Are you in charge of redesigning a school lab? Or better still, lucky you, designing one from scratch in a new block or new school? The LDTL is an "interactive design tool" and it's been specifically created to help you work out the optimal laboratory classroom layout for your school - without you having to humph a single bit of furniture around to help you decide! It's REALLY user friendly, so even those not super confident with ICT will be designing away after a few minutes practice. In other words in no time you get from your room layout… To a plan of all the lab things you need, even pupils…. To being able to stand in the room and look round at your handiwork…. This project puts teaching and learning at the centre of designing your own laboratory or prep room. Planet Science, the Royal Society and the Association for Science Education have combined to provide you with: An easy to use design tool A way of visualizing design ideas in 2-D and in 3-D A way of sharing ideas between science departments, architects and designers Easy access to guidance documents from the DfES, CLEAPPS and the ASE Using the software, teachers and technicians can create, and indeed play around with, both 2D and 3D images of their science laboratories and prep rooms, to work out the best use of space and resources.  You begin by defining the shape and dimensions of your room, and inserting doors, windows etc.  You can then specify certain crucial variables, like the number of students, tables, sinks etc, add in other lab furniture and equipment, and maybe move a few things around.  Not happy with that design?  No problem, just zap in a new set of variables and try again. The aim of the software is not just to allow you to design your new lab layout swiftly, but also to help all the interested parties, like science departments, architects and designers, share ideas and communicate in a quick and effective way, thus reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings.  So no more scribbling on the back of envelopes (unless you want to!). The software was developed by 3T Productions and is available to download from the ASE website at http://www.ase.org.uk/ldtl/ A CD-ROM of the software will be distributed to every secondary school in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as every FE College and via the ASE School Science Review mailing.  A copy will be sent to every Head of Science towards the end of February.  Extra copies are also available, whilst stocks last, from the ASE with a handling charge of £5. Contact ASE Booksales: Tel: (01707) 283001 Fax: (01707) 266532 E-mail: booksales@ase.org.uk On-line sales: www.ase.org.uk