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Classroom IQs Rise
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Eric Poston installs a new overhead projector as part of summer upgrades by information technology services to more than a dozen USF classrooms. |
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Dozens of University of San Francisco classrooms got smarter over the summer, in spite of a break from classes, with the addition of the latest smart technology. Among the upgrades are classroom laptop computers, an interactive computer laboratory at Lone Mountain, and a film screening room in Cowell Hall.
At Lone Mountain, 18 classrooms, four of which previously had no technology and the rest of which had “plug and play” access only, received “Level 1 Plus” upgrades, including wireless Internet access, DVD/VHS players, and the latest Macintosh computers built to run both OS X Leopard and Windows. The upgrades bring the total number of Level 1 Plus rooms – those with wireless access, classroom computers, DVD/VHS players, ceiling mounted projectors, video screens, and wall-mounted speakers – on campus to 46.
Similar technology went into 12 rooms in Kalmanovitz Hall, as part of that building’s renovation.
“The capabilities are important to instruction, but pretty basic in functionality,” said Larry Montagna, classroom technology manager. “You can show films from DVD or VHS tapes, project computer-based presentations from the built-in laptop, and connect your own Mac or PC laptop to the AV (audio visual) system.”
Faculty say the upgrades allow them to be more effective, ultimately reaching students through more than one medium. “I’m a big fan of ‘smart classrooms,’” said Elisabeth Jay Friedman, associate professor of politics and chair of Latin American studies.
Smart-classroom technology lets her incorporate pictures, maps, graphs, music, or even videos into her lessons. “Whenever I’m talking about Gandhi, I can show of video clip of him speaking about the Salt March to Dandi,” Friedman said.
An enthusiastic convert, she has swapped her old lecture handouts for PowerPoint slides, which saves paper and can be archived for later reference, Friedman said. She is pleased with the upgrades in Lone Mountain classrooms, where she teaches frequently.
The upgrades signal a shift in USF’s approach to building smart classrooms, from larger, pricier, podium installations, of which there are 19 on campus, to less expensive, comparably equipped workstations. Montagna estimates that the smaller, more flexible workstation reduce by about half the cost of outfitting a single smart classroom, he said. That means money better spent adding technology to more classrooms.
Summer improvements also included a new 40-seat computer laboratory in Lone Mountain’s Rossi Wing, which will allow upper-campus dorm residents to access e-mail and do Internet research, as well as provide nursing students and faculty a state-of-the-art facility for required testing. Student computer screens in the lab will be recessed into desks, to allow a clear line of vision to the instructor.
USF’s television and film studies programs also received a major boost. Students and faculty can now catch a show, hold film festivals, bring in guest experts, and view their own projects using the latest equipment, following renovations to Cowell 114. The lecture hall received a drop-down, projection screen and high-definition projector and sound equipment, Montagna said.
- Originally posted Aug. 21 - 
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