panel discussion.
“Technology is moving faster than ever,” Ken Dirkin, senior director of the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute, said in a panel April 30 announcing the initiative. “Schools shouldn't have FOMO, though. When you think about how technology is advancing, what they really need to do is continue to push toward their vision for learning in their school districts, and then possibly develop the capacity to think about what they’re designing for students and how they're organizing that effectively.”
Michigan Virtual plans to use the studio for educator workshops, demonstrations and professional learning events centered on new technologies. Educators can reserve the space to test different classroom configurations. The facility is available to educators, administrators and policymakers across Michigan.
“As we continue to learn more and more about education technology, it became clear to us that the virtual spaces in which students are learning are intricately linked to the physical spaces in the classrooms they are a part of,” Dirkin said in a news release. “It was time to zero in on helping Michigan schools experience and create spaces that enhance and foster continued learning, even in an increasingly virtual world.”
The Innovation Design Studio was outfitted through partnerships with several Michigan-based companies, including furniture manufacturers and the ed-tech company Qomo, which provided interactive display boards.
The facility builds on several years of AI and digital-learning work by Michigan Virtual. In 2023, the organization launched an AI research lab focused on studying K-12 classroom uses, ethics and policy. Since then, Michigan Virtual has hosted statewide AI literacy webinars and surveyed educators on classroom AI adoption.
“Building this Innovation Design Studio in our headquarters is our way of investing in Michigan educators, giving them a hands-on opportunity to explore emerging tools and learning environments they can thoughtfully bring back to their own classrooms,” Michigan Virtual President and CEO Jamey Fitzpatrick said in a public statement.
