February

A supplemental suite of solutions

More than a physical space, CAVEA helps groups arrive step-by-step at individualized learning outcomes.

By Cory Phare

February 23, 2017

An immersive multimedia theater. A decision-making venue. A partner in co-creating experiences to optimize learning.

The Center for Advanced Visualization and Experiential Analysis (CAVEA) is all of these – and more. Located on the fourth floor of the Student Success Building, the center’s physical space is part of a larger approach to collaborative facilitation, where CAVEA staff work alongside client-partners each step of a project.

The result? A full-service solutions concierge.

“What we offer isn’t from a fixed menu, so the range of possibilities is incredibly broad,” said Sarah Harman, director for CAVEA. “That’s why we start every conversation as an exploration to help develop an individual solution unique to each client.”

Those clients are equally broad, from specialized faculty instruction to student organizations such as Denver Project for Humanistic Inquiry (which hosted a teleconference with Noam Chomsky) and ongoing work with external parties such as Sakura Square. English Professor Janet McClaskey worked with CAVEA to create a physical experience designed to provoke discussion of themes used by artist Yayoi Kusama in her work “You Who Are Being Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies,” as part of a recent class.

CAVEA has a theater with adjacent breakout areas, designed to extend dialogue. The elliptical main room is an adaptive configurable space, outfitted with approximately 500 square feet of whiteboard, onto which four digital projectors can cast high-definition images. And, at the space’s apex, the largest screen is a carefully coordinated rear-projection display that wraps around the room, similar to an IMAX (complete with stereo 3-D). This results in a multifaceted approach to learning via an immersive, high-powered multimedia experience.

Or not. Harman noted that often off-campus constituents like governmental and civic organizations seek the space for the neutral, non-branded environment and customer-service approach to decision-making.

And, whether hosting a town hall meeting or creating a specialized immersive visualization, working with CAVEA is a bespoke approach to educational outcomes.

“Our suite of options are best used to provide unique learning experiences that can’t be delivered in the standard standalone classroom,” said Harman. “Think of us as a type of field trip.”

Interested in working with CAVEA? Visit its website and fill out a contact form to start the conversation.