1. A brief vision statement -- why do we need this facility and what will it do for
us?

Teaching in the Humanities involves discussion and interaction among the members of
the class (students and faculty), which is best facilitated when the class is arranged in a
circle, facing one another. Classes in Comparative Religion and Biblical Studies involve
the discussion of texts (and scriptures) from various religions, ancient and modern. Such
discussion is best facilitated when the textual material can be placed on a table in front of
the students for frequent examination in the process of discussion. The obvious way to
combine both requirements is a rectangle of folding tables about which the class can be
seated comfortably.

Incorporation of material from electronic sources into the process of such a class
requires some thought, however. If the students are to be more than passive recipients
of material received from the Internet, or other electronic sources, it must be possible to
make the material available for examination and discussion in much the same way that
textual material is made available. The method of delivery must also be simple and
unobtrusive, in order to keep the emphasis on the content and not allow the hardware to
overwhelm the discussion (Gayeski: 156-57). The hardware should also be available to
be manipulated by students as well as the professor. The ultimate goal is to further a
community of learning and investigation rather than to place emphasis on faculty
presentation and student absorption. This proposal is intended to present a design for a
seminar room designed for upper-division classes in the Humanities, in which material
from electronic sources can be explored and incorporated into the class discussions.

The Humanities Division has a tradition extending back to the time of Prof. Michael
Contris involving the use of teaching styles that encourage the investigation and
discussion of ideas. The purpose of this proposal for the inclusion of technology in a
classroom is to continue that approach to teaching in an age of technology.

2. An assessment and evaluation of the status quo (not made up).

Classrooms at Saint Martin's College are presently poorly designed and furnished for
the purposes of teaching and learning -- prior to the consideration of the introduction of
electronic resources. One fundamental principle that needs to be recognized at the
outset is that classroom design, configuration, furnishing, lighting, and acoustics play a
profound role in shaping what happens in the process of teaching (Green: 28-29).
Discussion of the history of classroom design in America distinguishes among the
rectangle, the square, and the circle, as well as the "open" classroom (Green: 29-30;
Blackett: 25-26). In the nineteenth century, classrooms were shaped in a long rectangle
with a row of windows to the students' left, placing emphasis on the teacher and treating
the students primarily as passive recipients of knowledge. In the middle of the twentieth
century, classrooms, at least at the elementary level, moved toward the square, and
furnishing were arranged to permit flexibility and individualized instruction. In the 1960's
and 70's, the circle was adopted, placing emphasis on the class as a learning
community.

Our classrooms were designed in the first era and remain essentially the same today.
They are shaped in a rectangle, with a long row of windows to the professor's right, and
student desks are arranged in rows facing forward. Acoustics are poor, with strong
echoes discouraging student involvement in discussion, and it is difficult to darken the
rooms sufficiently to present audio-visual materials like slides and projections of
computer screens. The echoes also make it difficult to hear and understand audio-visual
material, particularly when the speakers have accented English, so that it is difficult to
encourage students to reach out beyond their own environment. While faculty frequently
attempt to defeat the program that the rectangular classroom and desks forward impose
upon the class by arranging the student desks in a circle, in larger classes it still is
difficult to engage students in a community of learning. The poor acoustics discourage
students from feeling as though they are part of a community because they are unable to
hear clearly what others are saying or need to place excessive effort into making
themselves understood.

I have been able to arrange one classroom (349) around tables, and the results have
been encouraging (although the acoustics of that particular room could still be improved
to promote discussion). However, in attempting to incorporate materials from the Internet
into the discussion through an LCD projector, I discovered that the large projector and
computer placed on a high cart in the middle of the room destroyed the sense of
community when students were unable to see each other, discouraging discussion and
turning the students into passive learners. Technology became intrusive, and the level of
light in the room made it difficult to effectively view the projected images of artwork.
Incorporation of technology into a Humanities-oriented classroom requires some thought
in order to keep the emphasis on the content and discussion rather than the technology,
and in general the visual and acoustical properties of the classroom need to be
upgraded to support conventional modes of learning as well as the use of technology.

Current technology available in the classroom includes cart-based computers attached
either to a 31" monitor or a LCD projector. Network connections are available in most of
the classrooms to provide faculty with access to the Internet (including the Library's
electronic catalog) as well as other computers and servers on the campus network.

3. What's the plan? Include a floor plan of your room. Show locations and sizes
of desks.

For the floor plan, click here.

Available material on the design of seminar rooms for technology advises keeping the
presentation simple, with a monitor mounted on the wall in one of the front corners of the
classroom, and the computer (along with other audio-visual equipment) stored to the
rear in a cabinet (Allen: 47). Since the intent is to permit the seating of up to twenty
students around four sides of the central table and to keep computer monitors out of the
visual space defined by the tables (in order not to obstruct eye contact among students
and between teacher and students), the present plan calls for two monitors mounted on
opposite corners (and driven by one computer), to permit each member of the class to
view a monitor comfortably without placing them on the tables in from of the student. The
computer would be operated by an infrared keyboard (to eliminate cables) with an
integrated trackball, which could be operated by the professor or passed around the
class for individual members of the class to use. The provision of a TV tuner card in the
computer would permit the use of the monitors to project videotapes with the addition of
a VCR.

A further way of including technology in the class process would be to provide 10baseT
connections attached to the tables in the middle of the room (along with electrical
receptacles or power strips) to permit the use of networked laptop. This proposal calls for
four to six such laptops to be included in the design of the classroom, but students could
also connect personal laptops if they purchased a network interface PCMCIA card. The
laptops are more like books and therefore less likely to be intrusive in the visual space in
the midst of the class circle. They would permit students to integrate material from the
Internet alongside textual material from books into the process of class investigation and
discussion, and could also permit the use of the room in college writing classes (in which
students and professor could collaborate on the revision of student writing). Software for
such an arrangement would need to include a program from Sunbelt Software, NetOp
for Windows (http://www.sunbelt-software.com/netop.htm), permitting students to
manipulate programs on the main computer in view of the entire class (permitting the
collaborative revision of documents or investigation of particular threads using the
Internet).

If room 349 is used for the class, the project should include the provision of sound
absorbing material on the back wall (two large bulletin boards would probably serve the
purpose, although it might also be helpful to install some sound-absorbing material
directly behind the monitors), more effective shades to block external light from reflecting
on the surfaces of the monitors, additional tables to permit the seating of twenty students,
and a cabinet arrangement (with doors and locks) to one side for the storage of the main
computer, the laptops, a VCR, and other audio-visual equipment. The equipment could
be placed in a moveable cabinet and stored elsewhere if it is determined that locked
cabinets in a classroom did not provide sufficient security. The room should be provided
with comfortable chairs (the rule in the standards for classroom design is one inch of
padding for each hour one expects students to be seated).

4. What about special computer desks?

I considered the use of special desks that would permit the mounting of computer
displays beneath the surface of the tables and rejected the idea on the basis of cost and
flexibility, and because the unusual arrangement could potentially call attention to the
technology. Note that the present proposal adds technology to the classroom in a way
that would not disturb its use as a general classroom or meeting room.

5. Descriptions and specifications of the computers.

The main computer should be at least either a Pentium II 300 or AMD K6 300MMX with
64Megs of RAM, running Windows 98. It will need a fairly large hard drive to allow
storage of program material from CD-ROMs for quick access. It should have a good
sound card and a graphics card designed to support multimedia applications. It should
also include a TV tuner card and a CD-ROM drive. The keyboard should be an infrared
keyboard with a trackball built in.

The laptops can be older and slower, since their primary purpose will be to access the
Internet. Sunbelt Software recommended that they be at least a Pentium 133 or
equivalent. They will need to have 32 megs of RAM added to each. They should include
a sound card (if that is necessary in order to utilize sounds from web sites), and will need
to have a NIC.

6. Other equipment - scanners, printers, etc. Include one "presentation
system".

Scanners are readily available in the nearby Computer Center and would probably be of
minimal use in this particular classroom. A printer would be useful for college writing
classes and for other occasional purposes, and one has been included in the cost
estimate (although, given the proximity of the Computer Center, it might well be placed
toward the bottom of budget priorities). The "presentation system" in this proposal
involves two 36" large screen monitors from Gateway linked by a splitter box and
mounted on the wall in opposite corners of the room. The monitors will provide the
speakers, although the sound in one may need to be turned off for clarity. The proposal
deliberately omits a lectern with a professor's workstation, etc., mounted in it in order to
maintain the emphasis on simplicity and the communal learning process.

7. What software - operating system, email client, WWW client, application
software? You don't have to include all the educational titles (although you
might). You should certainly include titles of software which will be found on all
the systems. Include costs for software in your budget.

Software would include Windows 98 (which will come with the main computer),
MSOffice, and other software that is a matter of standard installation at SMC. Instead of
Netscape Navigator 3.0, Netscape Communicator should be installed (available at no
charge for educational uses, I believe). I would want to include a Bible search program
like Bible Windows (it should be available in the computer center on several machines,
for that matter). The software from Sunbelt Software, NetOp for Windows, to allow
interactive use of the display over the network will also be needed.

For costs of non-standard software items, see budget.

8. Networking essentials: Include (and describe) network connections on your
floor plan. What network electronics (if any) will be needed?

Option One: Two eight port hubs would be required, with three additional drops into the
classroom to allow a direct connection to the main computer and two separate
connections to the two hubs. Since one connection is already available in the classroom,
the three additional connections would provide one spare. Network cards will, of course,
be necessary for all computers.

Option Two: The use of NetOp for Windows might require extra bandwidth in controlling
the monitor signals between the computers. These signals might also need to be
isolated from the rest of the network. This option would require the use of a switch with
24 ten megabit ports and two one hundred megabit ports (Allied Telesyn CentreCOM
3276). The main computer would then be plugged into one of the hundred megabit
ports, with the other hundred megabit port connected to a corresponding port in the
switch that controls the servers. The laptops would then be connected to the ten megabit
ports. Sunbelt Software recommends beginning with the first option and determining
whether the installation of a switch is needed before deciding to purchase one.

See floor plan for network outlets and attached drawing for wiring.

9. What's the required budget? Include vendor lists and cost estimates for all
above items.

2 36" large screen displays from Gateway (Destination 36)-------$2600.00

Main computer (AMD K6 300 from Mwave)----------------------------800.00

TV tuner card (from Surplus Direct)----------------------------------------80.00

splitter box (QVS MSV-602 from ERI)-------------------------------------77.50

2 mounting brackets for monitors------------------------------------------250.00

Infrared keyboard with trackball (Key Tronic LTWLSTBALL

    from MWave)----------------------------------------------------------------62.00

6 Pentium 133 (or better) laptops (Toshiba 305CDS P166

    MMX from Surplus direct)-----------------------------------------------6000.00

6 32M SIMMs for laptops----------------------------------------------------600.00

6 Eiger Labs PCMCIA network cards for laptops (from

    Surplus Direct)--------------------------------------------------------------240.00

2 8-port hubs-------------------------------------------------------------------200.00

equipment cabinet (Video Security Cabinet VSC-900 from

    Hertz Furniture Systems)-------------------------------------------------410.00

VCR-----------------------------------------------------------------------------200.00

4 72x30 folding tables (SPT-304 P from Hertz Furniture

    Systems)--------------------------------------------------------------------444.00

22 padded chairs (BSC-925 from Hertz Furniture Systems)-----------660.00

NetOp for Windows (license for 1 host and 10 guests)----------------1050.00

Bible Windows ($130 per copy from Silver Mountain

    Software)---------------------------------------------------------------------650.00

(optional) 24 port switch (Allied Telesyn CentreCOM 3276)-----------900.00

(optional) NEC 860 Superscript laser printer------------------------------350.00

Miscellaneous------------------------------------------------------------------500.00
 

Total (with two hubs and without printer)------------------------------$14823.50

Total (with switch instead of hubs and with printer)------------------$15873.50

10. What's next? Is there also a longer range plan? How to maintain? Can this
plan also be implemented in stages? A brief description of future expansion
and expected continuing replacement costs.

The next step for the Humanities Division could be the design of a writing lab specifically
intended for the teaching of college writing. Several designs are possible, including (1)
clustered desks, perhaps with below the desktop displays, and (2) computer stations
mounted on three walls of the classroom with student desks (without computers) facing
the front of the class with a lectern workstation for the professor in the front.

It would also be interesting to experiment with the use of student response equipment in
lower division classes. The equipment, in conjunction with a professor's computer and
overhead display, allows the professor to obtain anonymous feedback from students in
response to the professor's questions, permitting the professor to stimulate discussion
and to determine whether the students are grasping the material.

Provisions for a language lab have been included in plans for the new SMC library.

The battle over replacement costs is ongoing, of course. The weakest link will be the
laptop computers, which will be subject to breakage and possibly theft. The college
should budget to replace one to two of the laptops per year and to upgrade or replace
the main computer after three years, as technology advances. The monitors should
have a useful life of ten years and therefore should not need immediate planning for
replacement.

The plan could be implemented in stages, with the main computer and two monitors
being the first stage, and the laptops the second.

In addition to the above elements please include (as an appendix) the following
information about your "school":

1. Describe the network server(s) at your school. What services will they offer
your students? What software -- NOS, Email server, WWW server, …?

There are several network servers in the campus system operating on Windows NT
server software (with various additions for specific functions). They provide various
services, including file storage and exchange, archiving of software for installation
purposes, email, web services, ftp, and domain name look-up service.

2. Include a simple block diagram showing how "data" will travel (over the
network) between a computer workstation in your classroom and your schools
file/print/web servers. Include brief descriptions of each required network
component. Be sure to discuss the bandwidth of your network.

See attached drawing of campus network and attached description.

Include a block diagram showing how "data" will travel between a computer
workstation in your classroom and the internet. Include brief descriptions of
each required network electronics component. What is the "speed" of your
internet access?

See attached drawing of campus network and attached description.
 

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