Why Did ThinkSpace Get Started?

Like many insitutions, over the years Iowa State University has developed many noteworthy instructional tools, funded through both internal and external grants. A common problem with grant-funded projects is that when a grant expires, the tool is rarely sustainable by the department that developed it. Founding members of the ThinkSpace community believed there was a solution to this problem. That solution was to bring the various tools developed within the university into a common software system that could support a variety of diverse and innovative instructional approaches to learning. A common thread among the founding members was the desire to focus on tools that focused on providing complex, real-world problems to students. From their thread, ThinkSpace was born.

What is ThinkSpace?

ThinkSpace is a web-based, instructional platform designed to deliver classroom content that focuses on real-world cases, scenarios and  other activities involving higher-order thinking skills, ill-defined problems, and collaboration. ThinkSpace is unique because the platform enables a case study approach that simulates real-world problems and environments, thereby encouraging innovative curriculum for teachers and students alike. Another unique aspect of ThinkSpace is that it encourages innovative curriculum and instructional approaches to problem solving. It also offers many unique tools to assess assignments such as Diagnostic Pathfinder, Markup, and Rubrics.

The platform architecture, combined with the instructional tools it offers, makes it possible for teachers to manage their students’ work and learning progression while concurrently encouraging/ prodding students to take more responsibility and accountability for their own learning outcomes. In ThinkSpace, students are introduced to assignments by understanding a case-based problem that requires solving. The case can be as short or as long as the instructor chooses, from 50 min in-class team problems, to a multi-institutional team of students working on a semester-long case.

How is ThinkSpace Different from a Learning Management System?

ThinkSpace is used to present complex problems not normally supported by most learning management systems. However, connectors are being developed to deliver scores and other information to  learning management systems. Because it runs independently, it is not restricted to a particular LMS and can used by a much broader audience.

Who Can Use ThinkSpace?

Educators world-wide can use ThinkSpace. If you or someone you know who would like to join the community of ThinkSpace users, [you may invite them to explore by sharing your own space with them].

How to Use It

The foundation of rubric is something called “Phases”.  . . .

Code Used

ThinkSpace was developed using Google Web Toolkit and SmartGWT which runs in the browser.  The server was developed using Java and XQuery.  It is currently an incubator project with the JASIG open source organization and we are seeking developers interesting in contributing code to the project. The software is open source and available for use by other institutions.  No cost is involved.