The Dreamery
Where ideas and technology come together to meet the challenge of improving the teaching and learning experience.Empower Your Dreams of Improving Education
Affordability, academic integrity, teaching efficacy, student performance, and overall productivity are just some of the challenges facing higher education institutions. Some have been around as long as teaching and learning, while others have a more modern slant. Teaching and Learning with Technology’s mission is to find solutions to these challenges in order to transform, in positive and lasting ways, how teaching and learning happen at Penn State and beyond.
The Dreamery, located on the ground level of Shields Building, opened in December 2016 and serves as the de facto headquarters of TLT’s mission. In this one space students, faculty, and staff can use multiple new and emerging technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, rapid prototyping with simple robotics, artificial intelligence and more. There are ample opportunities through dynamic, facilitated experiences for students, faculty, and staff to uncover how technology can help overcome higher education’s human hurdles.
The Dreamery is also a versatile space where virtually every piece of furniture is mobile. Chairs, tables, whiteboards, and monitors can all be arranged in configurations that showcase how learning spaces can be more active and collaborative. Thanks to this versatility, the Dreamery is able to host workshops, presentations, demonstrations, class sessions, and more.
Faculty member Karen Johnson brought her students from Early Childhood Education 479: The Young Child’s Play as Educative Processes to the Dreamery to foster behaviors of “experimenting, exploring, and discovering”. Students participated in facilitated experiences exploring emerging technology like simple robotics and augmented reality. The goal for the majority of these students is to become a pre-K to fourth grade teacher; having these types of learning experiences allows these students to develop a toolbox of curricular activities that can be adapted and deployed in their future classrooms.
TLT’s staff is full of experts in creative learning, emerging media, faculty development, instructional design, and more. They’re able to provide robust support to any Penn State faculty, student, or staff member who wants to utilize the Dreamery to investigate how technology can transform education.
Reserving the Dreamery
AI Artist Lab
Duration: Full Class
This experience will introduce participants to the creative possibilities of generative AI by guiding them through the process of creating a virtual musical artist and a hit single. Participants will collaborate using AI tools for text, images, and audio to develop their artist’s name, album artwork, and music. They will then bring everything together to craft an inspiring promo reel for their virtual artist. Finally, participants will showcase their work, highlighting the creative synergy between AI and human imagination in modern artistry.
Reality Remix: Hands on Encounters in XR
Duration: Full Class
In this experience, discover a world where digital and physical realities blend seamlessly. This immersive experience is designed to introduce students to the exciting world of mixed reality, where virtual and augmented environments come to life in interactive and engaging ways. Participants will get hands-on experience as they explore and interact with these blended environments.
Can AI Play?
Duration: Full Class
This experience will introduce your class to the creative possibilities of AI through an interactive workshop. Small teams will work with text-based AI tools to design and prototype a board game. Students will receive a brief overview of AI’s role in creativity and then dive into brainstorming and game design with AI as their creative partner. Support will be provided throughout to ensure a fun and engaging learning experience.
IMPACT Card Game
Duration: 30 Minutes
This experience will engage participants in the IMPACT Deck, a card-based game designed to explore how established and emerging technologies impact society. Players will begin by selecting character cards, each representing individuals with unique backstories that prompt thoughtful consideration. As action cards are introduced, participants will engage in human-centered conversations, exploring how various technologies could influence the society, industry, or community in which the characters—and we—live. This interactive game fosters empathy and critical thinking, encouraging participants to reflect on the broader implications of technological advancements.
Talk with Us
Have a great idea? Get in touch with us! We can help you identify the right technologies to meet your pedagogical needs, or develop something completely new.