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.

1. Model
Technology Enhanced
Classroom Project
at
Okanagan College
… or what I did on my
summer vacation

2. How I Feel Every Day
2

3. Okanagan College IT Steering Committee

4. IT Priorities:
1. Fix wireless
2. Wireless in classrooms
3. Improve wi-fi coverage
4. More wireless bandwidth
5. Easier access to wireless
6. Wi-fi for Macs & iPads
7. Solve wi-fi login issues
8. Fix wireless disconnects
9. Help instructors use
technology for teaching
!

5. Help instructors use technology for teaching

6. The Task:
Create a model technology classroom at each campus
where instructors can become familiar with
technologies already in use at OC.

7. Activity: Make a List
• Make a list of
what technologies
you would put in
a model tech
classroom at your
campus.

8. Research & Development Phase

9. Standard OC Classroom
• ceiling mounted LCD projector
• pull down projection screen
• ceiling mounted speakers
• cable bundle
• power
• VGA cable
• network
• audio
• VHS/DVD player
• Overhead Projector

10. Non-standard Classroom Equipment
• Interactive Whiteboards - Smart and Epson Brightlink

11. Non-standard Classroom Equipment
• Document Cameras
AverVision 300p

12. Non-standard Classroom Equipment
• Webcams for Skype, BlueJeans, BB Collaborate
Logitech C920

13. Non-standard Classroom Equipment
• Wireless microphone for lecture capture audio

14. Non-standard Classroom Equipment
• Student response systems - ‘clickers’

15. Non-standard Classroom Equipment
• Connecting iPads and Android Tablets to the projector

16. What instructors have been asking for
• Better wireless
in the classrooms

17. • wireless connection to the projector
for instructors and students

18. • be able to display 2 different inputs at the same time
(split screen or 2 screens?)

19. • a way to combine small enrolment classes at 2 campuses

20. • a way to combine small enrolment classes at 2 campuses
France - fin de siècle

21. • a way to combine small enrolment classes at 2 campuses
Chaplin - Modern Times

22. • a way to combine small enrolment classes at 2 campuses

23. Support Constraints
• least requirement for software installation
• minimize on-site tech service calls

24. Forward thinking
• BYOD trend
for instructors

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

33. classroom selection - a study in conflicting priorities
33

34. equipment selection process
34
Interactive Whiteboard - Smart or Epson Brightlink?

35. equipment selection process
35
Epson
Brightlink
485Wi
Interactive
Projector
+
Epson 96-inch
Whiteboard

36. equipment selection process
36
Samsung 55-inch LED display (3xHDMI inputs)
w/ Chief wall mount

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

42. 42

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

45. Installation in-progress - D223 Vernon

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

47. User training
• User guides

48. User training
• Video tutorials

49. E208 Model Technology Classroom - Kelowna

50. E208 Model Technology Classroom - Kelowna

51. E208 Model Technology Classroom - Kelowna

52. E208 Model Technology Classroom - Kelowna

53. E208 Model Technology Classroom - Kelowna

54. E208 Model Technology Classroom - Kelowna

55. E208 Model Technology Classroom - Kelowna

56. E208 Model Technology Classroom - Kelowna

57. E208 Model Technology Classroom - Kelowna
How to ignore all the
technology in this room
and use it like a
regular classroom

58. Survey Results
Classrooms went into
operation Sept. 1 2013
Survey conducted Dec. 2013
n= 47

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.

69. What to do next?
• $8000/yr ongoing funding
• clickers?
• replace HDMI matrix to solve delay?
• tidy up cable runs?
• ???