Our visit to Lake Land College prompted us to consider how laser technology could support hands-on learning. We share how we are exploring opportunities for laser education, along with Small Laser's focus on schools and laboratories.
We visited Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois, to learn about its teaching environment and consider how laser technology could fit into practical technical education. For us, the central question is what students should understand and be able to do after a laser lesson.
PLANNING STAGE — We are exploring opportunities for laser education with the college. These conversations are exploratory and focus on educational needs and possibilities.
Learning from the existing teaching environment
Lake Land College's Technology Division lists programs in welding, computer-aided design, and robotics and computer-integrated manufacturing. Its competency-based manufacturing programs emphasize hands-on labs and progress based on demonstrated practical skills.
During the visit, we saw mechanical and electrical training stations, along with control and automation equipment. Our full visit video records teaching and practical training environments across several disciplines, including laboratories, simulation-based teaching, and engineering training. The facilities shown are part of the college's existing teaching environment.
These spaces prompted us to consider how laser technology could support hands-on learning. Students might connect a drawing to a physical part, compare processing results, or explain why a particular process suits an application. These are examples for discussion with educators, not confirmed activities for Lake Land College.
Exploring opportunities for laser education
A useful starting point is to understand learners' needs and learning objectives. Questions about demonstrations, supervised practice, and assessment can help us explore possible educational uses.
Exploring educational opportunities also involves understanding equipment configuration, operating requirements, available facilities, teaching materials, and instructor preparation. We want to understand these needs before discussing possible educational applications.
Small Laser equipment for schools and laboratories
Small Laser is focusing on the needs of schools, technical teaching spaces, and laboratories across the AirFamily range. That includes SF-CutAir for cutting, SF-WeldAir for welding, and SF-MarkAir for marking.
For educators, equipment information should help connect a process with a learning objective. Potential activities could involve turning a CAD drawing into a cut part, observing a welding demonstration, or examining how a mark identifies a workpiece. The appropriate configuration, operating conditions, and supporting information would need to be assessed for each teaching environment.
Continuing the conversation with educators
Thank you to Lake Land College for welcoming our visit and giving us the opportunity to learn about its teaching facilities. We look forward to exploring opportunities for laser education together.
If you are planning a technical education program or a teaching laboratory, tell us what you want learners to practice and understand. Share your teaching goals, materials, and space requirements with the Small Laser team through our contact page.