Developing & Managing Multi-Media Classrooms

Washington UniversitySt. Louis, Missouri

Copyright: Liz Peterson] 2005. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given

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WU Statistics

• Medium-sized, independent research university

• 6,509 undergrad + 5,579 grad & professional + 1,384 p/t students=13,472

• 105 pooled classrooms; 65 multi-media• 25 department classrooms; 25 department

conference rooms• Spread out over 24 buildings

– 9 separate networks

Where We Started

• No one “owns” classrooms– establish a Classroom Monitoring Committee (1996)

• Evaluate classroom space needs– classroom occupancy survey (1998)

• Evaluate classroom quality – old infrastructure mostly untouched

• facilities inspection & assessment (1999)• faculty survey (1998)

• Evaluate Classroom utilization (1999)– Use occupancy survey results– prioritizing assignments– scheduling

Basic Classroom Philosophy

• Build classrooms designed to serve– differing teaching/learning styles – department needs – growing technology demands– flexibility needs for future growth & change?

• Draft Classroom Standards

• Add technology where/when needed• Rethink scheduling and utilization of classrooms • Fix the “low tech” & non-tech issues

Classroom Monitoring Committee

• Ongoing Committee Acts as a Department– Members include:

• Bill Wiley, Manager of Maintenance Operations• Tom Simmons, Director of Facilities for Arts and Sciences• Alan Norman, Associate Dean for Information Technology• Tom Evola, Associate Director, Office of Students

Records/Registrar• Regina Frey, Director Teaching Center; Chemistry lecturer• Liz Peterson, Associate Director of Teaching Center• Alan Wieter, Classroom Manager • Mike Floyd, Instructional Technology Specialist• Sue Nickrent, Director of Event Services

Space Needs & Quality

Evaluate classroom space needs– classroom occupancy survey

• 8 am-9 pm hourly inspection– led to better prioritizing of assignments– better scheduling

» “classes first” then all others

• Evaluate classroom quality – faculty survey

• http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~teachcen/pooleval_F04.shtml• rate classroom physical conditions• technology: ease of use, reliability, staff

– facilities inspection & assessment• hired architects to create budget figures for capital improvements

Evaluating Classroom Space Needs

• Classroom Usage (Fall 04, Spring 04 and SU 04)

– 59% classroom use 8-5pm (academic only)– 45% classroom use 5-9pm (academic and non-

academic)– 17% Summer (remove classrooms over 100)

• Note: based on 107 classrooms, currently 105

• 60% “occupancy rate” is good– According to scheduling office

• allows flexibility in scheduling to meet most requests

• Currently going through a “University space assessment “– independent space consultants

Evaluating ClassroomQuality

Currently 105 classrooms– 53 New or recently remodeled

• 14 to be remodeled in next two years• 11 to be replaced in next three years• rest-building remodel/replace 5-10 year plan

– Room aesthetics, furniture• average of every 20 years

– Computers every 4yrs – Major pieces of multi-media system every

5yrs

Evaluating ClassroomType & Quantity

• Seat type and quantity– 22-30 sq. ft. per

seat (depend on type)

Type Quantity

Moveable tablet

57

Seminar Style

19

Fixed Tablet 16

Senate Style 13

Total 105

Classroom Utilization

• Establish strict guidelines– First two weeks

• Class instruction• Help sessions• Labs

– After that• Release to Departments and Special Events• Keep a % in reserve for class movement

Quantity of Multi-Media Classrooms

• 85 out of 100ish classrooms full multi-media– How did we arrive at this number?– Over 7 years from 10-85 classrooms

• 1999 – 3 existing ((Assist. Director position created)• 2000 - 8 new; 3 remodeled existing (Classroom Manager

position since 1998)• 2001 - 10 new• 2002 - 10 new (Instructional Technologist position added)• 2003 - 10 new• 2004 - 10 new• 2005 - 6 new • 2006 - 18 new

– increase in 1 staff member (28 rooms per)

Operations • $????? year

– Multi-Media Maintenance– Minor Aesthetic Enhancements– Supplies and Consumables

• repairs, consumables (including bulbs, batteries, tools, etc.), cables, security (cables and electronic monitoring), travel, training, cell phones, room phones, network & cable charges

– Furniture replacement– Computers (new & replace/obsolescence)

• Replace every 4 years• Software & operating system upgrades

– Multi-Media Equipment (new & replace/obsolescence)• Replace every 5 years as technology changes• For instance in projectors: currently looking for cost, brightness, internal

switching recognition, controllability, scan rates, size and noise level– New Multi-Media Installations (ave. $25K ea.)

Operations (cont.)

• $//////restricted CFU funds– for 5 years– Major/Minor Room Renovations

• Cupples II 114– hvac, re-plastering, paint, carpet, ceiling, lights, refinish

windows, shades, multi-media, furniture, teaching desk

• Rebstock 215– paint, carpet, stage, multi-media

– New Multi-Media Installations (ave. $25K ea.)– Handicap accessibility– Funding ends in 2005

• Must now request from capital improvements

Maintain Classrooms

• Twice yearly outside professional cleaning & maintenance– Bid out contract each 6 months

• Keeps bids competitive• Review scope of work to see what is really needed

• Once a month overhaul by Classroom Manager• Once a week look by students• Faculty/staff/student trouble tickets• Calls on “hot-line”

CMC Staff

– Director – Assoc. Director – Building Administrator

& Office Assistant (shared w/ASCC)

– Classroom Manager– Instructional

Technologist

Director of Teaching Center

Classroom Manager

Instructional Technologist

Associate Director Teaching Center

Building Administrator and

Office Assistant

Classroom Support

– 3 “full-time” staff• Associate Director, Instructional Technology

– Focus on multi-media design for classrooms, manage staff; etc.; conduct teaching & technology pilot projects

• Classroom Manager– Focus on classroom multi-media support, equipment

maintenance & upkeep, classroom as a whole; trouble-shooting

• Instructional Technology Specialist– Focus on installing and maintaining classroom computers,

upgrading software and operating systems, network and user issues; trouble-shooting

• Administrative Assistant (part-time)– Answers “tech-line” and assigns jobs, organizes reserve

equipment, CMC receptionist, payroll for students, places PO’s, etc.

Trouble-Shoot• Key to trouble shooting is to not have to

– Maintain equipment• twice a semester full classroom checks

– Standardize equipment• control panel & other user equipment

– Offer to train faculty, ta’s and staff• standardize keys• make room information accessible

– On the web

– Add reliable security• Racks, cables & electronic

– Media Manager Systems (just began)• RoomView-diagnostic tool

– See & control room on/off, check lamp hours• XPanel-html copy of panel

– Two-way control touch panel in the room-live

Trouble Shoot Live

– Set up tech support• Get the phone number out

– On each classroom wall

• Have a way to call from classrooms– Auditoriums have phones– Buildings have designated offices– Cell phones

• Staff the phones• Respond immediately

– Highly trained staff to respond– During busy times we ‘borrow” staff from ASCC– Well trained students

Managing Multi-Media Classrooms

• Create a Standard– Teaching station

• Based on size of room and type of teaching of the major “users”– Equipment type

• Standard pieces – customized for greatest users on campus

» for instance the main lang classrooms have region free DVD players and multi-standard VCR’s

– Based on perceived needs and keeping up with changes » for instance replacing computers with front access USB ports

• Researching new technologies: piloting them and then deploying in suitable locations

– Smart Boards (7)– tablet PC’s (many wireless locations)– Audience Response System (just began)– ceiling mounted document cameras (2 locations)– dual projection (2)

Computers

• Macs or PC’s– PC’s: why?

• 1990’s most users on campus had PC’s• Most labs on campus were PC based• Most technical expertise on campus were with PC’s• WU does NOT make unilateral (top down) mandates on

equipment (decentralized)• What really helped

– Standard VGA cable at each teaching station

– Apple standardized output on VGA cables

– Apple supported auto display

Managing Computers and Software

• When we upgrade software – Summer & Fall breaks

• To “Lock out Users or Not”– No login or passwords-use Tweak UI– Free to download whenever/whatever they want

• Must have a license for purchased software– Fund to provide for new software purchases

– Restore to default 3 times a year– Run

• DHCP• Anti-Virus-Trend Micro (weekly)• Spyware removal software

Upgrade Computers and Software

• Problem of going over multiple networks– Internet access not working– Getting unplugged from a switch– Port goes bad– Some networks are behind firewalls– Some faster than others due to traffic

• How V-Lan will change that– Own “subnet” without reconfiguring or re-wiring

network• Control our computers like a lab

Conclusion

• Continue to do research into how classroom design helps teaching & learning– Talk to faculty, students, staff about their needs & experiences– Present ITeach bi-annual Teaching & Technology Symposium– Assist in Development & support of Telesis, WU’s own course

management system– Keep current on presentation technologies

• Continue to work as “consultants” to other departments to learn how they use space & technology

• Visit other institutions to see how they develop & manage their classrooms