321 TeleClassrooms

The 321 Teleclassrooms are located in the Communications Building. The two classrooms are normally separated by a removable partition wall and serve different instructional needs. 321A is a videotape classroom and 321B is an interactive computer lab and classroom.

CAMERAS
There are four primary cameras in each classroom. Cameras One and Two are used to view the instructor. Camera Two can be positioned anywhere along the track on which it is mounted. Camera Three is the Overhead Camera. It is mounted in the ceiling above the instructor's desk. Camera Four is used to view the students.

MONITORS
There are ten monitors in each classroom. The students view the five monitors mounted above and in the front face of each instructor's desk. There are four monitors for the instructor. Instructors primarily rely on the two monitors at the back of the classroom on either side of Camera One. When looking at these monitors, the instructor appears to be looking directly at far site and tape students, if Camera One is on program. There are also two monitors mounted in the top of the instructor's desk and a 50" Smart Board Plasma Display mounted on the wall at the front of the classroom.

CLOCKS
There is a clock on top of each of the monitors in the back of the classroom. One clock gives the correct time and the other is a Countdown Clock. The Countdown Clock is used to let the instructor know how much time is left either before the video tapes must be changed or until the scheduled break.

MICROPHONES
There are three different types of microphones used in the classroom. The instructor normally uses the wireless mic. The wireless has an Off, Mute , and On switch. The Mute position enables the mic to be turned off without making a popping noise at the far sites and on the videotape. The lavalier mic is typically used only when there is a guest speaker or a student presentation. Like the wireless, it is fastened to a speaker's clothing with a clip. It. The student mics are mounted on the students' desktops.

Students must activate their mics by pushing and holding the button labeled "Touch" in order to be heard on tape and at the far sites. A good way to familiarize students with this procedure is to have each of them introduce themselves on the first day of class. Tell the far site students to let you know if they ever can't hear a student comment. The student assistant can also alert the instructor over the intercom by saying, "we didn't hear that".

Note that students often don't want to be heard if they think they are asking a "stupid" question, and the best intentioned students sometimes fail to keep the Touch button properly depressed. The red light on the student microphones indicates when they are activated. A flickering red light will result in only snippets of a student's remarks being heard.

INSTRUCTOR'S DESK

The two instructor's desks, divided by the removable partition, are symmetrical to each other. The desk in classroom 'A' is shown above. In classroom 'B, the Call Button is located on the left side of the desk. Push the Call Button when you want to speak to someone in the Control Room over the intercom.

The top of the desk has a light table, but turning the lamp on is not necessary, or even helpful, for most Overhead presentations. The view of the Overhead camera always appears in the monitor on the right side of the desktop. The monitor on the left will always show what is on "Program". "Program" is the view that is sent to the far sites and recorded on tape.

CLASSROOM COMPUTERS
A keyboard and computer monitor are also located on each desktop. Both Room A & B are equipped with Dell 1.2GHz machines. Instructors and guests can also use their own computers for special presentations. Whatever computers are used must be connected to the scan converter by a student assistant. The computer screen can then be sent directly to Program.