latest news & information
2012 Classroom Refresh
SmartClassroom technology is being refreshed through the eTech Initiative. This Summer, OIT CTS is performing infrastructure improvements and equipment upgrades in 22 Humanities area classrooms and 5 lecture halls.
As we refresh rooms, VHS/DVD decks are being replaced by Blu-ray decks. DVDs may still be played in the Blu-ray player or in the DVD drive on the computer, and the computers will even be able to play DVDs from any region.
For those still relying on VHS tapes, we do have auxiliary RCA inputs on each lectern that will allow a VHS deck to be brought in and hooked up. Decks will be available for loan/rental from OIT Classroom Technology Support or locations such as the HIRC.
For the long term, we are recommending transferring your media to a digital format. If your particular content is currently available in a digital format, your department and/or librarian should be able to help purchase new media. If not, or if it is only a short segment you are converting, the Library's Multimedia Resources Center and the Teaching, Learning, & Technology Center may be able to assist in duplicating/converting VHS to digital formats.
For all refresh information, please visit our Classrooms & Lecture Halls page, the individual classroom pages or view the documents below:
Refresh Summary (pdf)
Classroom Refresh PowerPoint (ppt)
HOB2 Has Been Renamed IAB
Effective immediately, Humanities Office Building 2 (HOB2) has been renamed Intercollegiate Athletics Building (IAB). New building and classroom webpages have been created, and all other documentation is in the process of being updated.
New eTech Policy for Student Groups
As of Spring Quarter 2012, student groups requesting use of installed SmartClassroom equipment will be charged at a discounted rate of $5 per room per day (as opposed to the standard rates of $30/hr for SmartClassrooms and $15/hr for SmartTrailers).
Reservations will still need to be made through through Student Center & Event Services (824-5252), and standard late fees will still be applied to reservations altered within three full business days of the event. Please visit our classroom policy page for more information.
New Equipment on SmartClassroom Lecterns
For Fall Quarter 2011, you will see two new items on SmartClassroom lecterns:
Audience Response System - i>clicker
What is audience response? At UCI, it means that we have equipment available to collect responses from handheld devices purchased by the students. These devices (commonly called "clickers") enable students to respond to a question by pressing one of the keys on the clicker, much like using a TV remote control. The instructor determines when students may use the clickers and can optionally show a histogram of student votes at the end of each response period on the projection screen.
Faculty are using this technology now to get immediate feedback on student comprehension and as a means of encouraging students to keep up with assigned reading and attend lecture. Some courses are even using the system to conduct weekly quizzes.
To participate, students will need to buy an audience response clicker. These are inexpensive, and a student only has to buy one, because they will use the same clicker in any UCI class that uses the technology. When the clicker is purchased, the student visits a website to register their device's serial number so that they can receive credit for using it in classes. Over 5000 UCI undergraduates have purchased these devices since Fall 2006.
For more information about this technology or for help in using it, please visit our web pages on audience response at UCI. You are also welcome to contact Dave McCue at (949) 824-4210 or dmccue@uci.edu.
If you would like to read more about the audience response equipment we use from the maker of the system, please visit http://www.iclicker.com/ (opens in a new browser window).
UCI Replay
OIT has introduced a new audio/screen capture service which can be voluntarily used by instructors, employees, and departments who wish to easily record classes or presentations. UCI Replay is available on all SmartClassroom computers, and can also be downloaded to office or personal computers for UCI use.
For instructions and additional information on UCI Replay, visit: http://replay.oit.uci.edu/About_UCI_Replay/
Mac Laptop Brightness Issues
Have you noticed a significantly dimmer image lately when connecting your Mac laptop to a SmartClassroom podium? Your problem may be due to a change Apple made in a recent update to Mac OS, resulting in a much darker default image when using the external display.
Perform the following calibration to obtain a better projected image. When you are done, you should be amazed at how good the new projected image looks!
- First, connect your laptop to an external display (you can use a smartclassroom VGA cable, or connect to a projector or monitor elsewhere)
- Open System Preferences
- Open Displays, and select the external (VGA) display
- Hit Calibrate
- Check the box enabling Expert Mode, and follow the directions as you are guided through the calibration process
