COVID Classroom Technology Guide
Listed are some of the additional resources available in the classroom for faculty and students. The equipment should provide for all pedagogical circumstances including face-to-face instruction, asynchronous lessons, lecture captures, and hi-flex. Additional requests can be made through your Dean's Office who will prioritize and forward to ITS.
Microphones
ITS has ordered a sufficient number of microphones to cover the smart classrooms assigned by Academic Scheduling for Fall. We’ll be utilizing the standard lavaliere microphones that we’ve traditionally used in classrooms. These can be safely wiped down with sanitizing wipes. Once we have a finalized list of rooms that will be utilized, we’ll be deploying microphones to any classrooms that still need them.
We’ve also ordered a handful of portable PA systems that can be used in lab, studio, or outdoor spaces, in addition to portable voice amplifiers. There should be a microphone to fit every situation.
Webcams
ITS has outfitted all general smart classrooms with webcams. The webcams have built in microphones that do a superb job of picking up the instructor’s voice within a reasonable distance of the podium (masked or unmasked). The webcams do a great job of picking up the instructor on video, but are not so great at picking up chalkboard or whiteboard writing (see document cameras).
Document Cameras
ITS has also outfitted all general smart classrooms with document cameras. The document cameras do an excellent job of sharing traditional chalkboard or whiteboard content and allow the instructor to stay near the lectern for a class recording or synchronous learners. Opening the “Sphere2” application on the computer allows you to share the document camera on Zoom - just like you would share any other window.
Smart Monitors
Most classrooms also have Smart monitors in place of traditional computer monitors. These allow instructors to annotate directly on the screen. Annotations made on shared content will also be visible on Zoom.
Software
Please refer students to V-Lab (https://www.siue.edu/vlab) for all remote software access. ITS will keep this list updated as more software becomes available remotely or is able to be installed directly on student computers.
Sanitizing
All ITS computer labs and classrooms have sanitizing spray and paper towels for students and faculty to clean their work station before and after use. Additional sanitizing spray and paper towels can be made available in these classrooms if necessary. Hand sanitizer has also been supplied in these classrooms. Disinfectant wipes have been ordered for the smart classroom podiums, but is dependent on supplier availability.
