Problems with the recent Smart Classrooms raised by the COA Academic Senate & Technology Committee & Proposed Solutions: (prepared and presented by Mark Swiencicki (COA Academic Senator 7 COA Technology Committee member)
1. The fans in the equipment cabinets are excessively loud and interfere with classroom instruction. Fan noise needs to be reduced to below 30 decibels;
-Current solution: VC Ikharo & Olivia Roche are planning to address this by installing “delimiter switches” to cycle the fans on and off when overheating occurs, then surveying the faculty to see if they are satisfied.
-Problem: That’s a lot of labor and time if we don’t know if this will work.
-Proposed solution: Try at least 2 delimiters (with both audio & visual transmission running) to determine how many minutes the cooling fans will run for each hour of AV equipment usage. If more than 5 minutes per hour insist that the current fans be replaced with quiet fans (i.e., less than 30 dba each).
2. The current resident computers do not yet have all the required software and peripherals, nor have the faculty received adequate training in how to use all of the equipment and software.
-Proposed solution: Make sure that Promedia supplies us with all the required software and peripherals and timely training needed to use the smart class rooms.
3. The current keys and locks are excessively flimsy and take too long to open (well over a minute of difficult tinkering). It will be very expensive to replace them when they start breaking off in the locks.
Proposed solution: Install high quality, durable, tamper-resistant keys and locks into the AV cabinets.
4. There is currently no backup for when wireless service goes down and an instructor is using a laptop.
Proposed solution: Run an ethernet cable onto the instructor’s desk where the laptop sits.
5. The Projectors have not yet been properly centered or adequately focused. Some projectors project a bit off screen, and students can not clearly see smaller text or highly detailed images.
Proposed solution: all projectors need to be properly centered for each screen, and precisely focused by Promedia so that both small and large text are crisply focused. Also, to ensure that the above happens, the “punchlist” signoff at COA, Merritt, and Laney should include an instructor from that college that’s appointed by that college’s administrators.
Sample Motion concerning the new Smart Classrooms at COA/Merritt/Laney:
1. Whereas the cooling fans in the AV equipment cabinets in the new smartrooms at COA, Laney, and Merritt are excessively loud and interfere with classroom instruction, the new “delimiters” being proposed to cycle the fans on and off as needed should first be tested on one of the actual smart classrooms to determine how many minutes the cooling fans will run for each hour of AV equipment usage (with both audio & visual transmission running, and only the front door of the cabinet open). If more than 5 minutes per hour the current fans need to be replaced with quiet fans that make less than 30 dba of noise each.
2. Whereas the current resident computers do not yet have all the required software and peripherals, nor have the faculty received adequate training in how to use all of the equipment and software, the District Technology Committee requests that Promedia supply the colleges with all the required software and peripherals and timely training needed to use the smart class rooms.
3. Whereas the current keys and locks for the AV cabinets are excessively flimsy and take too long to open, the District Technology Committee request that high quality, durable, tamper-resistant keys and locks be installed into the AV cabinets.
4. Whereas there is currently no backup for when wireless service goes down while an instructor is using a laptop in the smart classrooms, the District Technology Committee requests that an ethernet cable be run onto each of the instructors’ desks where the laptop would sit.
5. Whereas many of the projectors have not yet been properly centered or adequately focused, the District Technology Committee requests that Promedia properly center all projectors for each screen, and precisely focus all projectors so that both small and large text are crisply focused. Also, to ensure that the above happens, the “punchlist” signoff at COA, Merritt, and Laney should include an instructor from that college that’s appointed by that college’s administrators.
6) Whereas each of the above 5 requests need to be performed in a timely manner, the District Technology Committee requests that a timeline for each of the above actions be set, disclosed to the colleges, and met.