Operating Instructions for the Classroom of the Future
Biology | Chemistry | Geoscience | Physics | College of Education
References | WWW Search
| Courses | Computer Education | Science Education
Laboratory Information
Access and Security The College of Education has made a considerable investment in security to protect the equipment in the Classroom of the Future. Follow these instructions to access the facility but, at the end of each session, be certain that all computers, batteries and other equipment are in place before locking doors and resetting the alarm.
- Obtain your personal seven digit access code, four digit interior security alarm code and projection room key from the Dean’s office. Keep them in a safe place and DO NOT give your codes or key to anyone else.
- At the "scramble pad" located on the wall just outside the Classroom of the Future, press the START button and enter you personal seven digit access code, then depress the box on the lower right of the nine box array–where the # sign would be on a Touch Tone telephone keypad. The dash in your access code is not entered. Ask others to stand away from the keypad when you enter numbers to prevent disclosure.
- Upon entry, you will have thirty seconds to disarm the interior room alarm. Enter the four digit security alarm code followed by the on/off button. Ask others to stand away from the keypad when you enter numbers to prevent disclosure.
- The room is also equipped with a detection system to prevent notebook computers, batteries and other portable devices from leaving the room. If a protected device passes by the sensors at the room entrance an alarm will sound. In the event of a false alarm, reset the alarm by entering the first four digits of your seven digit personal access code into the keypad adjacent to the battery charging station.
- You may wish to inform others in the room that a videotaping system has been installed to continuously record those who enter and leave the room.
- The Key to the projection room will provide access to the notebook computers, video/data projector and server. Be certain to lock this door when activities in the room are finished.
- When activities in the room are finished, be certain all equipment is in place and reset the interior alarm by entering the four digit security code followed by the on/off button, then exit the room.
- If, at any time, you feel your access or security codes have been compromised please report it to the Dean’s office so you can be issued new codes and your old codes can be removed from the system memory.
Furniture Arrangement The furniture in the Classroom of the Future has been designed to allow a variety of arrangements. Faculty and students can experiment by creating arrangements that enhance the teaching and learning process. Discussions concerning the advantages and disadvantages of one arrangement over another are strongly encouraged.
- Raise the triangular end sections on a workstation and they will snap in place.
- To lower a triangular section, release the two retainers under the end of the section and that hinged section can be lowered to its vertical position.
- Each workstation has two wheels which can be locked to prevent unwanted movement. Release the locks to freely move or rearrange the furniture.
- Chairs are height adjustable by releasing the lever on the lower right side of the chair.
Room Lighting The room lights have been arranged to permit full lighting when desired or reduced lighting in the area of the rear projection screen when it is in use.
- To enhance the projected image, the light switches at the entrance to the room can turn out the lights in the immediate area of the projection screen
- The work lights in the projection room should always be turned off when viewing images on the projection screen. The door to the projection room should be closed to avoid stray light striking the projection screen.
Video Projection The Classroom of the Future has been equipped with a rear screen video/data projection system that can be used to play a videotape, access television signals from the University Video Network, receive television broadcasts from the two university satellite dishes, project data from the server or any of the notebook computers in the room and interact with the features available in the Smart Board.
Videotape Playback
- Turn on the video/data projector by pointing the NEC remote control (stored in the pull-out tray under the projection screen) at the IR (infrared) receiver located just above the projection screen, then press the ON button. The red lights on the remote control and at the receiver above the screen will blink during this process.
- Press the VIDEO button on the NEC remote while pointing it at the IR receiver above the screen.
- Turn on the VCR by pointing the Z (for Zenith) remote control (stored in the pull-out tray under the projection screen) at the IR (infrared) receiver located just above the projection screen, then press the blue POWER button. You may also turn on the VCR by pushing the POWER button located on the face of the VCR--located on the wall just to the left of the entrance to the projection room.
- Insert a VHS videotape into the VCR and operate the Play, Stop, Rewind, Fast Forward Etc. controls through either the Z remote control or at the face of the VCR.
- Adjust the volume of the audio playback by pointing the NEC remote control at the IR receiver located just above the screen and pressing the +/- switch to raise or lower the volume.
- University Video Network (including "off-air" television reception)
- Turn on the video/data projector and VCR as described above.
- Press the VIDEO button on the NEC remote while pointing it at the IR receiver above the screen.
- Select a channel by using the Z remote control’s "ch" up/down arrows or the channel up/down selector on the face of the VCR. You may also select a channel directly by entering the channel number on the keypad on the remote while pointing it at the IR receiver above the projection screen. The University Video Network channel lineup is posted on the wall next to the VCR.
Media playback from the University’s Media Library
- Call the Media Library 24 hours in advance on X2211 to schedule playback of any of the videotapes in the Library’s collection.
- Turn on the video/data projector and VCR as described above.
- Press the VIDEO button on the NEC remote while pointing it at the IR receiver above the screen.
- If you forget the dial-in phone number, or the channel on which your videotape will be transmitted, tune the VCR to channel 24 on the University Video Network and your name, assigned channel and dial-in number will be displayed along with other faculty requests for playback.
- Dial your assigned phone number to take control of the VCR located in the Media Library which will have your requested videotape inserted.
- Leave the telephone "off hook" and use the Touch Tone keypad to control the Media Library’s VCR. A diagram identifying the keypad functions is located next to the phone in the Classroom of the Future.
- When playback is complete, simply hang up the telephone.
Satellite Television Reception
- Call the Continuing Education Television Network (X2355) in advance to arrange reception of specific teleconferences or events that require "pointing" of the satellite dishes.
- Turn on the video/data projector and the VCR as described above.
- Press the VIDEO button on the NEC remote while pointing it at the IR receiver above the screen.
- Tune the VCR to channel 31 or 32. The output of the University’s two satellite dishes are transmitted on these channels.
Data Projection The video/data projection system in the Classroom of the Future can be switched from video to data projection to display the output of the server or any of the notebook computers while interacting with the room’s Smart board.
- There is no need to turn on the server because it should always remain on–never turn off the server without first checking with the technical support personnel assigned to monitor the activities in the room.
- Turn on the video/data projector by pointing the NEC remote control (stored in the pull-out tray under the projection screen) at the IR (infrared) receiver located just above the projection screen, then press the ON button. The red lights on the remote control and at the receiver above the screen will blink during this process.
- Press the RGB 2 button on the NEC remote while pointing it at the IR receiver above the screen.
- The Windows display will be projected on the screen.
- Use you finger to "tap" icons in a manor consistent with placing a cursor on an icon and "clicking" the mouse of a monitor display. You may also "tap" and drag to accomplish what is normally called click and drag functions.
- The Smart Board is also equipped with a wireless keyboard with a built-in mouse--stored in the pull out tray under the projection screen. The wireless keyboard must be pointed at the IR (infrared) receiver located above the projection screen while entering data or pointing the mouse.
- The NEC remote control also has a mouse pointing feature located in the round dial at the center of the unit. The left click button is located on the underside of the remote where your index finger is normally positioned.
- Additional detailed information concerning the features of the Smart Board are available in the Smart Board User’s Guide. Copies of the Guide are available from the Dean’s office.
Notebook Computers The notebook computers in the Classroom of the Future operate on batteries and use a wireless network to allow the mobility necessary to change the furniture arrangements in the room.
- Computers are stored in a mobile cabinet in the projection room.
- Roll the cabinet out of the projection room before you distribute the computers to students
- DO NOT allow students to gain access to the projection room where the projector or server are located.
- DO NOT move or disturb the projector–it has been very carefully aligned with "registration points" on the Smart Board.
- A fully charged battery should power a notebook computer for approximately four hours.
- When the computer is turned on a battery icon will indicate how much battery life is left on the battery in that computer.
- When a "fresh" battery is required, a full charged battery may be taken from the charging station.
- Replace the fully charged battery with the battery from the computer.
- A battery is fully charged when the two green lights are displayed on the charger.
- The amber light indicates that the battery is being charged and should be not be used until a full charge has been supplied.
- If the battery is low, put the computer in standby mode, remove the old battery and replace with a fresh one.
- If the computer is frozen, press Control-Alt-Delete and select Task List and end the task that causes the computer to freeze.
- If this fails, hold the power button for more than 5 seconds and the computer will undergo a hard shut down.
- Go to Start Menu, and select Shutdown.
- If the computer is frozen, press Control-Alt-Delete and select Task List and end the task that causes the computer to freeze. If this fails, hold the power button for more than 5 seconds and the computer will undergo a hard shut down.
- Don’t close the lid or store the computer when the LED in the front is on. Even though the screen is not active, the computer is on in stand-by mode and consuming power. Wake the computer up by pressing the power button, and then proceed with standard shutdown procedure (Go to Start Menu, and select Shutdown).
- The computer may go into standby when not in use for ___minutes. When this happens, hit the power button to wake up the computer.