With a mandate from our IT Steering Committee and a wee pot of money Okanagan College built Model Technology Enhanced Classrooms at each of our 4 campuses this past year. The intent was to provide instructors with an opportunity to gain familiarity with educational technologies currently in use but not available to everyone at OC. It also came at a time when we are wrestling with the demise of VGA as a universal connection standard, and instructors wanting to use iPads for teaching, and students wanting to be able to display on the projector, and bringing in guest speakers using Skype, and running a backchannel, and … So we built them. And we learned a lot of things along the way. And I’ll tell you about them. http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/Campus_and_Community/employees/itservices/edtech/Model_Tech_Classroom.html Since 2005 Mike Minions has been the Educational Technology Coordinator at Okanagan College.
25. • impending demise of VGA
• transition from analogue to digital connectors
26. Activity – Create a Budget
• Come up with a
budget proposal
for your model
tech classroom
– Something that
might have a
chance of approval
27. OC MTEC Proposal
my rough list:
• interactive whiteboard - smart or epson
($2000-$3000)
• 2nd display - samsung 55-inch LED TV
($1000)
• document camera
($500)
• instructor computer (no cost - from existing IT stock)
• webcam/speakerphone for Skype etc.
($200)
• wireless USB mike for wandering lecture capture
($200)
• free (or almost free) screencastomatic software for lecture capture
• some kind of wireless system for getting student devices to the screens
($200)
• some kind of HDMI matrix switcher to send various devices to either screen
($500)
• total: $4600 - $5600 per classroom
28. OC MTEC
Proposal
• $16,000 VC for Kelowna
• $5000 x 4 classrooms
• total: $36,000
29. OC MTEC
Proposal
budget cycle:
• submit Dec 6
• hear rumours April 1
• see actual money May 15
• ready for use Sept 1
30. Approval – what now?
• Start buying gear
• Figure out what rooms
to turn into model tech
classrooms
• talk to scheduling offices in Kelowna, Vernon, Salmon Arm & Penticton
to identify suitable spaces
• goals: get as many instructors as possible into these classrooms
• let instructors request the room when building the schedule
• make sure there is sufficient free time for drop in and exploration
31. classroom selection - a study in conflicting priorities
Kelowna campus has serious
shortage of available space
significant confusion around
process for requesting a classroom
32. classroom selection - a study in conflicting priorities
fully booked for classes is not compatible
with readily available drop-in times
instructional support not easily available
at smaller campuses
37. equipment selection process
37
Instructor Computer
w/ video card for HDMI out to projector/TV
VGA to local display
38. equipment selection process
38
Standard Lenovo laptop
VGA to HDMI converter
various adapters:
miniDisplayPort to VGA
miniDisplayPort to HDMI
DisplayPort to HDMI
DVI to HDMI
39. equipment selection process
39
Epson DC-20
document camera
(HDMI out)
Logitech BCC-950
USB conference cam
RevoLabs
xTag wireless
USB mic
40. equipment selection process
40
Edimax wireless
HDMI transmitter/receiver
system
Gefen 4:2
HDMI matrix
switcher
41. 41
How do signals get from one place to another?
computer
laptop
document camera
wireless HDMI
switcher
interactive whiteboard
LED display
1
2
3
4
1
2
43. Testing / documentation
• Figuring out how things work
Discoveries:
• HDMI switching delay
• Can annotate over other
sources (but requires menu on
remote)
• Document camera software too
complex for untrained user
44. Installation
Challenges
• Pre-conceived notions of how teaching works
• “Why would the instructor want their
powerpoint on 2 screens at once?”
• Ownership vs. standards
• 4 instructor workstations each set up in
a different way
• 4 campuses of equal value = lowest common
denominator
• Leave existing projection screens in place
46. User training
• Demos
• connections
• at each campus
• 1:1 by request
Why would you want to
use these technologies in
your teaching?
• collaboration
• student engagement
• flexibility
59. Did you use the equipment in the
model technology classroom this term?
No, I didn’t know there was a
model technology classroom =
21
No, I was too busy this term = 7
No, the technology is not
relevant to how I teach = 2
Yes, I went in when the
classroom was not in use = 13
Yes, my class was scheduled in
that room = 2
60. Overall yes = 33%
Overall no = 67%
47% of respondents were unaware there was a model
technology classroom
20% heard about it, but didn’t try it
29% of respondents were scheduled into the room
general confusion about the process of requesting to
be scheduled into a particular classroom
61. Did you use the tutorial
materials posted?
No, I didn’t know they were there =
20
No, I just figured it out on my own =
4
Yes, I printed the user guide = 6
Yes, I watched the video tutorials =
1
Not applicable = 13
62. Overall yes = 20%
Overall no = 80%
of the 15 respondents who used the model tech
classroom only 7 found and used the online
tutorials. However paper copies of the user guide
were posted in each model classroom
63. Which model classroom
technologies did you use?
Two displays at the same time = 10
Document camera = 7
Interactive whiteboard = 6
Instructor workstation = 3
Wireless HDMI connection to
projector = 2
Webconferencing = 1
64. limited use of new capabilities of model
technology classroom
difficult to adapt teaching practices on the
fly - requires significant time and guidance
65. Is the model technology classroom and
effective way to provide an opportunity
to explore educational technologies?
Yes = 25
No = 3
Generally positive
response to the intent of
the project - even from
those with no intention
of using it
66. A selection of interesting comments:
What worked, what didn’t, what would you change?
67. I found it complicated. Setup was difficult. I had to
get AV help at least five times this semester.
The wiring was so jumbled, and other users kept
changing the plugs and settings.
Sometimes multiple display use seemed like overkill.
The document camera would be more useful if it
was elevated so I could stand and see my class.
TV has a wide aspect ratio which doesn’t fit well
with the usual course content.
68.
69. What to do next?
• $8000/yr ongoing funding
• clickers?
• replace HDMI matrix to solve delay?
• tidy up cable runs?
• ???