Page 21 - Campus Technology, April/May 2017

LEARNING SPACES
past two years, BYOD (bring your own device) has been highlighted in the New Media Consortium’s Horizon Report as an important development in educational technology, which could “have the potential to foster real changes in education, particularly in the development of progressive pedagogies and learning strategies.”
Lessons Learned
We learned some valuable lessons that other colleges and universities can benefit from as they roll out their own types of new computer lab spaces.
Involve faculty. By including instructors in an iterative design process and using their feedback, a relationship of trust is developed. Faculty involvement is crucial to making the plan work.
Laptop and software requirements: Having some laptops that remain in the lab to support students whose computers are being repaired is essential. It’s also important that students have access to necessary software to install on their personal devices (or have access to it through a virtual environment). This gives students 24/7 access so they can work on projects — any time and anywhere.
Technology doesn’t always work as planned. What looks like it should work on paper doesn’t always account for real- life variables. One of our biggest challenges involved displays: The first model we chose had difficulty communicating with
the room’s control system; the displays either didn’t work or didn’t work right. With CEC’s help, we eventually realized that the displays didn’t have dedicated RS-232 input/output boards; they had service ports, which offer RS-232 functionality, but have limitations. To increase room functionality, we replaced the displays with higher-end models. We also discovered that the more displays you add, the more complexity and sensitivity you instill. During generator testing, we noticed a momentary voltage dip in the shift from grid power to backup power, which registered as a brownout. The equipment would stop working and try to reset, but couldn’t. We installed not only a power conditioner but a battery backup, so we don’t have to worry about voltage drops.
Hire an integrator. With CEC’s help, we were able to make our vision a reality. The integrator team walked us through the process, found solutions that worked within our budget and gave us what we needed, and provided assistance solving problems.
Be ready to address problems. Once the active learning space was in use, there were challenges with visibility. Because students were in front of 32-inch monitors, instructors had to write notes higher on the whiteboard — not always easy. The monitors at student workstations are now on flexible mounts that can be tilted down and moved out of the way.
Room maintenance is critical. Your staff has to be willing to support the space. Our IT employees are there every day making sure screen mounts aren’t put under undue stress, loosening or tightening mount screws and solving issues that arise with monitors or the control system.
Keep space constraints in mind. The physical location of the lab was predetermined; the room was approximately three times longer than it was wide, with structural pillars that could not be removed. Given the opportunity, choosing the physical dimensions would enable the designed space to better and more easily meet objectives.
Applying the Concept Across Campus
St. Norbert College continues to rethink how it will handle other computer labs on campus. The lab used by computer science continues to evolve and grow in its effectiveness with cooperation and commitment from all involved — faculty, students, ITS, administration and systems integrators.
With other computer labs and new active learning spaces on campus, we’re starting to see a new flow of ideas.
Krissy Lukens is the director of academic technology at St. Norbert College. Scott Ryan is the learning spaces technologist at St. Norbert College.
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CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY | April/May 2017