To assess the impact of the ALCs on students' learning experience, this study also used a validated 32-item survey instrument. (The survey included 25 additional items that measured the frequency of particular learning activities and also the ease of classroom usability; these topics are not considered here.) The instrument contained items designed to measure student perceptions of the degree to which a classroom promotes engagement, enriches students' learning experiences, allows flexibility in approaches to learning, is a good fit to the course being taken, is used well by the instructor, engenders confidence in academic tasks, and facilitates key student learning outcomes. Each of these constructs was identified via exploratory factor analysis, met the criteria for construct validity, and was highly reliable (Cronbach's a > .85 for each of the scales; Whiteside et al., 2010).