Technology in the Classroom: Where we are and where we might go

Elia Schoomer

This article describes the current resources of Lehigh's technology classrooms and introduces some additional resources that might be added to our classrooms as we pursue life cycle updating over the next three years. Feedback on these potential innovations is solicited.

                                                          
One of our interests in Instructional Media Services and Lehigh Lab is exploring technology tools that faculty can use to enhance our learning community: finding new tools, thinking about how they might be used, determining if faculty are actually interested in using them, and developing implementation strategies for those that appear to make the grade.  This article will try to accomplish several things: 1) provide an overview of the current resources in Lehigh’s technology enhanced classrooms, 2) introduce additional technologies that instructors might find of interest, and 3) provide a starting point for a dialog on which tools might make up the next wave of classroom technology implementation both for the new classroom projects and for the ongoing lifecycle upgrades in our tech rooms.  As we plan for the future in a time of tight resources, it is important that we are especially diligent in evaluating the desirability and effectiveness of technologies that could have a significant impact on our classroom resources. 

This article has four parts: the first section, discusses Lehigh’s current technology classroom models.  The second section introduces additional resources that might be added to the classroom environment to enhance display capabilities, improve class participation, or enhance interaction with presented materials.  The third section offers three approaches to a specific technology: the real-time recording and distribution of actual classes.  This technology, depending on how it is used, can have no impact, some impact or significant impact on classroom infrastructure. The final section is an overview of technologies that relate to the creation of spaces that are conducive to collaborative approaches to teaching and learning.  Some of these tools have minimal impact on classroom infrastructure, while others have a significant impact.  I hope that this material and the feedback we gather from it will help us plan for the next generation of technology resources.

I. Technology in the Classroom: Lehigh Today

The first three models represent typical installations of presentation technology in our current classrooms. The fourth model is a new one, developed as a low-cost alternative for classrooms or labs that require limited technology resources for occasional use only. 

1. Laptop Ready Classroom: This technology classroom typically has a projector on the ceiling, a manual pull down-screen, a wall-mounted touch panel control system, and a rectangular rolling cart which contains connections for a user-provided laptop, a network cable and a DVD/VCR player.  Speakers are typically mounted in the ceiling.  The cart is permanently connected to the wall with a short cable bundle and is able to move within the range of this cable.
2. Technology Classroom: This room type represents the bulk of our installations.  It has a ceiling-mounted projector and a manual pull-down screen.  Some of the smaller rooms use a flat-panel display instead of a projector.  There is a fixed standing-height instructor station which contains a built-in computer with LTS image and network access, a monitor, a touch panel control, a DVD/VCR, and connections for a user-supplied laptop.  Speakers are typically in the ceiling, but in some installations they are on the front wall. Wireless mice are available for checkout from the Media Center.  Document cameras are provided in some of these classrooms. 
3. Auditorium: This room type contains all of the equipment listed for the Technology Classroom, with a smaller, lectern-like instructor station, as much of the technology support equipment is located in a nearby closet.  Projectors are often located in a booth at the rear of the room, but may also be ceiling-mounted.  These rooms also include an amplifier system for speech sound with a permanent podium microphone.  Clip-on and hand-held wireless microphones are available from the Media Center and additional wired microphones can be used in most rooms.  Auditoriums have document cameras installed at the lectern. 
4. Proposed Laboratory Model: This is a new, simplified (lower cost) classroom type that may be suitable for lab rooms or other classrooms where limited use of technology is expected.  This system consists of a ceiling-mounted projector, manual roll down screen, a wall or table-mounted interface for user-supplied laptop and a simple push button control, also wall or table-mounted.  There is no DVD/VCR or amplified sound provided.  Auxiliary jacks are provided for a gooseneck style document camera or other device that might be brought in by an instructor as needed.  A wall or ceiling-mounted flat panel display can be substituted for the projector and screen if more appropriate to the space.

Lehigh’s current technology classroom resources can be explored on our classrooms website where you can find listings of room features, photographs, instructions and video overviews of classroom operation.

II. Additional Classroom Technology Resources

 There are a number of enhancements that we might consider as our technology classroom models evolve.  Some are already in limited use; others are emerging technologies that have not yet found a place at Lehigh as we try to assess faculty interest in implementing or expanding these resources.  Where appropriate, links are offered to allow for further exploration. 

1. Display Options: Most of our classrooms use projectors which display a native resolution of 1024x768.  Higher resolution displays are now used by most laptops and this mismatch does cause some difficulty.  Higher resolution projectors (UXGA) are available, but at this time they are not cost effective.   Our current display ratio is 4x3, typical of older computer and TV displays.  However with the shift to high definition TV (typically 16x9) and the increased use of ‘wide screen’ laptops (typically 16x10), it is likely that we will begin to shift to wide screen displays (WXGA) where appropriate.  Going forward we must be careful not to include any architectural elements on the teaching wall that would inhibit installation of a screen that may be several feet wider than those typically installed today.  A wide screen projection system has been installed in the Media Center (EWFM 370d) as a demonstration project.  Wide screen projection has an impact on writing surfaces as the wider screen will cover more board.  To mitigate this problem we might consider sliding boards (see below) or we might try to offset projectors, trading off ideal sight lines for board surface.  Of course, wide screen flat-panel plasma or LCD displays will continue to be used in smaller seminar type classrooms.   
2. Dual Projection:  Two-projector systems offer the opportunity to display images side by side for comparison, the use of a fixed computer and laptop at the same time, display of a document camera and a computer or a PowerPoint show and a web page, etc.  This is a popular (but expensive) feature.  It also adds to the complexity of the user interface.  Some day, when technology costs allow, it may be possible to use a high resolution wide screen projector (UWXGA) to display two side by side images from the one projector.  This allows for very dynamic presentations but with the trade-off of higher complexity and smaller (multiple) image size than one might achieve with two projectors. 
3. Virtualization/3d: New tools for generating immersive visualization or virtual 3d to simple projection and flat panel displays may bring this highly complex and expensive technology out of the 4- or 5-projector “Cave” and into the classroom.  New projection technologies and screen surfaces, active glasses and software improvements may offer some interesting opportunities for disciplines where getting more deeply involved in projected material might be of value. 
4. Writing Surfaces:  There are several interesting options to enhance typical white or chalk board surfaces.  Several companies make mobile board systems that hang on the wall but can be removed to facilitate group, collaborative and brainstorming type activities.  The Egan VersaBoard is one of these.  Also of interest are modular track systems for board surfaces.  These allow more boards in a given amount of space.  These may be especially useful in rooms where wide projection screens may hide a great deal of board where being able to slide additional board out from behind the screen might be useful. 
5. Document Cameras: while these are currently installed in all auditoria, they might also be added to technology classrooms.  Document cameras like this one from WolfVision replace overhead projectors, and work with paper as well as transparencies.  They also display 3d objects and add zoom capability at fairly high magnification projecting an object the size of a thumbnail full screen.  While document cameras are often located in drawers, we have found that a surface installation is much preferred since the unit is at a more usable height.  There is a variation of the document camera that puts a camera on a gooseneck rather than a fixed arm.  These can be useful for lab demonstrations where looking at objects from an angle might be of interest. 
6. Wireless keyboards: These are most useful in seminar type classrooms and can be used to give instructors full access to built-in computers even when they are sitting at the seminar table. Wireless keyboards can be seen in the Linderman classrooms.  All current technology classrooms with instructor station computers currently support wireless mice which are available from the Media Center.
7. Capture/Interactive Surfaces: There are several approaches to capture technology, often referred to as Smart Boards.  A capture board is a white board that simply captures what you write in a digital form.  Material can be saved, posted to Blackboard, edited, whatever.  Some work by recording surface touches, some by tracking of a special pen, and others, like the Polyvision CopyCam, by simply photographing the writing surface.  An interactive capture board, such as the Eagan TeamBoard, adds the capacity for the instructor to interact with and annotate projected material from the white board, encouraging the use of computer projection in much the same way as a chalk board, from the front of the room rather than from behind the instructor station.  These notations can be saved.  While interactive boards are often used with projectors, they are best used with rear-screen projection systems or specially equipped flat-screen displays which avoid disturbing shadows and projector hot-spots.  Other systems, like the Smart Sympodium, offer the same capability as the interactive board with a surface at the instructor station that can be used as a white board or as an interactive overlay to a computer image.  Tablet PCs can also be used in this way.  Graphics tablets also offer a simple low budget means of adding writing capability to projection environments.  One of these, from Wacom, is available at the Media Center. 
8. Audience Response Systems: Many instructors are finding value in the use of response systems (clickers) to bring interaction and collaboration to large and small classes.  After a year-long pilot study, Turning Point has been adopted as the clicker of choice for Lehigh and is has been used by over 1000 students in seven classes.  Transmitter/receiver sets can be borrowed from the Media Center for occasional use or if they are to be ‘required’ for courses support is provided through the Campus Bookstore.  Receivers for ‘clickers’ can be added to any technology classroom or auditorium. 
9. Video Conferencing: Video conferencing enables participants at a distance to be fully involved in the class.  At the desktop, conferencing is easy: a web camera, a microphone/headset and you are good to go.  In the classroom things get complicated, and these types of rooms are generally viewed as special purpose spaces.  Web conferencing tools offer a compromise, allowing distant presenters to ‘visit’ a classroom while the class feedback to the presenter is via phone or typing rather than two-way video and audio.  Lehigh has licensed Elluminate to support web-based conferencing.  You can find information about using Elluminate at Lehigh here.   Outside companies often use other products for their webcasts, including WebEx, GoToMeeting , and Acrobat Connect.    
10. Informal Meeting Spaces: Researchers have discovered that much learning takes place in the ‘in-between spaces’ such as hallways, and various casual gathering spots that students find as they move between classes.  These spaces can be enhanced as collaborative environments with the creative use of furniture and perhaps the addition of simple technology (whiteboards) or more intensive technology (flat panel displays, capture boards, etc.). 
11. Media on Demand: At some point bandwidth, storage and rights licensing will converge such that film-type materials can be delivered as needed to the classroom over the network.  The inevitable end to the VHS format (and even the questionable future of the DVD) may drive this new model for access to media materials
12. Electric Roll-Down Screens: These are an improvement over the pull-down screen.  They can be set to lower when the projection system is activated and rise upon shut down.  They are less prone to abuse, and they make for a more professional look and cleaner design, recessed in the ceiling, not hanging off the wall, but they are more expensive than pull-down screens.
13. Lighting Controls: Modern teaching facilities require careful zoning and varied lighting scenes for effective use of technology.  Instructors may not want confusing banks of multiple switches.  Electronic controls that can be integrated into technology control systems can be simple and effective.  Room vacancy sensors (ultrasonic + infrared) are effective at controlling lighting and can be integrated into presentation control systems to help manage projector status.
14. Digital Signage: While not classroom technology, digital signage is becoming a very popular medium for common spaces.  Digital signs are powerful tools for branding the institution, the building and the department.  They can display activities, news, events, schedules and more.  Centralization allows for template management and ease of use.  Interactive signs offer building mapping and other browsing opportunities. 

.III. Recording in the Technology Classroom

Even as many instructional theorists are thinking of ways to migrate away from the lecture form of instruction, there is growing interest in the recording of classroom lectures for podcasts or streaming at a later time.  There are several levels of technology that can be exploited to record classroom sessions, each offering progressively richer media (and progressive complexity): 

1. Simple Audio Recording: Many faculty are finding it useful to record the audio portion of their classes to make the lecture available to students for later review.  This is easily done: the instructor simply uses a small digital recorder with a clip on microphone (these are available from the Media Center or can be purchased for well under $100).  The lecture, usually unedited, is uploaded to a computer, the file format is changed if needed and the lecture is moved to a website or a Blackboard Class for student use all within minutes of the end of class.  The instructor can also post any related presentation materials and while these will not be synchronized with the audio, most students can figure out what is going on.  From the standpoint of classroom technology, this has zero impact.  Software based systems that record directly to a computer, such as Audacity, are also available.  We are also looking at testing pocket MP4 video recorders that offer easy to use means to capture and share audio and video.  You can see one of these here. 
2. Audio and Display Recording: Camtasia, commonly used by instructors to capture computer screens and narrations at their desks, can also be used to capture classroom activity, however Jing Project offered by the same company may be an easier solution for material that will not be edited.  Other systems are available as well for live recording using the computer at the instructor station.  Many of these offer ‘one button’ processes, with the only complication being attaching some sort of microphone, wireless or wired, to the computer.  The more sophisticated systems offer navigation tools, automatic indexing.   Elluminate and Accordant are examples of this type of software. 
3. Audio, Video and Display Recording: Several companies offer products which they call “appliances” that combine the instructor’s audio and computer display with a video image of the instructor, automatically processing the three feeds into a podcast, webcast or live stream.  Accordant, Tegrity and Echo 360 offer examples of this type of product.  These systems have a significant impact on the classroom infrastructure.  In addition to the need for an instructor microphone, accommodations must be made for the integration of the appliance and the connection and management of a video camera. 

.IV. Collaborative Tools and Resources

There is a great deal of interest in teaching and learning strategies that enable classes to evolve from lecture oriented experiences to fully collaborative learning communities.  While a great deal of the change involves course design and a change in the instructor’s approach to the material, it has been argued that the classroom itself must change, from rows of seats facing front to, well, something else.  Again, these changes range from the simple to the complex:

1. Seminar Spaces: The most familiar collaborative teaching environment is the seminar room.  All participants sit around the table and the class flows accordingly.  Technologically, seminar rooms tend to be simple.  We have several rooms that make use of flat panel displays with wireless keyboards and mice so instructors and students can make use of presentation media without the barriers introduced by an instructor station. 
2. Writing Surfaces: These were described in the second section above.  In the collaborative classroom, writing surfaces are seen on all walls, not just the front.  Portable systems allow students to break into groups and work together, and then bring their material to the class as a whole when appropriate.  Capture boards allow for easy saving and distribution of brainstorming exercises.
3. Collaborative Classrooms: This type of classroom is designed to facilitate group interaction.  A collaborative classroom usually includes the sorts of flexible and interactive writing surfaces described above.  Furniture is selected and placed so as to enable the class to easily meet both as a whole and as a collection of groups, while shifting quickly between these two modes.  There is generally no ‘front’ to these rooms.  The instructor can see and be seen by the students from anywhere in the space.  The technology is adapted to suit this model, with multiple projection, display, and interactive surfaces supporting group ‘pods’ as well as providing excellent sight lines for the class as a whole.  Often these spaces make use of laptops or tablet PCs, taking advantage of tools that enable the fluid flow of information, with individual participants able to project material from their laptops to their group or the whole class, while other tools enable each participant to work on the material presented by others in their group.  Smart, Tidebreak and NCH Software offer products with this sort of capability.  Collaborative classrooms are very exciting and dynamic teaching environments, but they can be very expensive in terms of equipment, support, and space. 
4. Virtual Classrooms: Some of the most interesting collaborative teaching spaces don’t exist at all.  Web based tools enable class participants to meet live in a real-time virtual classroom.  Elluminate, for example is a multi-purpose web-based conferencing tool that has been used at Lehigh for several years in various applications including meetings, classes, guest speakers, interviews and more.  These tools offer a rich technology environment and classroom experience without the classroom.  Commercial or faculty developed browser-based massive multiplayer games offer exiting simulations, augmented realities, and other rich environments to extend collaborative teaching and learning outside of the classroom (see the work of the Games Learning Society).  Lehigh has also begun exploring the immersive virtual world of SecondLife as an opportunity to create new teaching environments.  For information about Lehigh in SecondLife click here.
5. Personal Area Networks: Our students live in a here and now, always connected, anytime-anywhere, on-demand world.  They come to Lehigh carrying their own personal networks with them: Smart phones, iPods, PDAs, Bluetooth devices, and more.  Some of these technologies may well make up the heart of the next generation classroom: Cell phones as ‘clickers’ or presentation devices; PDAs as collaborative devices; all manner of individual devices integrated into our LAN, pushing, pulling, tweeting, gaming, mapping, recording and sharing data.  Not too far down the line, small-screen computing may well offer an inexpensive way to enhance collaborative teaching and learning.

.Next Steps

All of the additional classroom resources listed in sections II, III, and IV offer two significant challenges that will come into play after questions of budget, interest and suitability are addressed:  We have gone to great lengths to make each of our classroom types (described in the first section) very much alike so as to make faculty assigned to these rooms as comfortable as possible with using the technology resources.  If and when additional technologies are added, classroom features will begin to diverge.  Our challenge will then be to find a way to make sure instructors are assigned to the “right” classroom, one with the resources they need to teach the way they want to teach.  At the same time we will have to make sure other faculty members who may be assigned to these rooms are not frustrated by the complexity that will be introduced with enhanced resources.  I heard somewhere that “the future is just like the past only more expensive” and I would add:” harder to use”. 

So, with the above caveat aside, anything strike your fancy?  Any new teaching style you’d like to try?  Anything you’d like to see in your classroom?  Anything you’d like to try?  Is there something else you’ve seen or read about that we should be looking at?  Staff members associated with Lehigh Lab are eager to work with you.  Contact Elia Schoomer, Instructional Media Services, ens0@lehigh.edu, Sherri Yerk-Zwickl, Instructional Technology, shy2@lehigh.edu, or Greg Reihman, Faculty Development, grr3@lehigh.edu to share your thoughts on our journey into a technology rich teaching and learning environment.

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