The Compressed Video Classroom
What's There and How it Works
Each room has two television monitors, two microphones, a computer, a document camera, a telephone and, most importantly, a control panel. This panel allows you to remotely move the camera in your room, to display computer graphics, software applications, and web sites from the computer; and slides or documents from the document camera.
The system is voice-activated and automatically switches locations when someone speaks. Participants at all locations see the person speaking. The location of the current speaker sees the location of the most recent speaker.
Because all the rooms have the same equipment, your students can take advantage of the instructional tools at each location in their classroom presentations.
Here are some tips:
If your students are having trouble seeing details of a web site you're showing, you can have them go to the same web site on the computer in their room and follow along by sending the computer to the local monitor, or view the site directly on the computer monitor.
Although you cannot remotely control the cameras at your distant sites, your students are able to use the zoom and camera movement functions. Encouraging them to zoom in and use the camera pre-sets can lend a more intimate feeling to your class.
A detailed manual and a QuickStart Guide are provided in each classroom. These files are also available in the Portable Document Format.
The classes are not videotaped. Each broadcast classroom, however, has an audio cassette tape recorder and tapes which you can use to make an audio recording should any of the remote sites experience technical problems.
Check with the compressed video contact person at the site.
| Course Planning Timelines |
| The Compressed Video Classroom: What's There and How It Works |
| Tips for Teaching Over Compressed Video |
| Supporting Your Course: What You and Your Students Can Expect |
| PDF Documentation (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) PolyCom Quick-start Guide (848KB pdf) |
| Supplementing Your Course with the Web and Other Technologies Blackboard Support & Documentation Video & Streaming Media |