On February 21, Conestoga’s Test Centre and Teach Me Tech Lab -- two newly renovated spaces at the Doon campus -- hosted an open house for the college community.
The new 5,000 square-foot Test Centre at the Doon campus has been designed with acoustical features for noise reduction and can accommodate more than 130 students.
The Test Centre is a 5,000 square-foot space designed with acoustical features for noise reduction that can accommodate testing for more than 130 students.
“We’ve created this space to bring two streams of testing under one umbrella to share physical and human resources, and to improve the overall student experience,” explained Andrea Stevenson, Testing Services manager.
The new Test Centre brings all testing services into one central location which includes accommodated tests and make-up tests, as well as external testing such as English language proficiency tests, apprenticeship exemptions and pre-assessment tests. The centre also includes office space for Test Centre employees so faculty have one location for test delivery and pick up. During the 2017-18 academic year, approximately 16,000 tests were completed through testing services.
“The feedback we’re getting from students is that they love it,” said Stevenson. “They’ve noticed the design has a clean, fresh look that’s open, quiet and professional.”
The space has been designed with three large soundproof rooms with acoustical features that include double-paned glass, desk dividers, acoustic ceiling tiles, sound machines and sound absorbent flooring. Another 12 private test rooms are also available that provide adjustable lighting for students with sensory needs. To ensure the private rooms are always utilized, six of them are available as a quiet space for college students and employees to book.
The Test Centre is located in Doon 2A509 and is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Additional test centres are located at the Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph campuses.
During the open house, visitors were also invited to tour the Teach Me Tech Lab, operated by Library Services in 2A501. The open access lab is staffed by Tech Tutors and Learning Technology support personnel who are available to help students learn to use software, print, photocopy and troubleshoot hardware. This space is also home to all assistive technology support for students registered with Accessible Learning.
Additional Tech Tutors are also available at the Library’s Tech Bar (2B5) and at library locations at the Cambridge and Waterloo campuses.