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April 2000
Using Classroom Technology
ISS Media Resources provides scheduling and delivery of portable equipment
for use in classrooms without installed equipment, and training and support
for both portable and installed technology. Visit http://www.indiana.edu/~mediares/services.html
for information on equipment, ordering procedures, training, and technology
classrooms.
More and more faculty are using some form of instructional technology in their
teaching. When equipment malfunctions, the network is down, the power is out, or
the equipment has been stolen or vandalized, faculty find themselves in an
awkward situation. Because the situation may require time to remedy, it is
important for faculty to have contingency plans.
The support and maintenance of installed technology classrooms is a
partnership between ISS, Electronics, and UITS. Classroom technology support staff
regularly check ISS-supported technology classrooms; when problems exist, the
appropriate unit and faculty teaching in the classroom are notified. A dedicated
emergency help line, 855-8765 option 3, is also available (M—TH 7:30
am—8:30 pm, F 7:30 am—5 pm) for faculty to call if they experience
equipment problems during class sessions. If the problem can’t be solved with
a phone consultation, our goal is to get a support specialist to the classroom within 5
minutes. However, 5 minutes can seem like an eternity in front of a class.
The following are tips for making classroom technology work, arranged by
technology type.
General Caveats
- Become familiar with the equipment and software you want to use. If you are
teaching in an installed technology classroom, arrange for a session with a
classroom technology support specialist before your first use date. Bring the video,
laser disc, or DVD you want to show with you. If you will be using the computer,
bring a sample Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or other file or CD-ROM so you can see
how it projects in the room.
- If you are using portable equipment, especially a laptop and projector, arrange a
practice session in your classroom.
- Make sure equipment is plugged in and turned on.
- Turn off all portable equipment after use.
- Log out of the system controls in an installed technology classroom to preserve
the life span of the equipment.
- Call the emergency help number immediately if you have a problem (855-8765
option 3) so that the problem can be fixed as quickly as possible. (Please select option
2 if you want to schedule equipment.)
Video
- Use commercially produced videos whenever possible. (ISS will purchase
videos if they are available for sale.)
- The video image degrades with each copy made. Other factors that have an
impact on the quality of the image are tape quality, VCR quality, tracking, and dirty
VCR heads. Duplicated tapes play best on the TV/VCR they were recorded on.
Problems may occur when using other equipment.
- Images always look better on smaller screens; a projected image magnifies the
tape’s imperfections and cannot be compared to the TV image.
- Make sure the tape is rewound before it is shown.
- The high-end installed DVD players may find errors on your DVD disc that your
home player may not, and the DVD player will stop displaying the video.
Computers/Laptops
- Test the laptop, the software, and the projector in your classroom.
- If you require software other than the standard suite installed on ISS circulating
laptops—Microsoft Office Suite, browsers, WordPerfect, and other network
software—you can arrange to have it loaded if you have a valid software
license. Users can put data files in a dedicated user folder on an ISS laptop, but it is
not always possible to have the same laptop for each use. All data files and personal
software are removed at the end of each semester. If you have large files to access,
become familiar with faculty lockers.
- Portable laptops are available for in-class use only; they are not available for
weekly or semester checkout.
- Special software installation requests for installed computers must be made at
least two days, and preferably one week, prior to the use date. Requests for additions
to software on the STC partition must be made to STC staff at least a semester in
advance.
- If you use a personal laptop in an installed technology classroom, try the laptop
in the classroom to find out what resolution (e.g., VGA, SVGA, XGA) the installed
projector supports. ISS can help you do this.
- If a guest speaker will be using a laptop in your class, obtain the following
information: computer platform (PC or Mac), brand and model of laptop, resolution,
whether a network connection will be required, whether the laptop has a network
card, and whether any extra equipment will be required to connect to the laptop. Get
the speaker and the laptop in the room as soon as possible for a dry run.
Networks
- All general purpose classrooms have active network connections. If you
anticipate accessing the network in your class, consult with ISS regarding IP
addressing and make a dry run before your first class session.
- If you experience network problems, please let us know immediately so we can
have the problem checked.
Sound Systems
- Check out the sound system by playing media beforehand to see if the volume
level is adequate.
- Quality of the media affects sound playback; copies will not sound as good as
originals.
Microphones
- Classrooms with wireless microphones also have wired microphones that can
be used as backup.
- Volume levels for wireless microphones are pre-set to reinforce the speaking
voice at maximum volume without feedback.
- Each wireless microphone has a low battery indicator; change the battery as
required. Spare batteries are provided; dispose of old batteries properly.
- Please leave the microphone clip, belt clip, and the microphone in the
classroom when you are done. It’s easy to walk off with these items, which
causes problems for those teaching after you.
Overhead Projectors
- Each classroom should have at least one overhead transparency projector.
Occasionally the overhead will not be in the classroom; in this case there will most
likely be two overheads in a room nearby.
- Overhead projectors in general purpose classrooms all have spare bulbs that are
accessible via the slider bar on the front of the projector.
- Staff routinely replace blown bulbs. Please call the emergency help number after
your class if you use the spare bulb or have other problems with the equipment.
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