Connie Schmidt

cschmidt@mtsu.edu

Connie Schmidt

Instructional Technology Support Center

Open computer labs

LRC 101, 101A, 101B, 101S, 241

Replacement of Existing Technology

We would like to replace the four 32-inch computer monitors used to display the instructor station output in the LRC 101A computer lab with one 80-inch plasma screen. LRC 101A is located in the two-story open space at the West end of the LRC. It has no ceiling and is surrounded by standard IDS walls. The room is flooded with sunlight most days, making it extremely difficulty for all students to see monitor displays, and almost impossible for older students and visually-disabled students to view text and graphics. No other space is available in the LRC for this classroom/lab, so we are trying to adapt to the location’s limitations to benefit instruction. The NEC system is a turnkey package that includes a switcher, a mount, and installation.

The Instructional Technology Support Center provides students with University-wide access to 101 computers in three computer labs, a multimedia classroom, and a graduate multimedia development center. In 2003, faculty from four colleges scheduled 140 training sessions in the labs, benefiting 3360 students. Forty-nine Education and Mass Communication classes were scheduled (1176 students). Student walk-in visits totaled 19,502 [21% Basic and Applied, 11% Business, 22% Education/Behavioral Science, 14% Liberal Arts, and 22% Mass Communication]. The graduate center offered video-editing capability, digital cameras, workshops, and individual consultation during approximately 300 student visits. One computer lab (LRC 101A) is located in a bright, two-story open area of the LRC, making use of LCD projectors impossible. Students have great difficulty seeing displays on the four standard classroom monitors. We propose replacing them with one 80-inch plasma screen (see below). Students and instructors have requested increased storage capacity and flexibility in the labs and graduate center. We propose purchasing 3 new server hard drives, 80 USB extension cables, and 2 DVD-RW’s for these facilities. We also propose purchasing a new digital camcorder for the graduate lab to keep up with demand for student checkout. Finally, instructors have requested wireless mouse controls for our three classroom/labs.