The computer lab serves as the center for teaching computer use to whole classes, usually by a specialist computer teacher. Classroom teachers also use the lab with their classes for research, or for creating technology-based projects. Technology specialists use the computer lab for teacher in-services where they instruct teachers on various aspects of using computers in educational settings. The traditional computer lab often serves as the location for networked printers and scanners that are used by the whole school.

A computer lab comes in several configurations: the most common are the "U" shape and the square models. The "U" or square configurations allow the teacher to monitor student activity. Several large tables in the center of the room provide space for offline work. Projectors, smart boards, scanners, printers, software and a variety of peripherals like digital cameras and camcorders are usually stored in computer labs.

The number of computers in a lab varies from a few computers in the case of a mini-lab to as many as twenty plus computers in a traditional lab

HMSV SR. SEC. SCHOOL designed a computer lab, three key issues have carefully considered. The computer teacher needs to decide whether to utilize wall space for whiteboards or bulletin boards. Whiteboards are effective in instructional activities, while bulletin boards provide space for displaying student work. Scheduling is an issue that requires creative planning.

The computer teacher or technology coordinator can place a sign up calendar on the front door of the lab so that teachers can reserve free lab time for their classes. A mobile lab has similar a scheduling problem that can be solved the same way. Monitoring student computer use is the third issue. Computer lab management software allows the computer teacher to control all computers in the lab from a single workstation. This is vital for keeping students on-task during whole class instruction.