Classroom Equipment Solutions
3/24/05


On 3/17/05 our group met and defined issues with the technology used in many of our classrooms. Because of time limits we were not able to address all the possible solutions to these problems. We don't want to leave this unaddressed but are not sure it merits an additional meeting with everyone either. For now, our Media Instructional Technology department has compiled the questions into related groups and provided the following solutions/ideas for each one. If you have any questions or anything to add, please email Brian Benedetti at bbenedet@pierce.ctc.edu or call him at 253-964-6549.
Problems/Issues
Solutions
 
Items marked in red will be further addressed at our next meeting
We have what seems to me to be pretty hi tech equipment in Olympic 327 and 328 for projecting VCR and DVD images and sound, but I have struggled repeatedly this quarter with getting it to work. -Jim Butler discovered the system controller was not working properly and swapped it out with one that does work.
I find the remotes for O327 and O328 hard to use We offered further training with them and possibly getting assigned to a different room until we can get funding to upgrade those rooms to touch panels.
About 10 minutes into my Powerpoint presentation, the computer says that it will shut down in about 4 minutes for a system update. At that point the user has no control of that shutdown. At the end of that time period, the computer reboots and then everything is OK. However, that first presentation has been interrupted. We brought this up to John Moreland who corrected the problem.
Focus problems with old elmos

It's actually a resolution issue. The document cameras need to be replaced with higher-res document cameras.
-We could also help faculty rethink using the document camera's as traditional overhead projectors. (Use Word instead of making overhead transparencies)
-This fits with our 'Training' solution
Memory sticks not working in all towers

We have since fixed the problems in rooms C202 and C221.
-Also USB interfaces were just approved for purchase through instructional equipment dollars. All towers will now have front loading USB connectors.
Who do you call when need immediate assistance Our next Enhanced Tech meeting will be about developing a Universal HelpDesk
Wireless issue / with projectors, etc - wire issues in lab classes, too many rolling carts The fix for this is to have more permanent installs. People are requesting more Level 2 purchases (Overhead mounted projectors with a wall jack that you can roll a cart to (out of the way) with a computer and DVD player.
To use technology covers up all writing areas, some projectors don't have black out. Hard to switch from tech to non tech and back. Have to raise the screen to see the white board.

We need to request more white boards baby!!! (spoken like the guy in the Saturday Night Live skit asking for 'more cowbell baby')
-Media will make a list of which rooms are able to accomodate moving the white board to the side, or moving the screen and redirecting the projector to a corner of the room instead of the front.
-We will then communicate with faculty and our Enhanced Tech group about doing this.
-If we get the go ahead we will then schedule moving the equipment.
PY campus doesn't have a lecturn option It does now... the instructional equipment committee just provided funding for 4 lecterns to be installed in the new College Center building
Some VHS videos would be easier handled on DVD, can access specific clips, etc. Can we transfer VHS to DVD legally? -We will look into copyright issues and report back to the group
- Another option might be to order the DVD from the library as an upgrade purchase
-Media can copy segments of a movie to DVD. So far we have not figured out how to put more than an hour of video onto a DVD, we are still working on this. Shirley Chung is determining what we need to be able to do it.
Deep freeze - some people don't know it's on, difficult for small problems or need to make a change, add driver, etc - -Goes back into something we would offer in our Training program that we will be developing as a result of feedback from this group.
-Need to teach folks to save data somewhere other than the desktop or C drive. We can train them on how to access their Share drive, or purchase inexpensive Flash drives that they can carry with them.
Issues dealing with log ins. Not all instructor stations are the same. -We can make all the systems auto-log in so you don't have to mess with this at all.
-We put in a request to IT for this and will report on the status at our next meeting.
Need Training of staff and students on how to properly use the enhanced tech classrooms
-Should required training for using enhanced tech classrooms
-Reactivate volunteer list of people who were experts in specific software applications (power users)
-Instructors with training will be given priority to tech rooms		 -We formed a sub-group to deal with training and are meeting on April 7th and will report back to the group
Would help to know who is using each room and when so Media can support them better. -Need to consolidate room schedule information. It would help if it were all on a database for access by all. Denny will talk with Carol Hill and Barbara Howard.
Would like to learn how to see desktop from home. -Michael Taylor says this is not available by state law
Instructors are very dependent on projectors, what happens when it goes down - what budget does it come out of. Is there a back up projector that can be used? Difficult to swap out because there is different brands -With the recent approval of new projector purchases we will be able to reserve two of the older projectors (one for each campus) as emergency backup in case a projector goes down. These projectors can not be a checkout item.
How we can we take what we have and standardize them more and keep what we have upgraded and running?
· Is it more important for more rooms with some technology vs less rooms with better equipment?
· Upgrades for compatibility / reliability 		This can be another agenda item for our Enhanced Tech Group. We should further develop a standard recommendation for our next equipment purchase priorities.
Room scheduling - needs to be done better. Some instructors take an enhanced room and don't need it This is another agend item we addressed for one of our near future meetings....how to assign the appropriate instructors to the appropriate technology. One idea for getting feedback on how instructors use the technology in their classroom is to provide an evaluation to be completed by students in each person's class who presently use our enhanced tech rooms.
-Also the district is purchasing room scheduling software which may be a good resource for this.
Can we have a "check out" technology room for one time use? This doesn't seem feasible at this time. What could work however would be developing a system allowing instructors to swap or share tech rooms with each other when they need it. This will be something the Room scheduling group can address.
The wireless keyboard has been problematic in room C270 That keyboard has proven to be faulty and a new one is being ordered.
Occasionally the screen is unable to lower without an extended period of clattering in C270 The problem is being addressed by the installer
The media tower computer needs VIsio installed so it matches the configuration of Office applications on the rest of the computers in the classroom. This request was sent to IT
The lighting scheme cannot be adjusted to turn off the flood lights in front of the projector screen in room C176 We have just been approved funding for fixing this lighting problem.
Better zoom adjustment on the projctors so that the screen image doesn't extend outside the projection window Sounds like a resolution setting that needs to be adjusted. We will contact the instrutor experiencing the problem and see how we can assist.
It would be really cool if it were possible to have a monitor view at the podium so the speaker can face the room while demonstrating or presenting online materials over their shoulder This will be resolved with the recently funded purchase of lecterns for 4 additional classrooms.
A camera for displaying non-electronic content through the projector would be awesome for demonstrations and for printed materials. This will be resolved with the recently funded purchase of document cameras for 6 additional classrooms.
The media tower computers ought to have the same applications as the classroom computers. This request was sent to IT