CCUMC: The Consortium of College and University Media Centers

College & University Media Review:
A Look at Practices, Trends & Research
Spring 2000 Volume 6, Number 2

• Through the editor's lens
  Beverly Teach, Indiana University
• Technology: New trends in higher education and facility design implications,
  Ruth Southard, Wright, Johnson, Haddon & Williams, Inc.

  Technology has been part of education for decades. However, its pervasiveness and some new trends in technology have an impact on the basic facility design.  This article looks at several trends in higher education and the impact each has on space allocation, electrical power, heating and cooling, lighting, and noise control.

• Classrooms 2000: Innovative approaches to classroom technology,
  Elia Schoomer, Lehigh University

  In the winter of 1999, Lehigh University began planning for the next wave of technology classrooms.  The challenge was to develop a program that recognizes the way faculty currently use technology in their classrooms, while at the same time providing resources for emerging paradigms for teaching and learning.  This article observes that the use of technology by faculty is changing and suggests new ways to think about the technology classroom.  The characteristics of the new classroom are discussed, potential technology features are identified, and four prototype rooms are described.

• Establishing multimedia standards for university classrooms,
  Robert G. Doyle, Harvard University

  This article provides information for establishing multimedia standards for university classrooms.  Includes descriptions of standards for items ranging from assistive listening systems with related ADA requirements to data projectors and from projection booths to height-adjustable lecterns.  Provides rationale for selecting specific models and features and encourages the reader to establish standards according to the specific pedagogical needs of that individual's institution.

• Classroom design at Binghamton University,
  Jeffrey B. Donahue, Binghamton University

  Binghamton University has been designing and building multimedia classrooms for several years.  Faculty and student demand for more installed classroom technologies spawned the formation of the Classroom Environment Committee (CEC).  The CEC created a set of classroom standards, which are being used to guide the renovation of Binghamton's classrooms over the next three years.  The standards call for features such as data display, network connections, and screens mounted to allow simultaneous viewing of the chalkboard and a projected image. Communication with faculty is essential during design, construction, and daily operation.  This article reviews Binghamton's activities to improve its teaching and learning environments.

• Center Focus: The Instructional Technology Center at Iowa State University,
  Don Rieck, Iowa State University
• Designing a digital learning center  & the art of compromise,
  Raymond Dow, Marlon Legaspi, and David Tiedemann, Syracuse University

  This article presents a three-year case study of the conceptualization, design, funding, construction, and the installation/implementation of instructional systems for an instructional facility built in renovated office and lab space at Syracuse University.  The School of Information Studies' Brodsky-Brier Digital Learning Center is a 48-seat technology classroom with distance education and corporate presentation elements.  Using the perspective of the compromises expected in a project of this scope, the authors describe the entire process, from vision to faculty training.

• Classroom renovations and campus culture,
  Larry Gilbert and Nancy Grayum, Western Washington University

  The fortunate circumstance of a having a fully funded classroom renovation project at Western Washington University did not eliminate the need for careful planning to fit the project into the history and culture of the institution. The successful design and timely completion of the renovation of twelve classrooms within a nine month period depended upon 1) a strong connection to the strategic academic mission, 2) cooperation between academic planners and facilities planners, 3) faculty input from every possible source, and 4) paying serious attention to campus cultural issues such as classroom scheduling and training.

• Coordinating classroom technology projects to address user needs,
  David McDonald, Towson University

  In a field where funds are usually tight, what happens when academic departments are energized by a sudden need to spend money on classroom technology? How do faculty members juggle the details and logistics for a classroom renovation project, uphold teaching responsibilities, and still maintain their sanity? Who should be involved in planning classroom technology projects and why? What roles are critical and who takes the lead?  Towson University's Classroom Technology Committee revisited these issues to outline a process, define responsibilities, and centralize project management. This article summarizes the result of these discussions and offers several principles to help improve the management of classroom technology projects.