How to determine classroom AV requirements: An overview — from CampusTechnology.com by Michael Leiboff
Defining appropriate room characteristics can simplify classroom design and improve the chances of its success as a teaching and learning space.

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From DSC:
For those of you involved with creating learning labs, smart classrooms, group study areas, etc. — or for those who want to enable more efficient group collaboration within your classrooms — you need to check out Steelcase’s Media:Scape product line.

One of the pieces of this configuration that I love is that they have created an easy-to-use interface in a puck-like device. What I want to see happen is for students to pull up to a movable/reconfigurable table, connect their device, and click the puck to “play” their media for the class (without interrupting the flow of the class).

Also, one monitor on the “totem” can be used for one set of information/data — or even a remote speaker via videoconferencing for example — and the other monitor can be used for someone else’s data/desktop.

Here are some images for you:

Also see the Media:Scape ad/video:

This product line is also available through Custer Workplace Interiors.

Custer Workplace Interiors

Tribeca Flashpoint Presents the node Augmented Reality Demo — from blog.flashpointacademy.com

This summer, Steelcase and Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy collaborated in the research and launch of the node student learning pod.

Turn on your webcam to try the node Augmented Reality demo! http://node.tribecaflashpoint.com


Engineered specifically for today’s collaborative classrooms, the node allows students to move more, store more, and fit more into their learning space.

As part of the launch campaign for the node Classroom Chair, Flashpoint developed this augmented reality tool to illustrate the node’s easy, 30-second, tool-free assembly.

The Next Generation of Digitally Enhanced Learning — from The Journal by Scott Aronowitz

At the recent Ed Tech Summit, a technology consultant took a distant look at the future of education, based on both widespread speculation and technologies currently on the market and in development

In his lecture at the Ed Tech Summit at the InfoComm 2010 conference in Las Vegas, Mark S. Valenti, founder and president of Pittsburgh-based technology consulting firm The Sextant Group, delved into the myriad of ways in which advancing technology will continue to enhance, improve, and expand education–both K-12 and post-secondary education–as well as the shifts in priorities and attitudes such advancements will likely cause.

In Valenti’s “big picture” view of the next stage of education, there will be several significant changes, some of which we are already witnessing, that will alter the entire landscape for “providers” of education and related services, e.g., colleges and universities, vocational and trade institutes, public and private K-12 schools, etc., as well as for teachers and students:

* The process will continue to become more technology-dependent;
* There will be increased demand for access, in terms of user capacity, frequency, transmission speed, and content capacity, leading to increased demand for bandwidth;
* Information will become increasingly media rich, which will also impact bandwidth demand; and
* The individual will increasingly become both a consumer and a producer of information, leading to shifts in the dynamic between educators and the educated.

Finally, such technology will lead to a rethinking of the architecture of learning spaces themselves. “Collaboration across time and space will drive facility design [in the coming years]. We’re seeing technologies like Skype become commonplace. We’re seeing major investments from companies like Cisco in things like TelePresence, which is a prime example of cross-collaboration.” Valenti said he believes that, in the long run, in addition to the changes in teaching and learning methods, the physical space that accommodates learning will also change. Classrooms driven by multimedia, virtual hands-on combinations of laboratories and lecture spaces, and the aforementioned virtual operating rooms are all examples of the digitally enhanced learning spaces on the horizon.

Wimba Connect 2010


Wimba Connect 2010 — check out the applications of these tools


OPENING KEYNOTE
Carol Vallone, CEO, Wimba


Teaching Math & Sciences
with Wimba (Panel)Andrew Byrne & Kurt Mederer, Convent of the Sacred Heart; David Tao, Santosh Madhavan & Dan Lim, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences; Michele Barbeau & Kem Rogers, The University of Western Ontario

Using Wimba to Engage and Empower an Academic Community of Learners: The Case of the Global Citizen
Linda Ralston & Rebekah Grow, University of Utah

Faculty Development Wimba Style
Janet Welch & Stacey Mateika, Red Deer College

Using Wimba Voice, Pronto, and Create in Synchronously in Wimba Classroom and Asynchronously in an Online Environment
Brooke Eberwine, Steven Frecka & Jamie Westyn, OHDELA

Small Scale Implementation of Wimba Classroom – The Possibilities Are Endless
Regina Bobak & Julie Wolfe, Bloomsburg University of PA

Language Learning with Wimba (Panel)
Teresa MacKinnon, University of Warwick Language Centre; Ana Garcia Allen, The University of Western Ontario; Barbara Cohen, Berkeley College

Wikis, Wimbas, Whatevers! What Teachers Weave!
Jane Overmoe, Dakota Prairie HS

Taking the Troy Colloquium Online + Wimba: The Solution to Quality Online Learning
Gayle Nelson & Peter Paige, Troy University

Wimba Product Presentation
Annie Chechitelli, Wimba

Presentations Live or On-the-Go with Wimba Classroom MP4 Archives
Jason Rhode, Northern Illinois University & Larry Holland, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

NCVPS Cultural Cafe
Thomas Moncrief, North Carolina Virtual Public School

Our Journey: From Face 2 Face 2 Online Masters Degree
Gary Shouppe & Tom McCormack, Columbus State University

So Many Choices, So Little Time: Effective Voice Tools Training
Stacey Powell & Kathy McClelland, Auburn University

Features, Technical Problems and Technical Support in Higher Education Wimba Classrooms
Mary Nell McNeese, Amy Thornton & Jalynn Roberts, University of Southern Mississippi

ALAKAZAM!!! Instantly Transform your Physical Classrooms into Lecture Capture Spaces Using Wimba!
Scott Smith & Brian Reed, Wimba; Mark Burris, Michael Merritt & Linda Stauffer, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Using Wimba to Prepare for H1N1 and other Potential Disasters (Panel)
Phil O’Hara & Tim Fedak, Dalhousie University; David Tao & Dan Lim, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences

Diminishing the Distance in Distance Ed – Wimba’s Live Tools: People Reaching People
Crystal Havely Stratton & Patricia Landy, Laramie County Community College

“Keep It Live” – What the Students Say!
Mike Scheuermann, Drexel University

Wimba Pronto 4 All: Pronto Invitations and Universal Integration
Marlen Rattiner & Chris Dixon, Wimba

Online Learning is all about Collaboration!
Mark Gensimore, Jed Friedrichsen & blendedschools.net

Bringing In Local and Global Guest Speakers through Wimba Classroom
Chunyan Song , Ann Steckel & Laura Sederberg, California State University, Chico

Envelop, Develop: Building a Statewide and College-Level Professional Development System with Wimba and your LMS
Terry Pollard & Christian Pruett, Mississippi SBCJC; Rebecca Butler, Northwest Mississippi Community College; Jennifer Nowotny, Wimba

Where Did My Wimba Go and Do Users Know It’s Missing?
Michael Rogers & Jim Wolfgang, University System of Georgia; Sean Hessenthaler, Wimba

The Professor is In: Lessons Learned in Delivery of Online Student Support
Michelle Escudier & Sharon Davis, Central Texas College

Pet Kangaroos and Other Tall Tails – Live and MP4 Examples, Best Practices and Case Studies on Using Wimba Down Under
Steve Watt & Thalia Cosmidis, NetSpot Pty Ltd

Reaching Over Wall: Linking Kindred Spirits via Live Web Conferencing
Phil O’Hara & Corinne Tobin, Dalhousie Unversity; Paul Lowe, University of the Arts London

Collaborating With Students – A Glimpse of the Future With Blackboard
Brian DeKemper, Solutions Engineer, Blackboard

The Blended Language Learning Consortium (presented remotely)
Paul Snookes & Judy Barker, University of Worcester

Bringing Wimba out of the Web and into the Classroom
Bryan Vandiviere, Kansas State University

Wimba Classroom Beyond Classes
Cory Stokes, Univeristy of Utah & Edwin Perez, Wimba

The Power of Wimba 6.0 Archives: Developing and Editing the Archive Library
Jun Yang, University of Maryland

From the Lands Down Under – Wimba Firing Up Staff and Students in Australia and New Zealand
Lisa Ransom & Oriel Kelly, Manukau Institute of Technology; Kerry Trabinger, Canberra Institute of Technology

A Triple Threat to Student Attrition: Three Disciplines, Three Perspectives, and Three Uses of Wimba Classroom to Improve Student Retention
Monica Brooks, Tracy Christofero, Karen Mitchell, & Marty Laubach, Marshall University

High Impact Pedagogy: Bringing Online and Blended Courses to ‘Life’ through Learning Simulation and Wimba
Kristen Betts, Drexel University

Video, Vodcasts, and YouTube – Oh My!
Sarah Bryans Bongey & Chery Takkunen, The College of St. Scholastica

Online Education and the Power of Web 2.0 for Student Retention
Felice Nudelman, The New York Times / Epsilen

The Ways Wimba Classroom Can Revolutionize the Offering of Online Degree Programs
Daniel Powell, University of Alabama School of Law

Using Breakout Rooms to Foster Faculty Development
Ann Morgan, Kelly Kist & Heather Zink, Rasmussen College

Computer Science “eXperience:” Using Wimba Tools to Enhance Computer Science Education
Adel Abunawass, Alexandra Young & Edwin Rudolph, University of West Georgia

The Virtual Student Experience: Addressing Emotional & Multiple Intelligences & Soliciting Student Feedback
Dawn Muhammad, Calumet College of St. Joseph & H. Jean Bryan, Ed.D., DePaul University

CLOSING KEYNOTE BY JEFF NOEL, THE DISNEY INSTITUTE
Jeff Noel, The Disney Institute


Poster Presentations

  • Online Office Hours: How I Get Them To Attend
    Lyndasu Crowe, Darton College
  • Enhancing Student/Instructor Interaction in the Online Environment through Podcasting
    Heather Zink, Rasmussen College
  • Mastering the Point: Using Wimba Live Classroom with Effective PowerPoint Presentations to Enhance Online Learning
    Sue Burris, National Park Community College
  • Unleashing Wimba: Letting Students Take Control. A case study in providing webinar technology for students to facilitate group work.
    Laurie Grosik, Indiana University of Pennsylvania & Cori Dunagan, Edinboro University
  • Building Tech Capacity in a Non-Profit Collaborative Using Wimba Classroom
    Bruce Roxburgh, Green Communities Canada

A Wimba Classroom-based presentation:
My thoughts re: the smart classroom of the future.

If prompted, click on the participant button, and enter your first name, then click Enter.

Daniel S. Christian -- Wimba Classroom-based Presentation

Daniel S. Christian -- My vision for the Smart Classrooms of the Future

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Learning Spaces that Facilitate Student Learning — from  facultyfocus.com

In the recent online seminar Redesigning Learning Spaces to Improve Teaching and Learning, Saunders discussed the seven factors to consider in teaching and learning space design:

  • Institutional climate for teaching and learning change
  • Learning outcomes
  • Course design
  • Student profiles and class size
  • Instructional pedagogical skill/training
  • Environmental/financial factors
  • Technology/furniture
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Continuing the Educon Conversation — Will Richardson

Just as a reminder, here’s a link to the session description. We had about 100 people in the room and another 40 or so online grappling with the question “What are the ‘big’ conversations that schools should be having in relation to the ‘tectonic’ shifts that are occuring with social learning online?” After some small and large group discussion, here is the list we came up with in no particular order:

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The Future of Higher Education: Beyond the Campus — from iangardnergb.blogspot.com

“Lots and lots at the time being on the future of HE, especially in the UK due to the funding cuts, imminent election, etc. One of the latest reports is a joint one from JISC, SERF, EDUCAUSE and CAUDIT, showing many issues are not just affecting the UK.

Abstract:
Higher education’s purpose is to equip students for success in life—in the workplace, in communities, and in their personal lives. While this purpose may have remained constant for centuries, the world around colleges and universities is undergoing significant change. Higher education is under pressure to meet greater expectations, whether for student numbers, educational preparation, workforce needs, or economic development. Meanwhile, the resources available are likely to decline. New models, an intense focus on the student experience, and a drive for innovation and entrepreneurism will ensure that higher education continues to meet society’s needs. Information technology supports virtually every aspect of higher education, including finances, learning, research, security, and sustainability, and IT professionals need to understand the range of problems their institutions face so they apply IT where it brings greatest value. Creating this future will require collaboration across organizational and national boundaries, bringing together the collective intelligence of people from backgrounds including education, corporations, and government.

From DSC:
Many quotes jumped off of the pages of the report, but here’s one of them:

Higher education represents a complex, adaptive system that is influenced by larger societal trends and information technology. If higher education is adaptive, what will its future be?

From DSC:
Which question is dead? This one:

Where is the return on investment in all of this technology?

Through the last several decades, as we’ve invested in PCs, Macs, cabling/telecommunications infrastructure, wireless access points, LANs, servers, routers, etc…the question kept being asked, “Where’s the return on investment with all of this technology?”

To me, that question is being put to rest once and for all (at least in terms of those sets of technologies.) Why? Because that infrastructure is the foundation of an ever-growing, sprawling, network of connections that people are using more and more to communicate, socialize, learn, and grow. Sure, there are downsides to the Internet, but there are many upsides as well:

  • You want a lesson plan? It’s out there.
  • You want to hear a lecture on topic A, B, or C? It’s out there and able to start playing on your PC, Mac, iPhone, etc. in seconds
  • You need to find directions to place XYZ? As you know, a huge timesaver can be found in services like Mapquest or with GPS-enabled services.
  • You want to take a break and watch a show? It’s on your PC or Mac in a short period of time.
  • You want to quickly orchestrate an event to catch up with a group of your friends? No problem.

I could go on and on, but you get my point: We are at the embryonic stages of an explosion in innovation that is now possible due to the Internet and the blazingly-fast exchanges of information. Surely, there has been an excellent ROI here!

From DSC:
Clicking the below graphic will launch a (rather large but brief) presentation of what my view of a learning ecosystem is.

Great illustration of my view of a Learning Ecosystem

Here’s my vision of what a Smart Classroom should look like in the near future (please click on the image  below to see an enlarged image and to get some further details of my thoughts here):

My vision for what a Smart Classroom should look like -- 2009

Click image to see larger image w/ details

My thanks to Mr. Yohan Na for help with this graphic. The vision leverages the same idea as Steelcase’s Media:Scape product line:

"Pucks" on each table to "plug and play" various types of media

© 2024 | Daniel Christian