University Classrooms Receive Technology Upgrade

New technology is allowing students to review their latest class sessions on their computers or iPhones.

Thanks to the combined efforts of Truman IT Services, Instructional Design Services (IDS), the Physical Plant, the Student Senate Technology Committee and the University administration, all of whom worked over the summer to install six new SMART classrooms across campus, students can document every sight and sound from the classroom for later viewing. The SMART classrooms, located in Violette Hall, Ophelia Parrish, Barnett Hall and Pickler Memorial Library, are equipped with the latest SMARTBoard, video cameras, document cameras, microphones and classroom capture technology. The classrooms are used to teach a variety of subjects, including economics, foreign language, marketing, linguistics, statistics and more.

When it’s time for class to start, students take a seat behind a strategically placed room microphone while the professor dons a wireless microphone. At the scheduled time, the system begins recording everything. Minutes after class lets out, all the sights and sounds from class are automatically up on Blackboard for streaming or downloading to computers or portable media devices.

Students can flip through the instructor’s writings on the SMARTBoard like a notebook, listen to the lecture as an audio-only podcast, or watch a split-screen version with all the notes, diagrams, lectures, video and classroom Q&A. It’s all right there for study and review.

ITS and IDS staff engineered everything in these rooms themselves at a substantial cost savings and trained more than 60 faculty who will be teaching more than 40 courses in these rooms this semester.

And not just the SMART classrooms got a facelift. ITS upgraded more than 137 classrooms across campus, installing 30 new media consoles, 37 data projectors, 31 laptop connections and 70 presentation remotes to completely equip all classrooms, all in less than 90 days.

There is still work to be done, but Truman students and faculty can take full advantage of more enhanced, up-to-date learning technologies and opportunities today. Students are encouraged to contact ITS and let them know what they think of the improvements and how they can continue to innovate. To request training or information go to http://classroomcapture.truman.edu/request or call 785.7750. To schedule the rooms for classes next semester, or meetings/special events anytime, call the Office of the Provost at 785.4105. To provide feedback to ITS on these rooms or other technology-related issues, e-mail itsfeedback@truman.edu.
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