High-def classrooms coming
By: Phalary Long
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: News
High-definition is the newest technology craze to hit the market and California State University, Stanislaus is planning on checking it out.
Classes in Merced, Sonora and Stockton watch live broadcast of their professors from Turlock on television on standard equipment in the CODEC classrooms. However, the standard equipment is never a guarantee that everything is going to run smoothly.
The standard equipment has its own set of problems that have included blackouts. Sometimes the equipment shuts down where the students can't see anything on the televisions but the audio remains; sometimes the audio stops running but the video is running.
"Most of the problems have been more with the connections than the TVs themselves. Sometimes either the audio or the video are not working properly, but it has been an occasional rather than a consistent problem," said Loran Lewis, CSU Stanislaus Communication Studies Department professor.
It can be a struggle for the students and the professors to communicate with each other but with high definition, all that might be about to change.
The campus is going to upgrade from standard technology to high definition equipment.
"With high definition, it is 10 times better," said John Huffman, CSU Stanislaus broadcast engineer in Turlock.
Loran Lewis agrees.
"I have seen the new high-def TVs in action, and not only do they provide a better viewing environment, they provide a much more effective classroom experience. Screens can be split for group projects. More than one person can talk at once without creating problems. It is a much more versatile and useful system," Lewis said.
With high-def, Excel spreadsheets can be seen with clarity and professors will be able to zoom in on students who give presentations from the off-campus sites.
"It will give the professors more flexibility," said Huffman. The professors can see the students much better than with standard equipment. The audio will also be better and it will correct the problems that the standard equipment has.
"The cost is unclear as of right now, and no one will know until we decide on the equipment," Huffman said.
A decision and possible implementation is not expected until the summer of 2009.
Classes in Merced, Sonora and Stockton watch live broadcast of their professors from Turlock on television on standard equipment in the CODEC classrooms. However, the standard equipment is never a guarantee that everything is going to run smoothly.
The standard equipment has its own set of problems that have included blackouts. Sometimes the equipment shuts down where the students can't see anything on the televisions but the audio remains; sometimes the audio stops running but the video is running.
"Most of the problems have been more with the connections than the TVs themselves. Sometimes either the audio or the video are not working properly, but it has been an occasional rather than a consistent problem," said Loran Lewis, CSU Stanislaus Communication Studies Department professor.
It can be a struggle for the students and the professors to communicate with each other but with high definition, all that might be about to change.
The campus is going to upgrade from standard technology to high definition equipment.
"With high definition, it is 10 times better," said John Huffman, CSU Stanislaus broadcast engineer in Turlock.
Loran Lewis agrees.
"I have seen the new high-def TVs in action, and not only do they provide a better viewing environment, they provide a much more effective classroom experience. Screens can be split for group projects. More than one person can talk at once without creating problems. It is a much more versatile and useful system," Lewis said.
With high-def, Excel spreadsheets can be seen with clarity and professors will be able to zoom in on students who give presentations from the off-campus sites.
"It will give the professors more flexibility," said Huffman. The professors can see the students much better than with standard equipment. The audio will also be better and it will correct the problems that the standard equipment has.
"The cost is unclear as of right now, and no one will know until we decide on the equipment," Huffman said.
A decision and possible implementation is not expected until the summer of 2009.
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