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IMPORTANT: Classroom Technology Instructions
Guide to all classrooms in use Fall 2020, the tech installed, and how to use it
Special Instructions for Mac Laptop users in BYOD Classrooms
Additional Notes for Mac Laptop Users
Software
New Classroom Hardware
AVer 520 Camera Meeting Owl YAMAHA YVC-1000 Elmo Document Camera
Additional Resources
Latest News
Updated 8-25-20
First Day of Classes: Lessons Learned
1) If you have urgent trouble with any classroom tech:
Call the WITS Help Desk at x6767
Not only are we well staffed and have a team specifically hired to rush out and help in cases of classroom tech difficulties...we're now staffed weekdays from 7:45 AM to 7:30 PM to cover evening classroom emergencies as well!
2) If you have not-so-urgent trouble, submit a service ticket in our new ticketing system! It's the best way to get your issue directed to the proper person in WITS.
3) BYOD classrooms have special docking stations to connect ALL the technology in the room to your laptop computer with a single cable. It'll even charge your laptop!
a) If you have a MAC, you NEED to download and install special software drivers for the dock to work. See the first section of this page for Mac drivers and additional info.
b) The docking station has a USB-C cable with a USB-A adapter. This adapter WILL NOT WORK unless the smaller USB-C tip is plugged into the back of the larger USB-A tip.
4) Elmo Cameras are useful but there are a few things to remember:
a) On a PC you can rotate the image using Zoom: If it goes upside down, click the small arrow next to the camera icon, click Video Settings, click the Rotate 90° at the upper right of the preview image.
b) Macs don't have this Rotate option. You need to physically rotate the silver arm around when using the camera to keep from twisting the camera head around 180° so it looks like you're standing on YOUR head.
c) No need to connect other cables to the Elmo camera. It uses USB to send a signal to the docking station or teaching station.
d) The USB cable that comes out of the Elmo is FRAGILE. If force is placed on it, it can cause internal damage to the Elmo camera that is not covered under warranty. We already lost one this way.
5) Classroom Control Systems can be finicky
a) Don't turn the projector on or off using a remote control. Only use the classroom control hardware to turn projectors on or off.
b) Be sure to select the appropriate input in the classroom control system....or at least try a few to see if maybe it's just set on the wrong one.
c) Most Control Systems have a "Video Mute" feature so you can stop and start the video output easily. If you can't get anything to project, someone before you may have left it in Mute mode.
6) Extended Desktop settings are not very nice when using Zoom
a) Set your laptop to Mirror Displays in order to have the same image displayed for your on-site and remote-participant students.
b) If PowerPoint forces you into 'presentation mode' with an extended desktop arrangement, you can click "Use Slide Show" in the upper left corner to make the screens mirror once again.
c) Open any windows or presentations on your computer BEFORE opening Zoom. Then you can select which open app or window to share without showing everyone all the stuff cluttering up your desktop :)
New Website for New Solutions!
During the rapid temporary transition to distance learning during the Fall 2020 semester, WITS maintained the "Distance Learning" site with regular news updates and technology links to help faculty adapt to rapidly changing pedagogical challenges. Fall 2020 presents an even greater challenge as we prepare for several different modes of connectedness between students and faculty both on and off campus while operating within the constraints of ever-shifting social distancing guidelines. New rules, new hardware, new technologies, and many learning opportunities await as we return to a campus and academic year in which the only constant we can truly rely on...is rapid, unexpected change. That's why we have this site; to keep us all in the loop about major changes, new hardware, software upgrades, policy shifts, and anything else that relates to the ability of faculty to successfully deliver the Willamette Experience to our students regardless of location.
Classroom Tech Upgrades
Classrooms and teaching spaces able to accommodate adequate social distancing are being outfitted with new connectivity technologies to facilitate remote participation for faculty and students unable to attend on-site. You are strongly encouraged to familiarize yourself with the hardware installed in your assigned FA20 spaces well before running any courses involving remote participants. Check the links at the top of this page for a rundown on each technology, how it is used to enable remote participation, and where it is installed. Our goal is to have ready-to-use hardware connected to teaching stations and single-plug solutions for laptops in BYOD-Only spaces via room-installed universal docking stations. Some devices will need drivers installed to work with your laptop, so please contact WITS to ensure you are prepared before classes begin.
Updated Laptop Cart Policy
WITS will need to take our checkout laptop carts offline for FA20. This is due primarily to the difficulties inherent with delivering, disinfecting, collecting, and re-disinfecting of all devices and adapters included with each cart after every deployment. The best way to keep our students safe is to have them use their own laptop computers whenever possible. If students need to check out a laptop for the semester, we'll be temporarily parting out our laptop carts to accommodate for general or software-specific purposes as needed.
New WITS Service Request System
WITS has moved from our legacy Service Request system to a new, more feature-packed solution. It is also a universal request gateway to ALL teams within WITS! It comes as no surprise that the folks at WITS are spread rather thinly during this time of unprecedented technology solution implementation, so submitting your requests via our new Jira Support Portal (the SupPortal, as I like to call it) will be a tremendous help to us.
A few things to note:
- All emails sent to wits@willamette.edu will be immediately forwarded into our new system for processing and triage as needed; direct reply from WITS staff to emails will be avoided and instead responses to your request will come directly from our new system.
- Calls to x6767 should be reserved for urgent or classroom emergency issues and after-hours voice messages left at x6767 will be automatically converted into requests.
- If you contact your USC directly, they'll create a ticket in the new system for tracking purposes when they get around to it. If you submit the request directly via our new system, we'll likely get back to you faster!
- Try submitting your next request via our new system! From here, we can route your request to the WITS staff most able and available to assist you.
WISE
WISE is Willamette University’s official Learning Management System (LMS) based on the open-source Sakai platform. All Fall 2020 courses have a corresponding WISE course site pre-populated with instructors and students using data from the Registrar’s official records. Course syllabi, resources, class materials, assignment information and submission, assessments and quizzes, and multimedia recordings can all be easily managed by the instructor in this single platform. Additional tools for blogging, forums, wiki creation, multi-participant chat threads, and more can be added by instructors to enhance student engagement and participation. Please visit our WISE page for additional information.
WISE (Built on Sakai): Official User Guide
Panopto
Panopto is a WISE-integrated lecture capture application enabling simultaneous video / audio / screen capture and is ideal for recording class sessions for later viewing. It can capture one or more video inputs from cameras, slideshow presentations, and anything displayed on the projected screen, then ties this to the session audio track. The recording is uploaded and associated with the WISE course from which it was initiated and is available for all course participants. Panopto is also an excellent tool for pre-recording computer-based presentations with instructor voice-over, for the camera-shy among us. Although it has a streaming option, it is not really a utility designed for real-time remote participation. Zoom recordings made via the WISE integration will be migrated into Panopto for editing, storage, and later viewing.
Panopto:
Copy and Edit Files in Panopto
Official Support Site
Zoom
Zoom is a utility designed for real-time remote participation. Zoom meetings are simple to initiate, easy to attend, and offer a wealth of options for the host to hand-off screen, audio, and presentation source to meeting participants. It also allows session recording and easy sharing of recorded sessions online. Meetings can be joined with the click of a link in an email or calendar invite, from a computer or mobile device, without special accounts or setup required for attendees. Zoom is the officially supported video conferencing and remote real-time remote participation utility at Willamette University. instructors can record their classes in Zoom via the WISE integration and these recordings will be moved into the corresponding Panopto storage folder for editing and viewing.
Live Zoom Education Webinar sessions and more:
- Zoom 101: Breakout Rooms
- Zoom 101: Polling (In-meeting)
- Zoom 101: Manage Participants (In-depth)
- How to use Breakout Rooms
- Screen Share & Annotation for EDU
- Comprehensive Guide to Educating Through Zoom
- How to use Waiting Rooms to Manage Office Hours & Drop-In Visitor Times
- Comprehensive Guide to Educating Through Zoom
- Official Support Site
- Zoom 101 : In Meeting Controls (Basic)
- Tips and Tricks for Teachers Educating on Zoom
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
Interested in using university resources while working from off campus? Use GlobalProtect VPN! Available to faculty and staff, this Virtual Private Network client will allow you to access network drives and systems normally accessible only while on campus. This includes your netfiles (H Drive) folder and departmental shared folders as well. It's just like being on campus...only you're in pajamas and your hair is unsightly and there are no ducks...probably.
Need Help?
NOTE: Most USCs are on furlough until August 3rd and, upon return to campus, will be involved in intense training to get up to speed with all the changes implemented over the summer.
To schedule a training session on new classroom hardware, get help preparing for the coming semester, or for anything else software or technology related, please submit a service request via our new WITS SupPortal and we'll get back to you ASAP.