Over the summer, the CWRL has undergone some tremendous changes.

Some of those changes have to do with our technical infrastructure. For instance, our website is now based on an open-source content management system called Drupal, and should allow staffers to add and modify content more easily than ever before. Drupal also powers our class forums, personal blogs, and internal archives. Our new internal server has increased our capacity dramatically, and our new external server will soon improve the performance and security of CWRL-hosted sites.

Some of those changes have to do with the way we organize the lab. As the lab has scaled up, we've adjusted the cohort model to better support the learning of baseline skills as well as the research staffers do in the lab. Similarly, the colloquium format is changing to better meet the CWRL's pedagogical and research objectives.

And one of those changes will be immediately noticeable to returning staffers. PAR 6, which has been our open lab for years, is now a refurbished classroom; the unusually shaped PAR 102 is now the open lab. Thanks to Bill Wolff for the recommendation and to the 2004-05 developers for developing it.

For all the changes, though, at the core we're still the CWRL -- we're still committed to supporting instructors as they explore new ways to teach with technology. If you ever need further support or if you have questions, let us know!