News
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.