Proposal

Name:

SE 417 e-Learning Classroom upgrade

FiscalYear:

2014

Audience:

Science, College of

Submitter:

Hindle, Tobin

Budget Manager:

Blanchard, Dominique

Project Manager:

Hindle, Tobin K.

Proposal Approvers

Dept. Chair:

Roberts, Charles E

Local IT:

N/A

Dean:

Ivy, Russell L.

Facilities:

N/A

OIT:

Bagdonas, Joseph A.

Proposal Funding

Year 1:

$ 28,007.00

Year 2:

$ 0.00

Year 3:

$ 0.00

Total:

$ 28,007.00

Proposal Funding versus Average

Questionnaire

Narrative
This technology fee proposal is to upgrade the Department of Geosciences classroom SE 417 to meet university standards developed by OIT for e-classrooms and also add videoconferencing capabilities to this room.  SE 417 is Geosciences’ main instructional classroom with a capacity of 49 students.  There are approximately eleven undergraduate course sections and two graduate course sections each week in this room which serves a total student enrollment up to almost 550 students per term.

Currently SE 457 has just a lecture podium with a laptop computer and podium mounted projector.  The e-classroom would add an OIT standard Digital Media Presentation System 300, receiver and room controller with scaler, DVD player, Dell touch screen desktop computer and a Lifesize 600 video conferencing codec and video camera.  To save costs, we would use the existing projection screen, podium, document camera, and have the existing projector ceiling mounted.  The ceiling already has electrical available so there should not be a need to make physical facility changes to the room.

Geosciences received technology fee funding last year to do the same e-classroom with video conferencing upgrades to our computer lab SE 457.  The quality of instructional presentations after the upgrades in SE 457 was incredible. The room also came in at budget and the video conferencing has been extensively used to extend instruction between that room and Davie West 327 where we also added a Lifesize video codec.  We wish to have a similar quality of presentation system in SE 417 and also the ability to connect it with our other video conferencing classrooms.  We have found that the Lifesize codec we used integrates seamlessly with the FAU/OIT Bridge and can also be accessed from PCs off campus using Cisco Jabber.

 

This proposal will help Geosciences meet the following goals of the FAU Strategic Plan:

Goal I: Enrich the educational experience:  The Geosciences department seeks to provide its students with the best possible learning environment available.  Access to smart classroom technology that meets university standards should be available in this classroom space.  E-classrooms are the tool for more effective and efficient teaching and video conferencing allows us to extend the physical classrooms virtually to other campuses and distance learning students as well.

Goal III: Increase FAU’s community engagement:  Live lectures and presentation can be made available to students, faculty and even the public at off campus locations with video codec or simply Internet access.

Goal IV: Leverage momentum toward achieving FAU’s strategic goals by being good stewards of its human, technological, physical and financial resources:  Our classrooms should reflect the latest presentation technology that meets OIT e-classroom standards.  Video conferencing will allow Geosciences to develop and deploy state of the art learning through connected classrooms that transcend the geographic restrictions of non-connected classrooms.  Connected classrooms will allow for the expansion of course offerings without increasing instructional costs. The increased availability of course also increases the visibility of FAU, not only to those in our own service areas, but regionally, nationally and even internationally

Facilities
None.  Existing electrical and networking are already in place.
Hardware Requirements
OIT e-classroom standard Digital Media Presentation System 300, receiver and room controller with scaler, DVD player, Dell touch screen desktop computer and a Lifesize 600 video conferencing codec and video camera.  Hardware will be identical to that installed in SE 457 earlier this term and funded last year on a technology fee grant.
Software Requirements
None.
Personnel Costs
Installation will be done by an FAU approved AV vendor, Pro Sound and Video, and coordinated with FAU Facilities.  Operation and maintenance of the classroom will be done by existing Geosciences staff.
Other Costs
None
Timeline
To be installed during the break between Spring and summer 2015 terms.
Sustainability
Life expectancy of the hardware is expected to be beyond five years.  The operational costs such as projector bulbs will come from the Geosciences budget.
Resource Matching
We will be reusing existing room equipment such as the lecture podium, projector and projector screen.
Implementing Organization
Geosciences

Proposal Budget

Fiscal Year 1 Fiscal Year 2 Fiscal Year 3 Total
Hardware One-Time $ 28,007.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 28,007.00
Hardware Recurring $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Software One-time $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Software Recurring $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Personnel One-time $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Personnel Recurring $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Other One-time $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Other Recurring $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Totals $ 28,007.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 28,007.00

Supporting Documentation

Filename Size Description
FAU - Bill of Material SE 417 Video Conference Upgrade rev1.pdf 93,687b Hardware list
FAU - Dept. of Geosciences SE 417 Video Conference Upgrade rev1.pdf 99,104b Quote from Pro Sound and Video