EMTC Minutes: April 2000

UW Educational Media Technology Council
April 17-18, 2000
Inn on Woodlake, Kohler, Wisconsin
(Joint ITMC-EMTC-LTDC Spring Meeting and Breakouts)

EMTC Meeting: April 17, 2000

Present: Marcia Baird, UW-Extension; Charles Cottle, UW-Whitewater; Nick Dvoracek, UW-Oshkosh; Bob Fuller, UW-Eau Claire; Colleen Garrity, UW-Platteville; John Grozik, UW-Milwaukee; Joe Hagaman, UW-Stout; Bob Jokisch, UW System; Jim Jorstad, UW-LaCrosse; John Nierengarten, UW-River Falls; Peter Nordgren, UW-Superior; Steve Siehr, UW-Madison.

Guests: Judy Brown, UW System/UW-Extension; Rich Dirks, UW-Eau Claire; Joe Eisele, UW-Extension; Ed Meachen, UW System; Bill Smethells, UW-Eau Claire.

Absent: Kate Pietri, UW-Parkside; Mike Schmitt, UW-Green Bay; Mark Vladick, UW Colleges; Ron Weseloh, UW-Stevens Point.

Chairman Joe Hagaman called the meeting to order at 2 p.m.
Treasurer's report: No report.
Secretary's report: Minutes of the January 27-28, 2000 meeting were approved.

Committee Reports
DE Working Group Report: Bob Fuller, Jim Jorstad, John Grozik represent EMTC on the working group. Hal Schlais and members provided an overview of the group's progress to date. Schlais had presented an earlier overview during the general session. Challenge is to help UW System evolve through various technologies and with in-state UW educational partners. How do we tie all that together? What processes can be put in place to sustain momentum that is now taking place? Group report due July 1.

Judy Brown reported that the Wisconsin Co-Lab is looking for names for working group members. Wisconsin may be only academia co-lab with a physical presence. There will be others participating virtually, through the Wisconsin CO-Lab

EMTC Web Site Committee: Committee has not met yet, but has numerous ideas to enhance the present site: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/emtc. These include links to individual campuses for services, classroom renovation and design resources, photos and information about teaching consoles, and more.

System Budget Request: Bob Jokisch asked for input on the UW biennial budget request. He referenced the general session budget discussion and the Wisconsin Workforce Development: Developing Technology Skills for the 21st Century handout. Members indicated that campuses have ramped up for a several years with installation of classroom equipment; now campuses are also in an equipment replacement cycle that needs to be funded as well. Classroom mod and classroom remodeling funds are not adequate, and sometimes do not "fit" the needs. Equipment replacement per classroom estimated at about $10,000 for a new projector and new computer. Replacement is a growing problem all campuses are facing, as well as maintenance and enhancement issues. The cost of replacement projector lamps is also an issue. Faculty now also want video/data projectors in more classrooms, smaller classrooms and seminar rooms.

Rich Dirks expressed support that IT access for students with disabilities is included in the draft discussion paper. Can System look for any federal moneys in support of students with disabilities? First meeting of follow-up committee (Committee on Access to Technology for Individuals with Disabilities) will be held next week. Bob Jokisch indicated that group would discuss the federal angle.

System needs to be aware of how these funded programs play out on campus - classroom renovation program and classroom lab mod. Jokisch suggested a survey of how funds have been used by campuses. EMTC could work through UW System office for survey distribution. Replacement now in #3 of the budget discussion paper (Universal Student Access to technology Tools), and also should be in #2, Curricular Redesign.

Where does aging production equipment fit in the budget cycle? Not a classroom. Lab mod at some institutions is paying for multimedia facilities that are used by both students and faculty, but generally not a fit.

Suggestion: At these group meetings, we need more time for various UW groups to talk and share information among each other. It was recommended that UW System OLIT take a more aggressive approach in organizing these meetings. The proposed fall conference with UTIC (Undergraduate Teaching Improvement Council) involves getting faculty, EMTC and LTDC representatives together to talk about issues of mutual importance.

John Grozik: Discussed a paper he developed proposing higher level digital media development (DMDC) centers that would specialize in the design and development of interactive digital media. Handout: Digital Media Development Centers. Those interested in further developing the concept and participating as a DMDC technology partner should contact Grozik at: grozik@uwm.edu; 414-229-5477.

Meachen indicated that the concept fits with some of the potential CO-Lab projects.

Grozik distributed information about an ACUTA (Association for Telecommunications Professionals in Higher Education) audioconference on Wednesday, April 26, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. EASTERN. Topic is ITFS two-way broadband opportunities and FCC filing requirements. See http://www.acuta.org/events/seminars/audio2.cfm.

Grozik distributed a ResearchChannel (formerly ResearchTV) handout. UW-Milwaukee is part of the organization. The group will provide a testbed for exploring "high quality demand and streaming video applications across Internet2 and NGI backbones, gigapops and associated campus networks". See http://www.researchchannel.com/.

Grozik provided a demonstration of the mimeo™ product, a 24-inch portable device that attaches to a standard whiteboard and PC and allows users to capture and save any meetings notes or drawings made on the whiteboard to a PC. Standard dry-erase markers slip into special marker jackets. Cost is about $300-400. UW-Milwaukee is testing to see if the product can help turn small classrooms into smart classrooms, without investing in installed equipment. Notes can be recorded, played back, and saved to the web. See http://www.mimio.com.

Campus Updates
UW-Stout, Joe Hagaman: Struggling over continued support for LearningSpace. For the upcoming year we will continue to support the courses that we have in LearningSpace; will also support UW-Whitewater courses. The technical position that is key to supporting LearningSpace will be renewed. Building coming along fine. There are cost overruns; concerned that dollars will be taken from moveable equipment.

UW-Lacrosse, Jim Jorstad: Getting ready for our new building; costs coming in $1.6M under budget. Will put excess funds towards equipment. Also working on Health Sciences building. Opening in June. Building more teaching consoles.

UW-Superior, Peter Nordgren: "Computing and Media Services" is the new name for our department. Peter Nordgren has been named Director. Will be creating an all-technologies support department. Goals include establishing an effective Help Desk service, creating a training and staff development program, and improving communication with all departments. Working with housing department on a statewide cable contract. Will be looking to EMTC colleagues for advice on Help Desk, as well as inexpensive sound systems for classrooms.

UW-Eau Claire, Bob Fuller: In process of interviews for two Associate Vice Chancellor positions; one is for Information and Technology Management. Expect that the new person will be in place by summer. Two of four wings in the Science Building are shut down for renovation. When done, we will have 14 comparably-equipped classrooms. As part of a lab modernization project, we are exploring the best ways to use desktop video for maintaining contact with students participating in internships.

UW-Whitewater, Charles Cottle: We have a Title 3 grant and are now planning for a summer instructional technology workshop for 40 faculty and instructional staff. Will be teaching Blackboard CourseInfo.

UW-Oshkosh, Nick Dvoracek: Interviews for the Director of Media Services position have been completed. Expect to have a decision this week. The student presentations lab manager position has been approved. Renovation of Polk Library is planned for 2003-05.

UW-River Falls, John Nierengarten: Replacing some equipment originally funded in 1997. Hiring a web master.

UW-Madison, Steve Siehr: Chancellor is retiring. Tad Pinkerton retired at end of February. New CIO hired - Ann Stunden. The Fluno Center for Executive Education has opened.

UW-Platteville, Colleen Garrity: Will be adding two more positions. Putting in seven technology classrooms. Moving two satellite dishes. Building DE conference classroom. Pulling together coordination of portable equipment.

UW-Extension, Joe Eisele: Working with the Indian community. Forest County Potawatomi reservation has installed videoconferencing capability and are using to link with units in Milwaukee and elsewhere.

UW-Extension, Marcia Baird: Interim Chancellor Al Beaver is retiring in July; Kevin Reilly, current Vice Chancellor and Provost, has been selected as our new Chancellor. Working with the CO-Lab in its early stages. Have supported a number of special technology/mediated events at The Pyle Center during recent months.

UW-Milwaukee, John Grozik: Building a video server to support Blackboard courses. April 26th is Internet2 day on campus; will demonstrate applications/products to faculty and staff. In midst of classroom renovation projects for 15 classrooms that each seat 200-300.

Meeting adjourned at 5 p.m.

April 18, 2000

Present: Marcia Baird, UW-Extension; Charles Cottle, UW-Whitewater; Nick Dvoracek, UW-Oshkosh; Bob Fuller, UW-Eau Claire; Colleen Garrity, UW-Platteville; John Grozik, UW-Milwaukee; Joe Hagaman, UW-Stout; Bob Jokisch, UW System; Jim Jorstad, UW-Lacrosse; John Nierengarten, UW-River Falls; Peter Nordgren, UW-Superior; Steve Siehr, UW-Madison.

Guests: Judy Brown, UW System/UW-Extension; Rich Dirks, UW-Eau Claire; Joe Eisele, UW-Extension; Bill Smethells, UW-Eau Claire; LTDC representatives.

Absent: Kate Pietri, UW-Parkside; Mike Schmitt, UW-Green Bay; Mark Vladick, UW Colleges; Ron Weseloh, UW-Stevens Point.

Chairman Joe Hagaman convened the meeting at 8 a.m.

John Grozik demonstrated features of Blackboard CourseInfo™. He is using the product within his division, and with units and committees to share information, manage meetings, and develop concepts. The UW DE Study Group is one of the user groups. John will also set up Blackboard area for EMTC members. He introduced Kathryn Gomm, UW-Milwaukee, training coordinator for dot.edu organization. (Grozik also distributed a Blackboard CourseInfo™ Product Line White Paper the previous day.)

Joe Hagaman presented a demonstration of Dialpad.com, a free web-to-phone call service. Registered users can call any phone number in the U.S. for free from their Web browser. According to product literature, users need a 33.6 kbps or faster Internet connection and a multimedia PC with a microphone and speaker. For the demo, Hagaman connected with a colleague at UW-Stout to demonstrate call set up and voice quality. See http://www.dialpad.com.

During the next Internet session, Hagaman connected with a NETBias, Incorporated (formerly Voice Technologies) representative for a demonstration of their Learning Bias™ product. The distance education software allows real-time collaboration, training and conferencing via the Internet. Sessions can also be archived. For a full description of product features see http://www.netbias.net, or persons can contact Nancy Pierce, 1-800-469-1260; npierce@netbias.net for more information or a demonstration.

Next, Bob Fuller demonstrated a prototype low-end control system for a classroom instructor teaching console/station, using a station he transported to the meeting from UW-Eau Claire. He distributed a discussion document that overviews system integration. As part of the demonstration, Fuller linked with four classroom support staff at UW-Eau Claire staff for an audioconference discussion. The console features an infrared control device that staff have programmed, adapted from the home theater market. The prototype replaces four remote controls and manual switching of a VCR, DVD player and other equipment within the console. The unit has not been placed in any classrooms yet. Staff members are determining what complement of equipment should go into teaching stations and how to make it all ADA compliant. Want instructors to move from room to room in renovated Science Building.

Jim Jorstad led a discussion on portable teaching consoles used at UW-Lacrosse - ETCs or Educational Technology Consoles. He showed pictures of a roving unit that could be moved throughout campus. It features pneumatic wheels, bumpers, locks, DVD player, dual platform computers; Samsung Visual Digitizer and more. Approximate cost is $16,000. 35 portable consoles are in use on campus. Cabinet made by a local cabinetmaker. UW-Stout has contracted with UW-Lacrosse for nine consoles. Security issues discussed. UW-Lacrosse is looking at using a DEFCON device, a pocket-sized security cable and alarm (http://www.targus.com) and attaching them to projectors. Approximately a $50 item.

UW-Milwaukee will be trying a multimedia cabinet from SMART Technologies for media in smaller classrooms. See http://www.smarttech.com/expression. $4,000 for the cart, without technology.

Joe Hagaman referenced the Designing Classrooms for Technology Integration and Access videoconference offered on April 13. Produced by the Consortium of College and University Media Centers, distributed through PBS/ALS. He distributed a handout from the videoconference and offered to loan his copy of the videoconference to interested members.

Hal Schlais and Bob Jokisch: UTIC has several initiatives in faculty development, some of which involve technology. Would EMTC and LTDC be interested in a joint fall conference focusing on generic and/or specific issues surrounding faculty development? May have some technology component. Each campus currently has an EMTC, LTDC and two UTIC reps (one administrative UTIC rep; one faculty UTIC rep). May be useful to start a conversation to talk about overall faculty development issues on campus. UTIC recently had a professional development day, attended by many LTDC reps. A fall conference could include focused discussions on faculty development in the UW System, the affect of changes in the technology area and what this means for faculty development. Recommendation: Logical next step would be for a UW System rep to bring small representative group from EMTC, LTDC and UTIC together to discuss objectives for a potential fall conference. Charles Cottle and Bob Fuller will be EMTC reps on the planning committee. Glenda Morgan is the System/OLIT contact person.

Classroom support, maintenance, technology, funding: All completed classroom survey. EMTC provided input to Terry Reda and Greg Waneck. Form is improving over time.

Charles Cottle: would like to survey the campuses to see how classrooms are actually being supported. It is becoming an increasingly complex problem to maintain and service classrooms. Looking at information sharing. Various campus models are in place across the state. Perhaps there should be a survey or special interest group established to get some structured conversation on how support is taking place. Results should be forwarded to System. All campuses are facing classroom support, maintenance, replacement, and operations issues. Reference was made to looking at Dr. Kenneth C. (Casey) Green's national surveys on the role of computing and information technology in higher ed. See http://www.campuscomputing.net. Bob Fuller and Charles Cottle will coordinate development of a survey with LTDC reps.

Joe Hagaman led election of EMTC officers. Charles Cottle, current chair elect, will serve as the next EMTC chair. The following members were unanimously elected to the open positions:
Chair Elect: Bob Fuller (to serve as chair beginning in spring 2001)
Secretary: Marcia Baird, one-year term
Treasurer: Mike Schmitt, one-year term

Members thanked Hagaman for his EMTC leadership during the past year. Hagaman turned the gavel over to Charles Cottle at 11:45 a.m. Cottle indicated he is open to all program suggestions from members. Among other issues, he is interested in how to enhance and improve instructional technology for disabled students and general information sharing on topics of common concern. Cottle was encouraged to begin working with ITMC and LTDC leadership on a fall conference agenda.

Grozik offered use of a UW-Milwaukee's computer lab for brainstorming common issues and answers among EMTC and LTDC, perhaps in the fall.

Grozik will create a web presence for EMTC on Blackboard by early May. Within that, he will create a special interest group to follow-up on production centers discussion and other issues. He will email members when the site is established.

Judy Brown reported that she will be attending the May 22-24 Digital Collaboration conference presented by ASTD and The Masie Center (http://www.masie.com). UW System/Judy Brown is also a member of TechLearn Collaborative. Judy can be contacted at jbrown@uwsa.edu. Phillip Dodds, who has been driving standards for SCORM and did standards work for standards for MIDI and interactive videodisc, will be a speaker at the Distance Learning 2000 conference, August 2-4.

The meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Marcia Baird, secretary.

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