DELIVER MEDIA SERVICES.

By Daniel Niemeyer and Barbara A. Black

W " hat is the best way to provide me-

dia support in college classrooms? Equipment pools at a centralized media center with delivery vans making the rounds, stashes of me-

dia equipment in each academic department, or satellite media centers with check-out windows in widely scattered buildings?

Classroom support by college media centers should focus on the delivery of media services, rather than the daily physical delivery of equip- ment. Most media personnel will agree that more damage is done to equipment in transit than in use. In addition, endless hours of staff time, not to mention the waste of fuel and vehicle wear and tear, are spent perpetuating the equipment-deliv- ery syndrome. At the University of Colorado at Boulder we meet media needs in classrooms with: (a) media-equipped classrooms of varying sizes, geographically spread around the campus, (b) classrooms in the media center for occasional me- dia users and (c) a rental pool of equipment for the entire campus, with affordable, reduced rates to accommodate emergency instructional needs. By far, the most innovative approach is the media- equipped classrooms, which continually receive raves from faculty and administrators alike. It is to this unique and successful undertaking that we devote the majority of this article.

Daniel Niemeyer is Director o f Academic Media Services, University o f Colorado at Boulder. Bar- bara Black is Assistant Director for Instructional Support, Academic Media Services, University o f Colorado at Boulder. Artwork contributed by David Stirts, graphic de- signer, Academic Media Services, University of Colorado at Boulder.

34 Tech Trends

Media-Equipped Classrooms

In 1984, our first two classrooms especially de- signed for hassle-free media use premiered on campus. Today they number forty; nine more will debut by summer. Experience being the best teacher, in five years we have learned that the fol- lowing step-by-step approach to planning and op- erating media-equipped classrooms works well.

Step #1 Investigate the campus

Begin with a tour of every centrally-scheduled classroom on the campus. Notice room layout, as well as suitability for projection and cable TV. Target 30% of the rooms as potential media- equipped classrooms, making sure that they in- clude small, medium and large classrooms and lec- ture halls which are geographically dispersed around the campus. Keep your eyes open for a few particularly dingy, grimy, unpopular, gloomy, stuffy, noisy classrooms that need improvement.

Since most campuses do not have a classroom advocate, become a voice for classroom upgrades, improvements and construction on your campus. To be informed about plans for present and future campus classrooms, become involved with the long range planning group on campus. Join the space management group to actively participate in decisions about short-term management, alloca- tion and utilization of campus classrooms.

Obtain access to information about the courses and faculty teaching in each classroom by keeping in close contact with the office responsible for scheduling classrooms. Use data you already have about faculty media use and classroom-scheduling data to help determine which classrooms are good candidates for becoming media-equipped. Work

NOT HARDWARE

with faculty and departments to upgrade and me- dia equip classrooms that they often use.

Step #2 Design the classrooms

Design media-equipped classrooms to accom- modate the widest variety of faculty requests: a screen in the front, center of the room, leaving open the option of locating additional screens in the front and/or corner of the room; switches to control banks of lights parallel to the front of the room; and window treatment which minimizes am- bient light on the screen.

At the rear of the room, install a fold-down ta- ble to hold a 16mm film projector with a large take-up reel, or two slide projectors side-by-side.

An AC power outlet should be close by. In the front center of the room, provide a desk, table or rolling cart for an overhead projector. Again, AC power is needed nearby. Construct a locked media cabinet/closet to serve as storage for an overhead projector and other requested items such as film projectors, slide projectors, videotape players, au- dio tape players, LCD panels. Place a television receiver atop the media cabinet in smaller class- rooms or a ceiling-mounted video projector in larger classrooms that is capable of receiving ca- ble TV, output from a VCR or PC display. Include a touch-tone telephone for VCR remote control or emergency contact with the media center (see Fig- ure 1 & 2).

cont inued on nex t p a g e

F i g u r e 1. S m a l l e r m e d i a - e q u i p p e d c l a s s r o o m w i t h b u i l t - i n c a b i n e t , T V set , f o l d . d o w n

p r o j e c t i o n t a b l e a n d sc reen .

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F i g u r e 2. L a r g e r m e d i a - e q u i p p e d c l a s s r o o m w i t h v i d e o p ro j ec t o r , VCR, m e d i a c lose t ,

f o l d - d o w n p r o j e c t i o n t ab le a n d sc reens .

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The media cabinet is important. Physically, it provides a secure base for mounting the television receiver five feet off the floor, at approximately instructor-head-height. Practically, it provides a secure delivery and storage receptacle for projec- tors. Psychologically, it makes the media appear as integral to the instructional environment as the chalkboard, and not just an afterthought.

Always have a set of media-guidelines ready for distribution to administrators, architects, planners and contractors for any new classroom construc- tion on the campus (see Figure 3). Guidelines for smaller classrooms (up to 75 students), larger classrooms (75-150 students) and lecture halls (more than 150 students) will vary, but in each case they should emphasize easy-to-use hardware, user-friendly controls and clear signage. Offer to check all blueprints for conduit, electrical outlets, cable TV drops, screen sizes, lighting and sight- lines.

Start small with just a few carefully chosen media-equipped classrooms. A pilot-project ap- proach will provide the credibility for the concept to develop on your campus. With all interested in- dividuals, locate one-time capital funding to dra- matically improve classrooms physically and, of course, media-equip them. Following an initial capital investment, a plant fund of approximately 10% of the value of the classroom hardware is needed each year for equipment renewal and re- placement. Continuing equipment replacement de- creases the labor-intensive costs of repair and maintenance, permits the staff to devote more time to faculty than to hardware, and supports the

36 Tech Trends

image that the media center provides modern equipment and facilities.

Step #3 Staff the classroom support unit

Of course, all media equipment provided must be installed, cleaned, checked, maintained and, when necessary, replaced by staff members with technical expertise. More importantly, they deter- mine the best hardware for the rooms and con- ceive ways to make it accessible and easily used by individuals with little technical orientation. Be- cause they spend just a fraction of their time in- stalling and repairing equipment and devote most of their time and efforts to interacting one-on-one with faculty, they must be people-oriented and have a strong commitment to customer service.

Like most universities, our lecture-hall services are rather traditional; a professional staff of 2.5 and 35 student operators assist faculty with pro- jection and sound amplification needs. Surprising- ly, it takes relatively few additional people, 1.5 FTE staff and two students, to support a substan- tial number of media-equipped classrooms. Over- all, the equivalent of four full-time professionals works closely with faculty who teach in the 32 media-equipped classrooms and 8 lecture halls on campus. The classroom support staff includes a half-time supervisor, a full-time electronic special- ist/manager, a half-time closed-circuit TV special- ist, a full-time audiovisual technician, and a full- time clerk. Annual operating costs, which include

continued on page 39

Figure 3.

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Specifications for Media-equipped Classrooms on the Boulder Campus

Affixed t o the floor at the front comer of the classroom, an o a k media cabinet, 52" high x 26" wide x 20" deep, serves as a stand for a TV receiver, a permanent housing for an overhead projector and a VCR, as well as a receptacle for delivery of film and/or slide projectors, plus an LCD panel. Inside the cabinet is an AC power outlet. Usually the cabinet is located close to the edge of the chalkboard at the front of the room and near the window. The front of the cabinet is positioned to face the rear center of the room (at an angle which is approximately 20 ~ from the chalkboard). The cabinet top is tilted 15 ~ to prevent glare from ceiling lights on the TV screen. This makes the back of the cabinet 3" taller than its front, or 55" from the floor. Inside the cabinet is a permanent shelf which accommodates a VCR, leaving room in the cabinet for upright storage of an overhead projector and items requested by faculty for occasional use. The cabinet door has a lock which is opened by a key secured from the media center. If the seating capacity of the room is 50-75, a second cabinet is installed at the opposite end of the chalkboard for the sole purpose of holding another TV receiver.

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~MEDIA EQUIPMENT FURNISHED ~_ By ACADEMIC MEDIA SERVICES

, L IN

SL/~DE~ OVERHEAD PROJECTOR / On the door of the media cabinet is a 4" x 18" engraved plaque stating, "Media Equipment Furnished by Academic Media Services." Below this is an 8" x 10" sign in an oak picture frame briefly giving (1) instructions for operating the VCR and overhead, 16mm and slide projectors; (2) directions stating how to tune the TV set(s) in the room; and (3) a phone number to call for additional assistance.

A 25" TV receiver is on the top of each cabinet and is secured from the inside of the cabinet with a heavy-duty chain and lock to prevent loss. One set serves rooms with a capacity of fewer than 50 students. Two sets are required for rooms seating 50-75 students. When the TV is positioned on top of the cabinet, the center of the screen measures 66" from the floor.

A VHS video cassette recorder is anchored with security cable and bolted to the shelf inside the media cabinet. The video and audio outputs from the VCR are connected to the auxiliary inputs on the television receiver above. Connectors are attached to the audio and video inputs on the VCR so that the VCR remains in the "line input" mode.

An overhead projector with a 14" lens is permanently assigned to the primary media cabinet in each room and is removed for use and then replaced when no longer needed for a class period. An engraved plastic 1 1/2" x 5 1/4" sign riveted to the side of the projector specifies AMS ownership. When in use, the projector is placed on a movable table or desk located a minimum of 9' from the projection screen at the front of the room.

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Hardware which can be deposited in the media cabinet on request includes a 16mm autoload film projector with a 2" lens, a 35mm carousel slide projector with a 4" to 6" zoom lens and an LCD panel for showing computer output. A slide tray and remote control are delivered when a slide projector is requested.

On the side of the cabinet is a panel with jacks for connecting a VCR or a microcomputer to the TV set. BNC and RCA video connectors and an RCA audio connector are wired to the back of the television receiver. Silkscreened on the panel's faceplate are jack labels and a statement indicating which TV channels to tune to for VCR or PC display.

VCR INPUT FOR CHANNEL 91

VIDEO AUDIO

~VID(O ~ AUOIO

CONNECTORS

Mounted on the side of the media cabinet in selected classrooms is a touch-tone telephone for starting, stopping, rewinding and fast forwarding videotapes played over the campus cable TV system.

Attached to the center of the rear wall of the classroom is a fold-down projection table, 30" deep x 28" wide to accommodate a 16 mm projector with a large take-up reel or two slide projectors side by side. Hinges allow the tabletop to be raised or lowered and to be secured to hold projectors. When raised, the tabletop is 50" from the floor. On the left side, as one faces the projection table, is an unobstructed space for the projectionist to stand.

Double grounded three-prong electrical outlets, located within 6 feet of the front and rear projection surfaces, provide power for equipment operation.

A matte projection screen is centered in front of the chalkboard at the front of the classroom and is mounted on the wall or ceiling. Depth of the room, seating capacity, and standardized size of the lenses of the overhead (14"), film (2") and slide (4" to 6" zoom) projectors combine to determine the size of the screen installed in each room. Rooms under 26' in depth require a 72" screen; those 26'-32', an 84" screen. A 96" screen is necessary for rooms with a depth of more than 32". Some rooms contain two or more screens, permitting projection of more than one image at a time.

Venetian blinds or room darkening shades cover all windows to block light and assure that glare from windows does not appear on the TV glass or projection screen(s).

(Revised 9/8/89)

For further information, contact:

Dr. Daniel Niemeyer, Director Academic Media Services University of Colorado Campus Box 379 Boulder, CO 80309 (303) 492-7345

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continued from page 36

student-employee salaries and supplies, approxi- mate $1,700 per classroom and $5,700 per lecture hall. Because of the classroom support staff's dominant and visible role on campus, it is recog- nized by other units of the media center as vital, vibrant, and respected.

Step #4 Spread the Word

Encourage media use by communicating with faculty often and in a variety of ways. Run fre- quent stories in the media center newsletter about the media-equipped classrooms, their features, lo- cations and instructions on how to schedule class- es into them. Tap the data base from the class- room scheduling office to send a mailing to each faculty member teaching in a media-equipped classroom. In it, describe the hardware and serv- ices available in the room, and how to access them.

Listen to faculty. Respond quickly and cheerful- ly to their concerns, whether the request is for an additional projection screen or a special lens for a projector. Conduct quick phone interviews with a random sample of faculty to ascertain how well media-equipped classrooms are working for them.

Each semester, send feedback letters soliciting suggestions about service to every faculty member teaching in a media-equipped classroom. This helps the media center be responsive to faculty needs.

Keep in touch with key people in academic de- partments, especially those who coordinate sched- uling of classes and classrooms and those who or- der media for use by professors. Invite them to lunch at the media center; answer their questions; listen to their concerns.

Classrooms at the Media Center

The media center itself should house model me- dia-equipped classrooms that faculty can schedule on an occasional basis. Classrooms in the media center can be more flexible than the other media- equipped classrooms on the campus, containing an array of equipment not regularly used for teach- ing--Beta format VCRs, computer display de- vices, sophisticated sound systems, and satellite video/audio conference hardware.

In addition, the classrooms in the media center can be a place to introduce and test newer tech- nologies such as LCD panels, laser pointers, LCD video projectors, infrared slide remotes and cord- less microphone systems. They can serve as a product showcase for manufacturers and vendors.

In a private/public partnership that benefits both parties, products can be lent to the media center classrooms on a demonstration basis for a period of several weeks or months, permitting faculty, staff and students to have hands-on experiences with items on display. LCD projection panels were introduced to the CU-Boulder campus in just this way.

Create a Media Rental Service

As a last resort, if faculty are not in a media- equipped classroom, are not able to schedule the classrooms in the media center or do not have ac- cess to personal or departmental equipment, they need a reliable source of rental equipment. Every campus needs a media rental service. Whether it is film projectors for the Athletic Office, slide pro- jectors for a conference, TV sets and VCRs for students, the media center can operate a full-cost recovery AV/TV rental service for the campus community. Rental rates for these users should be comparable with those of off-campus rental serv- ices. Providing a subsidy to the rental service for equipment for instructional purposes makes low- cost rentals affordable for even the poorest depart- ments. Delivery of rental equipment on campus and the availability of equipment operators are ad- ditional services a rental unit can offer to campus clients.

Above a l l . . Develop a Service Orientation

With the three components in place, (a) media- equipped classrooms on campus, (b) model class- rooms in the media center and (c) a media rental service, routine equipment needs for teaching can be met fairly easily, providing ample time and hu- man resources to attend to filling unusual, last- minute, one-of-a-kind requests. Adapt the attitude that the customer is right, and respond to requests accordingly. Such a service orientation should permeate the media center from the director through the technicians to the front line secre- taries and clerks who most frequently interact with campus clients.

Graphic artists, film/video librarians, techni- cians and television producers responsible for lo- cating, creating and integrating media for teaching purposes can take comfort in knowing that appro- priate facilities exist for the courseware they pro- vide to faculty. Accessible, reliable and user- friendly media support in classrooms results in continuing growth in all areas of the media center. �9

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