Smart Classrooms

Balancing Function, Expense, and Extent

Smart Classrooms and Instruction

• Presentation technologies, coupled with Internet access has revolutionized instruction

• This revolution has increased demand for smart classrooms

• The expense involved poses challenges to the CIO in best serving the largest number of students

The Balancing Act

• Deploying Smart Classrooms requires the balancing of multiple factors:– Number of classrooms– Comprehensiveness of technology– Available resources

• In weighing these factors, consider:– The availability of smart classrooms for instruction– The impact on room flexibility– The impact on the amount of faculty training necessary– The long-term financial resources needed for maintenance

and renewal

Managing Expectations

• Involvement of Faculty in Establishment of Standards– At North Lake College, we administered a faculty

survey to measure the importance they assigned to some 98 smart classroom features/issues

– A focus group composed of faculty, staff, and administrative leaders then reviewed those results to arrive at a baseline standard

– Departments were then free to augment this standard to meet the needs of their particular disciplines

Comprehensiveness Versus Extent

• Taking a “bare bones” approach will permit deployment of the largest number of classrooms– Ceiling-Mounted Projector/Screen/Speakers– Computer/Monitor– Combo DVD/VCR Player– Media Cart for Computer and Player– Wall Panel with A/V Connections

• This approach brings with it greater support and training issues– Disconnection of equipment– Multiple or Missing Remotes– Equipment Operation

Comprehensiveness Versus Extent

• A comprehensive “organic” approach – Will significantly reduce the support issues

• A/V Control Panels to eliminate remote controls• Networked A/V equipment to permit remote support

– And permit more modes of instruction• Document cameras• Smartboards• Interactive Response Systems

• Correspondingly reducing the number of classrooms deployed

Metrics For Room Selection

• Establishment of formal metrics for room selection– Opportunity to build consensus– Ensure service to the largest number of

students– Reduce costs related to retrofit– Reduces risk of design flaws

Metrics For Room Selection

• Priority should go to multi-use classrooms to maximize the number of students served– Room Capacity– Number and variety of sections/disciplines taught– Enrollment figures for those sections

• Priority should then go to rooms for which retrofit is least expensive

Approaches In Design

• The design approach taken should reflect the balance of comprehensiveness and expense

• Trade-offs should be assessed in terms of impact on instruction and technical support

• When compromise is necessary, alternative approaches to remediate deficiencies should be planned for

Planning For Infrastructure

• Infrastructure costs outweigh technology costs and are easily overlooked– Lighting (type, control, and ambient)– Security (key distribution, access control,

monitoring)– Electrical capacity– Network connections (wired and wireless)– Cooling (particularly in computer labs)

• Coordination with your facilities director is essential during the planning phase

Comprehensive Connectivity

• Every connection available at the projector should be available at the podium or wall connection panel

• Video (VGA, Composite Video, and S-Video)• Audio• PS/2, Serial, and USB

• A set of A/V connections should be made available for equipment brought into the classroom

• Secured media cabinets for fixed equipment can reduce the frequency of user disconnect of equipment and resulting technical support issues

Control And Operation

• A/V Control Panels– Simplifies the operation of the classroom’s equipment– Permits remote support via Ethernet– Permits remote monitoring of security and maintenance– Expensive to implement

• In their absence, purchase a supply of replacement remotes– Standardization of equipment reduces training requirements– Placement of spare remotes in division offices can provide

quick resolution for instructors in cases of theft

Laptop Docking Stations

• Provision of laptop docking stations for faculty laptops– Relieves the faculty of the necessity of dealing

with the “plumbing”– Requires standardization of laptop purchases– Requires additional video and networking

infrastructure– Requires manufacturer commitment to longer

compatibility lifecycles for docks

Wireless Networks

• Provides access to instructor and student-owned equipment

• Allows for “clustering” of smart classrooms around a single hotspot

• Likely reductions in bandwidth as more devices connect

• Wireless is not a substitute for a wired network

Wireless Projectors and Tablet PCs

• Allows use of Tablet PCs, “unchaining” the instructor from the podium

• Requires deployment of wireless networks

• Requires careful planning of the network/projector logical infrastructure

Triage

• Controlling expense to meet a desired extent of deployment requires careful consideration of trade-offs

• Each trade-off made will result in a increase in training and technical support requirements

Triage - Retrofit Versus New Construction

• Retrofitting existing classrooms is an expensive proposition when compared with new construction

• Alternatives– Consolidating smart classrooms within any new

construction project– A mixed approach in which new construction

incorporates the highest level of technology while retrofitted classrooms incorporate scaled-back implementation

Triage – Environment and Infrastructure

• Highly customized lighting treatments represent a significant expense– Zoned florescent lighting is a cheaper alternative– Careful screen placement and window treatments

can further reduce costs

• Placement of rooms within a building matters– Length limitations of Ethernet wiring– Wireless network coverage– Cooling/Heating considerations

Triage – Security

• Protecting the investment in smart classrooms is essential

• The degree of security required varies per institution– Simple cable locks on equipment– Comprehensive key control processes– Electronic access controls to rooms

Triage – Technology

• Establishing a sensible baseline standard can help contain costs– Avoid the temptation towards wholesale adoption of

new technologies– As an alternative, establish a test classroom in your

faculty resource center to pilot new technologies– This permits experimentation while limiting financial

exposure– Once a technology has proven effective, reliable,

and trainable, it can be incorporated into the standard

Questions?

J.D. Haight

North Lake College, DCCCD

5001 N. MacArthur Blvd.

Irving, Texas 75038

jdhaight@dcccd.edu