This guide will help familiarize you with the technology available to you in classrooms in Rockwell Hall and Rockwell West.
Contents:
- Equipment in the Classroom
- Using the Classroom’s Podium Computer
- Using the Touch Panel
- I am Trying To:
- Turn on or off the system
- Display from the classroom PC
- Display from my laptop or other device using a wired connection
- Display from my laptop or other device using a wireless connection
- Adjust the volume
- Adjust the room lighting
- Adjust the shades in the room
- Use a document camera
- Request help from a member of the IT team
Equipment in the Classroom
- Podium: each classroom has a podium installed at the front of the classroom. There is a PC on top of the podium running the latest version of Windows, a mouse and keyboard, one touchscreen monitor, and one non-touchscreen monitor. It also contains several charging cables compatible with various laptop models and a cable to connect your laptop to the system. The podium also has a touch panel which controls the room, including display sources, room lighting, and sound. The height of the podium can be adjusted using the Up and Down arrows on the front of the podium.
- Classroom displays: each classroom has multiple displays at the front of the room. The type and number of displays may vary depending on the room you are in. Several classrooms also have confidence monitors on the back wall (Classrooms may also have confidence monitors on the rear wall.
- Cameras & microphones: each classroom's podium PC has a wide-angle camera and microphone. These can be used to record a lecture or create a hybrid meeting space. The camera also comes with a remote which can be used to adjust the camera's zoom and pan/tilt angle. Classrooms where lecture captures take place are also equipped with additional cameras and microphones. In order to learn more about utilizing these additional lecture capture services, please contact the Video Production team.
- Surface Hub: several, but not all, classrooms are equipped with smart boards (Surface Hubs). These can be used as normal displays, or as electronic whiteboards.
- Document camera: some classrooms have a document camera installed. If you anticipate requiring a document camera for your course but the room you are teaching in does not have one, please contact the IT helpdesk to see if any are available for check out. Visit this page to learn more about using a document camera.
Using the Classroom’s Podium Computer
To login to the classroom computer, use your NetID credentials.
Each PC is running the latest version of Windows and has a variety of applications already installed, including Microsoft OneDrive and Office 365 (PowerPoint, Word, Excel). Logging into OneDrive will allow you to access all of your files from cloud storage, so as long as you save a PowerPoint presentation or video file on your work laptop you will be able to access it on any classroom computer. The initial log in and synchronization with OneDrive may take up to several minutes if this is your first time logging in at a particular podium. If you have any difficulties, please do not hesitate to reach out to the COB IT Help Desk.
Using the Touch Panel
Turning on the System
To turn on the system, press and hold anywhere on the screen for 3 seconds. You may also sanitize the screen with a wipe before beginning.
After you have pressed for 3 seconds, the Easy AV screen will appear, as shown below. This menu may look slightly different depending on which classroom you are in, but the general interface and functionality remains the same from room to room.
Selecting a Source
Make sure you are on the Easy AV Screen. When first booting up the system, this will be the default page you see.
First, decide what you would like to use as your source to show to the class.
Instructor PC
Displaying from the instructor PC provides several options: Left only, Right only, and Left and Right. The current selection will be highlighted in gray.
- Left only: all classroom displays show the contents of the left podium monitor.
- Right only: all classroom displays show the contents of the right podium monitor.
- Left and Right: the left classroom display shows the contents of the left podium monitor while the right classroom display shows the contents of the right podium monitor.
Bring Your Own Device
You may connect your laptop (PC or Mac), phone, or tablet using a wired or wireless connection to use as a source as well. This will allow you to present both audio and video from your device.
Wired Bring Your Own Device:
To use the Wired connection, plug in your device using the supplied cable on top of the podium. Each classroom has a Kramer K-Spider dongle with four attachment options: HDMI, DisplayPort, mini DisplayPort, and USB Type-C.
Once your device is plugged in, select the Wired option under Bring Your Own Device.
The classroom displays should now be using your device as a source for both audio and video.
Wireless Bring Your Own Device:
Select the Wireless option under Bring Your Own Device.
Instructions will appear on the screen for how to connect your device to the system wirelessly.
In your web browser, enter the IP address listed on the screen into your address bar and press Enter. If you already have the necessary software installed (either Crestron AirMedia or Barco MirrorOp, depending on the room setup), you should be able to display your screen after entering the room code (also listed on the screen). Otherwise, you will need to follow instructions on your device to install the application before being able to utilize wireless presenting.
Using the Surface Hub as a Source:
In rooms with a Surface Hub, you may also project the Hub's screen onto the other classroom displays by pressing the Whiteboard Mode button. This is useful if you would like to make the Hub's whiteboard function more visible to the classroom.
In a classroom with Lecture Capture, using Whiteboard Mode will also allow virtual students to have better visibility of the whiteboard.
Adjusting Lighting and Window Shades
Select the light menu from the bottom menu, or press the light button on the right side of the touch panel.
From this page you will have options to control the room lighting and the shades from the touch panel.
To choose a lighting preset, press the button for the option you would like. The options are:
- High: All Lights Full Brightness
- Medium: All Lights Dim Brightness
- Low: All Lights Dimmest Brightness
- Presentation: Whiteboard Off Dim Brightness
- All Lights OFF
- Dimming: Up or Down
You may also adjust the lighting levels of the room from the switch on the wall, usually located near the classroom door.
To adjust the shades, press the Shade Controls buttons to achieve your desired result.
- Open: moves the shades into the open position
- Stop: stops the shades in their current position
- Close: moves the shades into the closed position
Calling for Support
Select the Call button from the bottom menu.
From this menu you will have the option to request a helpdesk technician to your classroom.
Adjusting Volume
To adjust the volume playing over the room speakers, hold the Volume Up or Volume Down buttons on the side of the touch panel.
Some touch panels also have a volume slider at the bottom of the display. This can also be used to adjust the room speaker volume.
If following these directions still does not give you the desired volume level, you may need to adjust the volume on the device you are using or on the media you are playing. For instance, you may need to adjust the volume on your laptop or the classroom PC, or you may need to adjust the volume on a YouTube video you are playing. By default, rooms are tuned for optimal performance at 75% volume on all devices and room volume.
Advanced Control Mode
The basic audio and video routing options as outlined previously should be enough for the majority of users. However, there are more options available to you in the Advanced Control mode.
To access Advanced Control, go to the Easy AV menu.
Click the Advanced Control button
From this page you can customize the video and audio sources for your classroom.
The two large boxes represent the current source selection for each classroom display. To change the source for a display, press and hold the source you wish to use (PC Left, PC Right, Wired BYOD, Wireless BYOD) and drag it to the large box representing the classroom display, then release.
You may also select the Blank option to present a blank black screen.
If the room you are using is equipped with projectors, you can raise / lower the projector screen by pressing the up arrow or down arrow from this menu. The screen should rise and lower automatically when the system is powered on or off, but this will give you manual control.
You may return to the Easy AV menu by pressing the Back to Easy Control button.
Other Features
Screen Clean Mode
To enter Screen Clean mode, press the red button from the home page labeled Screen Clean. This will allow you to clean the touch panel screen without pressing buttons you do not want to accidentally press. Screen clean mode will end after the screen is pressed for 3 or more seconds.
Surface Hub Whiteboard
To use the Whiteboard app, click on the icon on the Surface Hub menu.