The program to update College classrooms with improved audiovisual and data display equipment is a success so far, according to faculty and project coordinators at Instructional Services.
The renovated rooms are dubbed "media equipped classrooms," or MECs, and "smart" classrooms.
The MECs and smart classrooms have VCRs, overhead projectors and slide projectors.
The eight MECs are 101, 102, 103, 107, 108, 109, 212 and 213 Dartmouth Hall.
The smart classrooms have Macintosh computers with Ethernet connections, compact disc and cassette players, projection screens and the capability for other audiovisual sources, including laser disc players and CD-ROM devices.
The three smart classrooms are 217 Dartmouth, 101 Fairchild and 28 Silsby Hall.
"The classrooms have been heavily used this term for their features," said Andrew Faunce, assistant director of operations at Instructional Services.
"The response to the program by the faculty has been very positive," Faunce said.
Professors say they appreciate the convenience of having functional and easily-controlled equipment already integrated in the classrooms
Earth sciences professor Naomi Oreskes, who teaches in 101 Fairchild, said she loves teaching in the smart classrooms.
"I don't have to waste time fiddling with the lighting or blackboard control switches," Oreskes said.
"I'm not distracted by things that don't work," she said.
Government Professor Diederik Vandewalle, who teaches in 217 Dartmouth and 101 Fairchild, said he uses many of the features offered in the smart classrooms -- nearly on a daily basis.
"I use the overheads, the slides, and audio equipment," he said. "Particularly important for my purposes is the ability to hook up to the Internet and to display the computer projection overhead."
"I think they are terrific," Vandewalle said. "101 Fairchild is absolutely marvelous. You can automatically dim lights and everything is set up in front of you."
Vandewalle and Oreskes both agree that more classrooms equipped with similar features are needed.
Faunce said Instructional Services, which routinely distributes surveys to professors, has obtained some feedback on the success of the project.
"We expect that some modifications to the smart and MEC classrooms will be made," he said.
By Fall term, 217 Dartmouth, which was the first smart classroom, will be upgraded with an improved teaching podium, Faunce said.
"Maintenance will also be done on some existing equipment in the classrooms that are not smart or MEC but have basic video and data projection services," he said.
Malcolm Brown, director of academic computing, said, "In particular, we have been asked to look at Reed Hall, some of the science classrooms to improve them for their projection capability, and Filene Auditorium."
The College's Facilities Advisory Committee subcommittee on classroom development and utilization, which Brown chairs, provides funding for the renovations and equipment.
Instructional Services will be offering training sessions for professors interested in using the renovated classrooms during the next two weeks, Faunce said.
